# Canning and well water



## ganesa_9 (Aug 15, 2010)

I'm a little concerned with doing any canning using my well water. Between the iron and sulphur, PLUS the water softener treatment, it seems to me there's gotta be a lot of "gunk" that can end up in the clean jars. Should I be using distilled water, or am I worrying too much?

Anybody have experience using their own water softened well water for canning?


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

I use chlorination to remove the bulk of the clear water iron and sulphur from my well water. An activated charcoal filter is used to remove the last bit of iron and the chlorine from water used for drinking and cooking. Have not noticed any problems in home canned food.
Hope this helps.


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## Txsteader (Aug 22, 2005)

We get 'drinking' water from those dispensing machines.....not distilled, not spring, but 'drinking' water. It takes municipal water and puts it through osmosis and several other processes. To me, it has the most pure taste and makes all my foods taste best. 

My well water is so loaded w/ minerals, etc. it has a 'heavy' taste to me. I've never liked the taste.


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

ganesa - Yes, I can with softened well water and have for many years with no problems. Do you drink your well water and use it for cooking? If so then you need have no concerns about canning with it. If you use another source of drinking/cooking water because your well water isn't considered potable, then you wouldn't want to use it for canning either.

If it is safe to drink then it is safe to can with it. And having it softened eliminates any other concerns with mineral problems. But if you choose to not use it then you don't want distilled water, just any purified bottled water is fine for canning.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I can with softened well water. I have seen no differences in product.


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## Sparkey (Oct 23, 2004)

I use only distilled water in canning (from my home distiller).....and also for drinking water, making soups, etc.


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## mullberry (May 3, 2009)

my well water works just fine. no filter straight from the well to the jar


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Our 150 year old water system (various springs and wells all hooked together) gets pretty thick about this time of year and always has lots of precipitates. They do make your canned goods cloudy and a bit fusty.

We set an enamel canner on the stove, just bring it to the boil and then let it sit undisturbed overnight. Then siphon off from the top leaving the minerals behind on the bottom. A little vinegar in the water when you sterilize jars helps too; sometimes we have to wipe the finished jars with straight vinegar to get the deposits off.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

The only thing I have ever seen regarding well water is when making pickles. It said when making pickles, if you have hard water, to use distilled or soft water. As RedDirt Cowgirl said, you can make your own soft water from well water by boiling it and letting it sit overnight to cool. The hard water stuff will settle to the bottom and you then ladle or gently pour off the water without disturbing the sediment. I've done this and it works well.


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## carogator (Sep 11, 2010)

I use well water through a general filter, no softening, no charcoal.
Even use it to make pickles with no problems. I give a lot of pickles to the people at Church and supply pickles for Church meals, because everyone wants them.


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## ejagno (Jan 2, 2008)

mullberry said:


> my well water works just fine. no filter straight from the well to the jar


I do the same here and have had absolutely no problems. Our chemically treated city water filled with chlorine and flouride certainly isn't what I want my canned vegetables soaking in.


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## offGridNorthern (Jan 1, 2006)

I have some iron, faint smell of sulphur and the odd dump of manganese in our water. It does go through a not-very-fancy/expensive filtering system and that's what I use for canning. have never had a problem.

I also make home-made wine using that water and my friend who came over the 1st time to show me was worried about the sulphur ..... it was the best tasting wine I've had!! On the other hand, this latest batch is cloudy and I hadn't thought about the well, and the fact that I would think the level is low.... I guess I'll make another batch and see what happens!


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## Granny Sue (Jan 12, 2009)

I've been canning with spring and well water for 40 years with no filters and no problems. It might depend on where you live and what minerals, etc are in your local water table. 

Granny Sue
www.grannysu.blogspot.com


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## ganesa_9 (Aug 15, 2010)

Thanks for all the suggestions. Supposedly our well water is potable... but I wouldn't drink it. I have a feeling we'll be using store bought water for canning purposes.


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