Canning Water for Emergencies
Canning water for emergencies is a simple way to ensure you always have a supply of potable water on hand.
Ingredients
- Water
Instructions
- Prepare a water bath canner by preheating it to roughly 180 degrees F (just barely simmering). Prepare canning jars and lids as the canner heats.
- Fill a second large pot with clean potable water and bring it to a boil. Maintain a full rolling boil for 5 minutes.
- Fill prepared canning jars with the boiling water, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Seal with 2 part canning lids to finger tight.
- Load the jars into the water bath canner and bring the canner to a full rolling boil. Once boiling, begin timing. Process for 10 minutes at altitudes below 1,000 feet. (See notes for higher altitudes)
- When the processing time is complete, remove the jars to cool on a towel on the counter.
- Once completely cool, check seals. Re-process any unsealed jars, and store properly processed sealed jars in the pantry.
Notes
Altitude Adjustments - For 1,001 to 6,000 feet, process for 15 minutes. For over 6,000 feet, process jars for 20 minutes.
Jar Size - This process is tested by the national center for food preservation for pint and quart jar sizes, but they did not test larger jar sizes. The Idaho extension suggests using a 20 minute process time for half-gallon jars, adding time for elevations above 1,000 feet.
Pressure Canning Water - To pressure can water, prepare a pressure canner and jars. Bring a separate pot to a full rolling boil for 5 minutes. Fill jars, and process inside the pressure canner for 8 minutes at 5 pounds pressure for altitudes under 1,000 feet. Above 1,000 feet use 10 pounds pressure.