In the UK, past habit has been to simply practice “bottling” as opposed to “canning.”
The realization of a need for a canning process of the filled jars is slowly taking hold.
We have a separate page on this topic: The old British method of just “bottling” preserves is known to be unsafe now.
See also: Home Preservation of Fruit and Vegetables Review
UK home canning people who have made the move over to processing their jars
Here are some UK bottlers and bloggers who have made the switch over to water-bath processing their high-acid food products such as jams, jellies and pickle.
- Hassani, Nadia. Bottling basics. Allrecipes.co.uk. Posted 13 Feb 2014.
- Hetzel, Rhonda. The process of water bath canning (note: her suggested processing times are excessive).
- Nicol, Gloria. Laundry Etc. Blog. Canning entries: https://www.laundryetc.co.uk/category/canning/
- Nicol, Gloria. Gloria Nicol Facebook page.
- Rodgers, Kerstin. Yes we can: Canning and bottling in the UK. Blog entry posted 21 March 2013.
If you are presented with a recipe for home-bottling preserves meant to be shelf-stable, even if it is from a well-known source such as Kilner, Sarson’s, etc, that does not involve heat processing of the filled, sealed, jar, then walk away from that recipe and find another one that does.
Preserving Jars in the UK
If you want to follow North American modern, research-based, proven safety standards, choose jars with two piece lids (as opposed to a wire clamp / bail system.) That’s a flat lid, with a screw-on band to hold the lid down while the filled jar is being processed. Two piece lids allow you to be sure that you have a good seal — and that it’s holding as time passes on the shelf.
Do not use the Kilner jars or Le Parfait, etc, jars with bail-type wire clamp closures for shelf-stable home canning. See the link provided for “why.”
A note on jar sizes
Bear in mind that “pint” and quart” jars can be confusing. US made preserving jars will be delineated with US pints and quarts. A US pint is only 16 fluid oz, compared to an Imperial pint of 20 fluid oz. A US quart is 32 fluid oz; an Imperial quart is 40 fluid oz.
The metric size jars are of course standard: 500 ml (roughly corresponding to a US pint) and a litre (roughly corresponding to a US quart.)
Cost of presrving jars in the UK
Preserving jars are high in price in the UK compared to North America.
For comparison purposes, we have looked at standard, plain, regular-mouth ½ litre (1 US pint) preserving jars. Two brands, Ball and Kilner.
The pricing, and US dollar conversion rates, are as of Feb 2016.
First, the cost per jar of a Ball brand jar, as sold in the US.
Next, the cost of Ball and Kilner jars, as sold in the UK at Lakeland.
So whereas the cost of a bog-standard half-litre (US pint) jar in the US is 53 p (and often less) per jar, the cost per jar in the UK can be £2.00 and upwards — four times more.
While no doubt some Brits will be muttering “rip-off Britain”, perhaps it’s reflective of home canning just not being as mainstream as it is in North America. One can hope that overtime the price will come down, with increased competition and a growing market.
Note: Hobbycraft and Spontex are selling Ball jars at more reasonable prices. (Info current as of October 2017.)
Ball Jars
Ball canning jars arrived officially in the UK in the summer of 2015. Ball is one of the oldest home canning suppliers in America. ( Learn more about Ball. )
Ball jars, as of 2016, are being sold at Lakeland stores. As of October 2016, also at Hobbycraft and Spontex.
Kilner Preserving Jars
Kilner makes a series of jars that it calls “Preserving Jars.” (To be clear: not the twist-top, and not the clip-top.) This option from Kilner is a standard mason jar, and operates with the same 2-piece closure system (a lid and a screw band), as do standard North American mason jars. The metal lid width is the exact same as regular mouth jar lids in North America ( 70 mm / 2 3⁄4 in), meaning that any standard North American mason jar lid could be used on a Kilner preserving jar. And, the same as with North American suppliers, Kilner advises that its metal vacuum sealing lids are single use.
You can get the Kilner 2-piece lid jars right on the Kilner site; note again that you want the Kilner jars that take the screw top 2-piece lids.
Here are the Kilner jars for price comparison on Amazon:
These are the replacement lids on Amazon
Here’s a search for all Kilner preserving jar related products on Amazon (note that at times the broad search brings up their other products as well and not just the 2-piece lid preserving jars.)
The Amazon.co.uk prices for the lids and rings, not to mention the jars, do seem eye-poppingly pricey. You may wish to try other bricks and mortar stores first listed here: https://www.kilnerjar.co.uk/stockists . Also see the section on Tattler lids below for saving money on lids over time. Also check e-Bay for used. Note if you are shopping used: you want modern Kilner jars, not the older ones with glass lids and rubber rings.
Weck Jars
While the Weck lids are quite different from the screw-band Mason jar type lids, and no North American canning authority has approved of them yet as of 2015, their closure system would appear to be reliable and verifiable. Here’s more information on Weck Jars.
Leifheit jars
Leifheit jars have a Mason-jar style 2-piece lid closing system consisting of a screw band, and an actual metal lid. The lid is interchangeable with North American wide-mouth 86 mm lids, and has the rubber gasket attached below it. Each lid is single use, as are Kilner Preserving Jar lids and North American mason jar lids, but because it’s a standard size — 86 mm wide mouth, the re-usable Tattler lids work very well with them and are an option to save money on the lids. Here’s more information on Leifheit jars.
Other Jars
You can also buy North American standard mason jars in the UK. Sites such as https://www.cookability.biz sell them.
Here’s a link to their regular mason jars.
Hobbycraft (more reasonably priced, as of October 2016)
Spontex (reasonably priced, as of October 2017)
Here’s two links for 70 mm lids that will fit regular mouth mason jars (which includes modern Kilner preserving jars). Links valid as of May 2015, if they are broken, let us know, but go ahead in the meantime and just search that site on the word “mason.”
https://www.cookability.biz/home-made-home-discovery—kilner-seals-70mm/b_5502.htm
https://www.cookability.biz/–home-made-replacement-lids/b_1588.htm
Here are Ball jars on Amazon:
Search Amazon for Ball jars, Kerr jars, or Jarden jars.
If you know of other affordable options in the UK for mason-type jars with 2-piece lid systems, let us know please so we can tell people.
Tattler Lids
Preserving lids are very spendy in the UK. Tattler lids can help you to reduce your cost greatly over time. They are pricey but they are re-usable for ever, and if you are canning the savings will soon add up; you could also investigate ordering directly from amazon.com and comparing the costs of shipping, import duties, etc.
Tattler regular mouth (70 mm) re-usable lids can be used with Kilner preserving jars.
Tattler wide mouth (86 mm) re-usable lids can be used with Leifheit preserving jars.
Mason jars and lids in the UK: https://www.cookability.biz/h
Safe Canning Books
The Ball Blue book is considered in America to be the bible of safe, sure home canning.
An edition of the Ball Blue Book for the UK was released in June 2015 (link leads to Lakeland; the link to it on Ball’s site went stale in 2020.)
If the recipes in a home preserving book do not have jars being processed with their food contents in them, either with a water bath, steam canning or by pressure canning, then regardless of who put it out, run, don’t walk, away from the book. It uses old-style methods which have been proven unsafe. Preserving food so that it remains safe for consumption is a science, not a fireside art or guesswork.
Internet resources for safe home canning information in the UK
Pressure Canning (for low-acid foods) in the UK
Low-acid foods must be pressure canned.
Some reading : Obtaining a pressure canner in the UK by Fiona Nevile.
Presto Pressure Canners
A minor note about the Presto dial-gauge pressure canners: they are great machines, but the gauge (if you go by the gauge alone) requires checking by professionals every year to ensure that it is staying accurate — something that is getting very hard to do in North America, and is probably impossible in the UK.
Consequently if you order the Presto for use in the UK, it’s vital that you also order the 3-piece Presto Pressure Canner Regulator Weight 50322 which will compensate. It is inexpensive. You can read information about it here: Presto 3-piece weight.
If the above link for the weight happens to go invalid (or shows more than £10 or £15, which would be ridiculous), search amazon.co.uk for Presto Pressure Regulator
You might also try e-Bay.
Bear in mind that you want the 3-piece, part 50322, not the single piece which is 09978 and it really shouldn’t cost more than £15 at the very most.
Hawkins
Even though Hawkins makes large 18 and 22 litre pressure cookers, and a few people are using them as pressure canners, the Hawkins company recommends against using their product as pressure canners. Their website explains why.
The Hawkins pressure cooker is not suitable for canning. It is possible to use this pressure cooker for canning with some modification, which is by substituting the standard 15 lb vent weight (which is supplied with this cooker) with a 10 lb vent weight. However, we have stopped manufacturing 10 lb vent weights several years ago and hence our pressure cookers cannot be used for canning. We do not recommend that you search in the market for other vent weights to fit our cooker since our vent weights are precisely engineered to work with our pressure cookers. Further, in our own trials we have found that our pressure cookers cannot be used as pressure canners at altitudes more than 1,000 feet where more than 10 lb of pressure is required for canning low-acid foods such as meat, poultry, fish and virtually all vegetables. Hence we do not recommend that our pressure cookers be used for canning.” [1] Hawkins Frequently Asked Questions. Accessed May 2016 at https://www.hawkinscookers.com/11.0.faq.aspx
References
Alex
Hello, are you able recommend a UK alternative to Clear Jel canning starch? It’s unavailable on any of the usual online shopping sites. USA advice sites say there is no alternative and advise against using corn flour or similar. Thanks.
Healthy Canning
IT is available on this UK site https://www.lovejars.co.uk/shop/catalogue/pressure-canning-bottling/clear-gel-300/ (note: we are not recommending any of their recipes as they promote bottling without heat processing the filled jars afterward).
JL
Anyone in the UK struggling to buy a pressure canner, by far the cheapest option currently (summer 2021) is to buy one direct from the US. I bought the 23 quart Presto canner new from a US Ebay shop, and the additional pressure regulator (much better than the gauge it comes with) from Amazon.com and it came in at less than £150 all in, including shipping and import taxes. Make sure to choose an Ebay seller that uses the global shipping programme because then all the taxes are taken care of upfront and the shipping programme is extremely reliable – you’d never know it came all that way (it took about 2 weeks to arrive). In contrast the only places you can buy them in the UK are selling the exact same canner for £300 minimum and there is often a waiting list. If you need spares/accessories (e.g. the pressure regulator or a new seal) the best option at the moment is going to be Amazon.com.
Regarding jars, the cheapest sellers of Ball and other canning jars i can find at the moment are Dunelm – you can buy through their website.
Healthy Canning
Thank you!
Ted Roseveare
Hi, is it possible to can pickles and jams using jam jars and lids? I have tried and have had some success and wondered if it was safe.
Healthy Canning
Hi Ted, please see here for a discussion of one-piece lids: https://www.healthycanning.com/one-piece-lids-for-home-canning/
Jane Manby
Hi there excellent info .. just one point when comparing jars … an American pint is 16 fluid ounces … an English pint is 20 fluid ounces.. and the German companies lids will fit the old 1945 kilner jars .. also does anyone know how the new one piece dimple jar lid from Kilner performs
Healthy Canning
Hi Jane, here’s some info on one-piece lids in general: https://www.healthycanning.com/one-piece-lids-for-home-canning/
Colin Muhammad
Hi
I am looking to hire an industrial / commercial Pressure canning machine the type used for storing food in glass jars. Do you have one or know of any company that does? This is for a short term rental in the UK.
Many thanks
Healthy Canning
Sorry we’re not aware of any at this time; maybe someone who knows will see your comment and be able to help you.
Chris Burn
Hi, I emailed Kilner re using their screw band jars for pressure canning(20th July 2019) they replied that their jars had not been tested for such use and they didn’t recommend it. Be careful using Mason jars from Home Bargains I bought a load and they appear to be seconds, ok to use in a water bath but not a pressure canner.
Healthy Canning
The answer we got from Kilner was that yes, their jars were supported for pressure canners. Honestly, are there any actual, trained, up-to-date food scientists working behind the scenes at Kilner anymore, or is it just social media people with no certifications in the field making up answers on the fly? You can tell from their recipes that there are “cooks” rather than lab-trained and certified food safety people behind them.
Jan Williams
I’ve recently bought myself a Presto weighted canner and love it! Should have done this years ago. Has anyone else used the Wecks jars? I’m finding them absolutely brilliant and they are much more economical having glass lids so just the rings need replacing. Anyone interested I can give you a link for very reasonable Wecks jars from a North Wales supplier
Christopher Burn
Hi,I got a pressure canner from the States, a great piece of kit and we’ve been using the LeParfait screw top jars. Excellent jars but the sealing discs are quite expensive so I would be interested in your link to Wecks jars please.
Kind regards, Chris Burn.
Healthy Canning
Here is general information about Weck jars. https://www.healthycanning.com/weck-jars/
Janice
Hi sorry for delay this went to junk mail! I got mine from https://www.cwynnejones.com
They also deliver they are a lovely family firm working from their beautiful farm. I recommend them highly, I’ve been reusing my rings and they seem to 4-6 times then need replacing – about to sort out new ones now.
Gen
Jan, who is your supplier please?
Jan
As above, lovely people https://www.cwynnejones.com
Maxine scholey
Yes please. Can you also tell me where you purchased your pressure canner. Thank you
sarah
Anybody managed to buy a pressure canner from the uk?
Sid
I bought mine from Amazon.com and had it shipped to my UK address. The US site will tell you if a particular item can be shipped internationally.
Seth Belson
I bought a Presto canner while on holiday in the USA, and brought it back in my luggage with lots of clothes packed in and around it. Although it was fairly pricey, even in Walmart, it didn’t take our overall duty free gift allowance over the limit. We were very lucky to have been able to fly on Premium Economy, which gives you an extra wight limit on your luggage, otherwise I’m not sure if I’d have been able to do it at all. I merely add it here as a possibility, and a lot more useful than most of the other souvenirs I’ve ever bought…
The canner works brillaintly, and we have canned all sorts of stuff, especially chicken broth made with the carcasses and giblets of chickens that I butcher myself. We also make a large batch of tomato sauce for pasta, especially using all the little tomatoes that stay on the plants at the end of the season, whether red or green, and it’s a a really good use of them.
I join with everyone else in the pain of actually buying the jars in the UK. Buying int eh US and bringing back in luggage is obviously not an option, unless you are on cruise ship. I can’t quite see people who go on cruises doing pressure canning, but maybe I’m prejudiced.
We’re now eating food that’s a year old, and it tastes great. It’s just as convenient as everyone says it is, and I’m delighted that the kit is now available in the UK.
My personal recommendation for YouTube Instruction is Jaime on Guildbrook Farm. I think her 101 Canning video is difficult to improve on.
Happy Canning!
Frances
I really want to start canning l have everything but canner l read about altitudes what is altitude in UK tried to find out but nothing tells you it.
Can someone please let me know?
Healthy Canning
You can check here: https://whatismyelevation.com/
Seth Belson
Hi Frances,
The whole principle of pressure canning is that at higher pressures (such as in a pressure canner) water boils at a higher temperature. This enables us to kill more toxic organisms which would have survived the ordinary temperature of boiling water.
The normal boiling point of water is 100 deg Celsius AT SEA LEVEL. If you go higher up (eg, if you live up a mountain) the pressure of the air is lower and the water boils at a lower temperature, so if you are very high up (1000 ft or more) the water may be boiling at a temperature which isn’t safe to kill all the bugs mentioned above.
For this reason you need to use a bigger weight on your canner to get higher pressure inside.
You therefore need to know your location’s height above sea level. You can usually get this from Wikipedia, or from an Ordnance Survey map, but most places in the UK are below 1000 ft. For example, Glossop in the Peak District is about 900 ft above SL, Scaffell Pike is about 3000 feet above, so you’d have to make an adjustment up there.
Any pressure canner you choose will be usable in the UK on this basis.
I hope this is reasonably clear. Do come back if you need further clarification.
Good luck!
Liz
I had an all American canner bought for me for Christmas. I am building up my stocks of Kerr jars but so expensive shipping from USA. Even checking home websites they are expensive. Don’t know if I can use Kilmer jars for pressure canning. Can’t get a straight answer from Kilmer. Phoned twice one person said you can and another said you can’t. Go direct to the states for your pressure canner. You will not be disappointed I promise you. Even with the addition of shipping.
Hannah
could you give an idea of price for buying and the shipping. Also, did you pay import tax to customs and excise and if so how much? many thanks
Vikki Haffenden
such a helpful resource but unfortunately I still don’t have the most fundamental item which is a canner. I am a newbie to this and a bit confused. I’ve got a pressure cooker that I have in the past used for bottling fruit but understand this is no longer considered to be safe. However it seems to be impossible to buy a pressure canner in the UK. It would be really great if somebody actually imported these atnd sold them in the UK (with spares). Does anyone know of such an importer?
Lesley Matthewson
A bit late to the party. But I have just got into Pressure Canning. After a lot of research it was cheaper to buy the ball jars direct from USA than buying in the UK. I got them from Lucky Vitamins in US.
Rocky
Just got a load of Kilner 0.5L & 1L jars £1.36 & £1.64 respectivley at Sainsbury.
Healthy Canning
That’s a great price, usually the half-litre are about £2.00 at Sainsbury’s, was that a sale or did they lower their price?
Sue Edmondson
In the UK Home Bargains has the 500ml Kilner jars for 79p each (while stocks last) I’ve stocked up on them as I don’t think they will be on the shelves long.
Healthy Canning
WOW! Will pass on, if you’ve got all you need, haha!
Rachael
Hi, just to let you know that Hobbycraft have stopped selling Ball jars at their original (fairly cheap) price. They’re now the same price as Lakeland (about £14 for 6 490ml jars).
I emailed Kilner about using their jars to pressure can and they stated that their two-piece preserving jars are *not suitable* for pressure canning. I presume because of the quality of the glass? They definitely aren’t as heavy as Ball. They’re perfect for water bathing but such a shame they’re not for pressure canning too.
Does the Ball US store ship to the UK do you know? Thanks.
Healthy Canning
Ball won’t ship outside of the US, not even to Canada. So just to confirm, they won’t support their Mason-style jars, with the two-piece metal lids, for pressure canning?
Healthy Canning
Rachel, I should have mentioned, you may wish to also consider Leifheit jars ( https://www.healthycanning.com/leifheit-jars/) and Familia Wiss jars (https://www.healthycanning.com/parfait-familia-wiss-mason-jars/) . They also are Mason-jar style jars, with two-piece lids, and both companies certify them for pressure canning.
Healthy Canning
Rachel, I asked Kilner via their Facebook page about pressure canning, and they said that yes, they do in fact support pressure canning in their jars.
Sue Page
Hobbycraft now stock ball jars. I bought myself a few the other week.
https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/ball-glass-mason-jar-473-ml/618336-1000
Price is ok. using the 1/2 litre as a gauge they come in at £1 or $1.22 in your money.
Can’t wait to make some apple sauce at the weekend.
Healthy Canning
Thank you very much, those prices are more reasonable for sure. I have added the information to the page for others. Thanks!
Stewart D
Does anyone know of where I can buy a canner in the UK? Electric one preferred but not essential! Links would be appreciated, preferably not to expensive, please drop links if allowed.
Jan Hunt-Watts
I am in the UK and would love to be able to can fruit and veg as shown on your website. However, the price of canning jars is so high here. In the USA they are approximately 50 cents. Here they cost £3 each – four times as much at least. Could you please sell them to us cheaper to encourage the UK to preserve food.
Healthy Canning
Hi Jan,
Healthycannning agrees. Having many British relatives, we are aware of what they call “Rip-off Britain” about some things, but the price of the canning jars really takes the cake on that one! Do we just need to get enough people to band together and say, enough is enough with the price gouging?
Vikki Haffenden
such a helpful resource but unfortunately I still don’t have the most fundamental item which is a canner. I am a newbie to this and a bit confused. I’ve got a pressure cooker that I have in the past used for bottling fruit but understand this is no longer considered to be safe. However it seems to be impossible to buy a pressure canner in the UK. It would be really great if somebody actually imported these atnd sold them in the UK (with spares). Does anyone know of such an importer?
Joey Boggs
Maybe get a whole bunch of people together and arrange to purchase an entire pallet the price will surely be more reasonable. Here in the states a pallet is 122 cases of 12 jars per case.
Vikki Haffenden
such a helpful resource but unfortunately I still don’t have the most fundamental item which is a canner. I am a newbie to this and a bit confused. I’ve got a pressure cooker that I have in the past used for bottling fruit but understand this is no longer considered to be safe. However it seems to be impossible to buy a pressure canner in the UK. It would be really great if somebody actually imported these atnd sold them in the UK (with spares). Does anyone know of such an importer?
Victoria Crawley
I appreciate you may have solved your issue over the canner, if you haven’t yet managed to get hold of a canner, it is possible to ship from US via ebay for under £150 for a Presto, I have also found spares on ebay for the presto machines. It is safe to bottle certain fruits in a water bath canner in a syrup and also if the fruit is high acid( eg apples – Bramleys are ideal), it is also safe to water bath can things like tomatoes as also high acid content. I found the Ball canning books an invaluable source of information along with the ball recipes website, which covers which tested recipes are safe for water bath canning and those only safe in a pressure canner along with helpful advice.