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Foods you shouldn't can at home (and what to do instead)
Short answer: some foods have no tested process for home canning, so there is no safe time or pressure to use. The usual suspects are rice and pasta, flour- or cornstarch-thickened sauces, dairy and eggs, mashed or pureed pumpkin and squash, and bread or cake baked in jars. Freeze, dry or store them another way.
Why "no tested process" matters
Safe canning times come from lab research: scientists measure how fast heat reaches the coldest spot in the jar for a specific food, packed a specific way. Dense, starchy or fatty foods slow that heat down, and the result can change from batch to batch. When there's no research-based time, a jar can look perfect and still be underprocessed, which is how botulism happens in low-acid foods.
The list
| Rice, pasta, noodles, barley | They thicken the liquid and block heat. Don't add them to soups before canning; cook and add them when you serve. |
|---|---|
| Flour- or cornstarch-thickened sauces and gravies | Thickeners slow heat penetration unpredictably. Can the stock or broth plain and thicken it when you heat it. For pie filling, use a tested recipe with Clear Jel. |
| Milk, cream, butter, cheese and eggs | No safe home-canning process exists. Freeze butter and cheese, or buy shelf-stable versions. |
| Mashed or pureed pumpkin and winter squash | Too dense for reliable heating. Pressure can them in 1-inch cubes instead, and mash them after opening. |
| Mashed potatoes, refried beans and other purees of low-acid foods | Same density problem. Can the cubes or whole beans, then mash when serving. |
| Bread or cake baked in jars | Not a safe storage method. Freeze baked goods instead. |
| Recipes you invented or changed | Adding extra onions, peppers or garlic to salsa, or less vinegar to pickles, can make a tested recipe unsafe. Stick to the published amounts. |
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Methods to skip, too
Some methods are unsafe even with the right food: open-kettle canning (hot food sealed with no processing), canning in the oven, microwave or dishwasher, "dry canning" vegetables without liquid, and water bathing low-acid foods like green beans. Canning powders don't replace heat processing either.
Safe alternatives that work well
- Freeze soups with pasta or rice, dairy, baked goods and anything you're unsure about. Freezing is always a safe backup.
- Dry herbs, beans and many fruits and vegetables; store them airtight in a cool, dark place.
- Can the base, finish at serving: plain broth, cubed pumpkin, whole beans; then thicken, mash or add rice when you cook.
Frequently asked questions
People online say they can milk and butter all the time. Is it really unsafe?
There is no research-based process for home canning dairy, so nobody can say how long or at what pressure it would be safe. A jar that sealed and looks fine is not proof, because botulism toxin can't be seen or smelled.
Can I can soup with noodles if I pressure can it?
No. Tested soup recipes leave out pasta, rice and thickeners even in a pressure canner. Add them when you reheat the soup.
What about pumpkin butter?
There is no tested home-canning process for pumpkin butter. Make it fresh and keep it in the refrigerator or freezer.
Sources: USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning; National Center for Home Food Preservation (nchfp.uga.edu). This article is educational. Always follow a tested recipe for your jar size and elevation.
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