# Half Gallon Jars



## campfiregirl (Mar 1, 2011)

Oooooh I REALLY want to pressure can beef & chicken broth in half gallon jars. I understand not canning low-acid _foods_, but just liquid? Seems like enough time should take care of it. I'm not normally one to take chances on canning practices, but this one really has me tempted to use the 1982 Ball Blue Book guidelines...


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

I've been thinking about this one myself.
I certainly can't recommend it for anyone else to do. But if I were doing it, I'd pressure can for twice the time as for quarts....and only do broth, not full soup loads..
Then when I opened them, I'd give it a hard boil for at least 10-20 minutes BEFORE I added anything else to it.


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## siletz (Oct 5, 2010)

I am interested in this as well.


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## Peggy (Feb 14, 2010)

I pressure can beef and chicken broth in quarts. but I have not used 1/2 gallon jars. try calling your country extention agency. or try going to the Ball website.


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## doingitmyself (Jul 30, 2013)

I always read that the half gallon sizes are only for apple and grape juice. Supposedly the temps don't get hot enough inside the half gallons. It certainly would make things easier if we could use em for broth and such. It stands to reason that if they were processed longer that the temps would come up to acceptable levels. I always follow the rules but i will be watching this thread closely. Nice useful, and helpful thread by the way!


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## Kristinemomof3 (Sep 17, 2012)

I've always read what Doingitmyself has, plus for me, I could maybe fit 2 1/2 gallon jars in my pc'er, where as, I can fit 7qt, so I can do more at once.


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## PackerBacker (Jul 17, 2013)

Kristinemomof3 said:


> I've always read what Doingitmyself has, plus for me, I could maybe fit 2 1/2 gallon jars in my pc'er, where as, I can fit 7qt, so I can do more at once.


If it's big enough around for 7 quarts it _should_ be big enough around for 4 halfers. Mine are. If not 4 it'll fit 3 for sure.



doingitmyself said:


> I always read that the half gallon sizes are only for apple and grape juice.


Tomato juice too. by the book.




hercsmama said:


> I've been thinking about this one myself.
> I certainly can't recommend it for anyone else to do. But if I were doing it, I'd pressure can for twice the time as for quarts....and only do broth, not full soup loads..
> Then when I opened them, I'd give it a hard boil for at least 10-20 minutes BEFORE I added anything else to it.


My Gma's old Blue book says 20% longer than quarts for half gallons.


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## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

There is a reason its not in the book anymore so why risk it? As much as I dont trust our govt, what would they gain by lying in this situation?

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

I'm right with you campfiregirl, I look at those jars and think, finally, a good sized jar for stock! But I'm not into taking risks when it's canned food. I freeze stock and tomato sauce (for those big lasagnes!) in them and leave the canning to the smaller jars.


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## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

Vosey said:


> I'm right with you campfiregirl, I look at those jars and think, finally, a good sized jar for stock! But I'm not into taking risks when it's canned food. I freeze stock and tomato sauce (for those big lasagnes!) in them and leave the canning to the smaller jars.


Yeah, is it really worth the risk?

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2


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## Werforpsu (Aug 8, 2013)

I saw these yesterday in a store and was excited by the idea to use them. This explains that not all juices are even considered safe to can in them, but mentions that decades ago there were written instructions based on this size jar. so you just have to decide if you are a person who accepts the old ways or tries to abide by the new ways 

This is straight off the NCHFP web site.

What can I process in half-gallon canning jars?
At least one canning jar manufacturer is selling half-gallon canning jars. That manufacturer has a printed note on the top that says half-gallon jars are only used for some highly acidic foods in a boiling water canner, with instructions to call a toll-free number for the instructions. When we last called, the only choices are grape juice and apple juice, as we also recommend.

The only processes that USDA, the National Center for Home Food Preservation and the University of Georgia have to recommend for half-gallon jars are for very acidic fruit juices (and juice only): Apple Juice (http://www.homefoodpreservation.com/how/can_02/apple_juice.html) and Grape Juice (http://www.homefoodpreservation.com/how/can_02/grape_juice.html). This process time is not to be used for tomato juice, for example.

There are no other research-tested processes for half-gallon jars. Boiling water processes for other foods for jars larger than those published with recipes (usually pints and/or quarts) cannot be extended by any formula to a larger jar.

We are aware that there are historical recommendations for canning foods in half-gallon jars. However, these are not currently accepted or endorsed by the USDA, Cooperative Extension System or U.S. manufacturers of home canning jars.


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## JohnL751 (Aug 28, 2008)

My mom used half gallons for tomatoes and green beans. She canned tomatoes in 1 gallon jars also. That was back in the mid 1950's. I was really young then so I don't remember details. I have a sister 12 years older than me that I will ask what she remembers.


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## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

I was just coming to ask the same question. I also want to can stock in my half gallon jars.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

PackerBacker said:


> If it's big enough around for 7 quarts it _should_ be big enough around for 4 halfers. Mine are. If not 4 it'll fit 3 for sure.


If it only holds 3 halfers, you will be coming out ahead to do it in quarts. But if it holds 4 halfers, you're gambling to get an extra quart.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

Werforpsu said:


> I saw these yesterday in a store and was excited by the idea to use them. This explains that not all juices are even considered safe to can in them, but mentions that decades ago there were written instructions based on this size jar. so you just have to decide if you are a person who accepts the old ways or tries to abide by the new ways
> 
> This is straight off the NCHFP web site.
> 
> ...



That's why there are no recipes in the books. They don't want to be liable because it doesn't have Gov approval.


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## arrocks (Oct 26, 2011)

> That's why there are no recipes in the books. They don't want to be liable because it doesn't have Gov approval.


No they don't want to be liable because there has been no testing done on recipes for them by either USDA OR the manufacturers of the jars and because the manufacturers do not recommend them for such use.

Personally I can't understand why anyone would even want to use them for canning given all the processing, storage, and use problems associated with them. But if it was vital to do it it for some reason and that level of risk was acceptable to you, it is_ theoretically_ possible by just doubling the processing time required for quarts.

The % of fats contained, the density of the jar contents, and the effect such long processing time might have on the food would have to be considered but insuring that the contents were boiled well again before consuming them would seem to insure the food safety.


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