Canning sweet peppers and other veggies with just water?

[TwoTreeFrogs2]

Hi I have never done any canning before but have been watching some videos on youtube and looking around.  I am curious to know if it is possible to just can peppers and other vegetables with just boiling water.  No one in my family unfortunately likes to eat things that are "Pickled" with vinegar and since I may not have the room to freeze the amounts that will eventually grow unless I can put some in a flavor seal bag, is it possible to can them with just water so they retain their natural flavor and so the sodium levels will not be over the top high because of diet restrictions?

If so could someone please explain to me how to go about doing it, I do not know if we need the pressure cooker types or can just be done in extremely large pots.  Thank you, Nikki

[jccarter]

Morning,

For low acid foods like peppers/corn/greens, you need to pressure can if you want to just use water. There's a great resource on the net, http://pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htm that can get you started. Lots of detailed info on all types of canning and processes, many with pictures. I would also suggest heading to HD or Lowes and looking for the "Ball Blue Book Guide To Preserving" ( picture at http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Blue-Book-Guide-Preserving/dp/0972753702/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344255911&sr=1-2&keywords=ball+canning+jars ). It's really a must have for a new/new-ish canner. The number of "basics" in it are just super (condiments, etc).

Good luck to you! Canning is so much fun!
Cheers,
J.C.

[morganmac]

I have started canning this year and am by no means an expert, but I would say the answer to your question is no. Peppers and vegetables are low-acid foods, which means if you aren't pickling them, they must be canned using a pressure canner to get them to a temperature high enough to kill anything nasty inside the jar and make them safe for eating. Tomatoes and most fruits are high-acid foods, which means it's more difficult for organisms to survive inside the jar, so these foods may be canned in water or their own juices using the boiling water canning method. You still add a tiny amount of acid to them, but it's by no means as tart as pickles. You may want to check out the information on these sites for a general overview of what can and can't be canned (haha) via these methods.

http://www.freshpreserving.com/home.aspx

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_home.html

If you want to preserve veggies without pickling them, Freezing might be your only option. I've only done this with peppers and corn, so I don't know about any other veggies. I'm sure other more experienced folks will chime in.

[Fldeb]

I also was going to recommend the Ball book on canning.  That is how I learned.  I have only been canning one year and love it!  Deb

[potatohead]

Another alternative to canning and freezing is dehydrating. I have not done this personally but I have read about some forum members doing this.