One of the questions we often hear when folks are canning is: What is the difference between Hot Pack and Raw Pack? Obviously, the main difference is that one style involves totally raw food while the other method uses partially cooked food. Both styles of pack have benefits; select the best pack for the situation.
Raw Pack is often used when canning vegetables in the pressure canner. This is an easy method; clean and slice the fruit or vegetable and pack tightly into the jar. Air is often trapped between pieces of raw food and this air can be difficult to eliminate. Trapped air can cause a loss of liquid during the canning process, floating fruit, or discoloration of the food after a few months of storage.
Hot Pack foods are heated to a boil followed by simmering for about 5 minutes. Precooking shrinks the foods, allowing you to fit more food inside the jar. Air is not trapped inside the food (so fruit will not float) or between the pieces of food, which can cause loss of liquid in the jars. Also, the best quality of some foods, like pears, is obtained by using a hot pack.
No matter which pack you choose for your food, remember to always use boiling water, broth, or juice to fill the jars. Happy canning.
I am canning pickled beets. How long do pint jars need to cook in a hot water bath?
Hi, follow this recipe for canning pickled beets. http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_06/pickled_beets.html Any safe, tested recipe should have processing times listed. Be sure to adjust for altitude if you live above 1000′. If you do live above 1000′, add 5 minutes to the processing time.