Unsafe Methods

Discontinue these unsafe methods.

  • Do not use open-kettle method. Use a boiling bath canner or pressure canner to be safe.
  • Do not seal jams, jellies, preserves, and butters with wax or paraffin which allows harmful mold growth.
  • Do not use recipes from celebrity chefs and unreliable internet sources which may use unsafe, outdated, non-research-based methods.
  • Do not invert hot jars of jam, jelly, etc.
  • Do not use microwave oven, electric oven, slow cookers, convection oven, dishwasher, sun canning, or other methods besides a boiling water bath canner or pressure canner. These methods can be extremely dangerous and are not allowed for processing. The only safe and approved method is using a boiling water bath canner or pressure canner. However, if a pressure canner is used in a cottage food operation, it must only be for properly acidified and permitted foods, not for low-acid foods.