Under the following conditions, steam canning is recognized as an acceptable alternative to water-bath processing:For safe water-bath processing, it is utilized with tried and true high-acid recipes;• You go through the motions for the recommended amount of time before a bath in the water;• If the total processing time is going to be more than 45 minutes, you will need to go back to water-bathing instead of steam-canning.Jams, jellies, most fruits (for more on low-acid fruits, read on), pickles, relishes, chutneys, salsas, and tomato products with additional acid are all examples of high-acid meals.Remember that many of the same precautions you take while water-bath canning also apply when steam-canning. All the reasons given for using a water bath to preserve food also apply to steam canning, which is why it is the more common method.See Victorio Steam Canners for a discussion of some real-world examples.A BREAKDOWN OF STEAM CANNINGWhen making homemade preserves, you may use the steam canning technique, in which full jars are processed in an enclosed kettle utilizing the heat of steam to perform the processing.The temperature of the pure steam atmosphere may reach 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit), making it just as sterile as boiling water.This process has also been known as atmospheric steam canning to distinguish it from canning done under artificial pressure by emphasizing that it takes place at atmospheric pressure (e.g. pressure canning.)Saving time and money on utilities is only one of the many benefits of steam canning over the traditional water bath method.Popular home-canning expert Linda Ziedrich writes:Water, energy, and time are all conserved when using a steam canner, and there is no risk of the contents boiling over.
