How do you adjust canning times for altitude?

Water boils at a lower temperature as altitude rises, so boiling-water (water bath) processes need more minutes: +5 at 1,001–3,000 ft, +10 at 3,001–6,000 ft, +15 at 6,001–8,000 ft and +20 at 8,001–10,000 ft in Putby’s schedule. Pressure canning keeps the same time and raises the pressure instead.

What pressure do you pressure can at by altitude?

For the vegetables and meats here, a dial gauge runs 11 lb at 0–2,000 ft, 12 lb at 2,001–4,000 ft, 13 lb at 4,001–6,000 ft, 14 lb at 6,001–8,000 ft and 15 lb at 8,001–10,000 ft. A weighted gauge uses 10 lb at 0–1,000 ft and 15 lb above 1,000 ft.

Which foods must be pressure canned?

Low-acid foods: vegetables such as green beans, corn and carrots, and all meat, poultry and seafood. A boiling-water canner cannot destroy botulism spores in them.

Can I can in half-gallon jars?

Only apple juice and grape juice have a tested half-gallon process. Every other food on this chart shows “not tested” at that size, and no time should be used for it.

What if I live above 10,000 feet?

The USDA tables stop at 10,000 ft, so this chart gives no answer above that. Ask your local cooperative extension office.

Canning times by altitude chart

Every canning time on this chart is a tested USDA or NCHFP process, adjusted for your altitude. Enter your altitude and every cell updates: water bath foods gain minutes, pressure-canned foods gain pounds of pressure. A size marked “not tested” has no published process, and Putby will not make one up.

Water bath and pressure canning times

Minutes (and pressure for pressure-canned foods) by jar size. Tap a food for its own altitude chart.
Food	Half-pints	Pints	Quarts	Half-gallons
Crushed tomatoes water bath	35 min	35 min	45 min	not tested
Green beans pressure	20 min · 11 lb dial / 10 lb weighted	20 min · 11 lb dial / 10 lb weighted	25 min · 11 lb dial / 10 lb weighted	not tested
Peaches water bath	20 min	20 min	25 min	not tested
Jam water bath	10 min	10 min	not tested	not tested
Dill pickles water bath	10 min	10 min	15 min	not tested
Salsa water bath	15 min	15 min	not tested	not tested
Beef and red meat pressure	75 min · 11 lb dial / 10 lb weighted	75 min · 11 lb dial / 10 lb weighted	90 min · 11 lb dial / 10 lb weighted	not tested
Carrots pressure	25 min · 11 lb dial / 10 lb weighted	25 min · 11 lb dial / 10 lb weighted	30 min · 11 lb dial / 10 lb weighted	not tested
Whole-kernel corn pressure	55 min · 11 lb dial / 10 lb weighted	55 min · 11 lb dial / 10 lb weighted	85 min · 11 lb dial / 10 lb weighted	not tested
Applesauce water bath	15 min	15 min	20 min	not tested
Pickled beets water bath	30 min	30 min	30 min	not tested
Apple juice water bath	5 min	5 min	5 min	10 min
Grape juice water bath	5 min	5 min	5 min	10 min

Water bath altitude adjustment

Minutes added to a boiling-water process.
Altitude	Add
0–1,000 ft	+0 min
1,001–3,000 ft	+5 min
3,001–6,000 ft	+10 min
6,001–8,000 ft	+15 min
8,001–10,000 ft	+20 min

Pressure canning altitude adjustment

Pressure for the vegetables and meats on this chart. The time does not change.
Altitude	Dial gauge	Weighted gauge
0–2,000 ft	11 lb	10 lb to 1,000 ft, then 15 lb
2,001–4,000 ft	12 lb	15 lb
4,001–6,000 ft	13 lb	15 lb
6,001–8,000 ft	14 lb	15 lb
8,001–10,000 ft	15 lb	15 lb

Not on this chart

This chart lists only the foods in Putby’s tested table. Anything else, and any mixed recipe (soups, stews, chili, sauces with vegetables or meat), needs its own tested recipe.

Sauerkraut: Putby times the ferment; its table carries no canning time for sauerkraut, so the web shows none.

Questions

How do you adjust canning times for altitude?: Water boils at a lower temperature as altitude rises, so boiling-water (water bath) processes need more minutes: +5 at 1,001–3,000 ft, +10 at 3,001–6,000 ft, +15 at 6,001–8,000 ft and +20 at 8,001–10,000 ft in Putby’s schedule. Pressure canning keeps the same time and raises the pressure instead.
What pressure do you pressure can at by altitude?: For the vegetables and meats here, a dial gauge runs 11 lb at 0–2,000 ft, 12 lb at 2,001–4,000 ft, 13 lb at 4,001–6,000 ft, 14 lb at 6,001–8,000 ft and 15 lb at 8,001–10,000 ft. A weighted gauge uses 10 lb at 0–1,000 ft and 15 lb above 1,000 ft.
Which foods must be pressure canned?: Low-acid foods: vegetables such as green beans, corn and carrots, and all meat, poultry and seafood. A boiling-water canner cannot destroy botulism spores in them.
Can I can in half-gallon jars?: Only apple juice and grape juice have a tested half-gallon process. Every other food on this chart shows “not tested” at that size, and no time should be used for it.
What if I live above 10,000 feet?: The USDA tables stop at 10,000 ft, so this chart gives no answer above that. Ask your local cooperative extension office.

Sources

USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, Guide 2 (Fruits) · NCHFP
USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, Guide 3 (Tomatoes) · NCHFP
USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, Guide 4 (Vegetables) · NCHFP
USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, Guide 5 (Poultry, Red Meats, Seafood) · NCHFP
USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, Guide 6 (Fermented Foods & Pickled Vegetables) · NCHFP
USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, Guide 7 (Jams & Jellies) · NCHFP
NCHFP "Apple Juice" (USDA Complete Guide, Guide 2)
NCHFP "Grape Juice" (USDA Complete Guide, Guide 2)
USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, Guides 4 and 5 (weighted-gauge column) · NCHFP

Times and pressures are restated from the National Center for Home Food Preservation and the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, in our own words. They are the same table Putby's app uses; a test in the app fails if the two ever disagree. Altitude schedule: Putby adds minutes to boiling-water processes in five steps up to 10,000 ft; at the higher steps that can be a few minutes longer than a food's own USDA altitude table, never shorter. If your tested recipe gives a longer time, use the recipe's time. Last reviewed 2026-10-16.