Need a quick answer? You should let your jars sit untouched for a minimum of 12 hours.
Want all the details? Keep reading. 🙂
Why Let Jars Sit After Canning?
After you finish the canning process, it’s important to let your jars sit undisturbed for a period of time.
This is because most jars don’t actually seal until they are taken out of the canner.
If you move or disturb a jar during this time, it can prevent the jar from sealing.
How Long Does It Take for a Jar to Seal?
In general, you want to let your jars sit undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. This is true whether you are water bath canning or pressure canning.
Ideally, however, the jars will seal within a few minutes to hours after coming out of the canner.
During the cooling process, a vacuum is created inside the jar, which pulls down the lid and creates a seal. If you try to move or touch the jars before they are fully cooled, you risk breaking the seal and ruining your preserved food.
It’s also important to note that if you notice any jars that haven’t sealed properly, you should refrigerate the contents immediately and consume them within a few days.
That said, if you catch the jar within 24 hours, you can reprocess it, following the same steps you did before but with a new lid.
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What to Do with Your Jars After Canning
Once you’re certain the jars are sealed, there are a few steps you should take before putting them on your shelf:
Factors That Affect How Long a Jar Should Sit Undisturbed After Canning
The more you can, the more you’ll learn. Over time, you will get a feel for how long different jars take to seal.
Though I’m sure it varies from person to person, my rule of thumb is to check seals the morning after canning. This is usually in the 12-16 hour window.
The time you need to wait can be influenced by several factors including type of food and altitude.
Type of Food
Different types of food require different processing times, which can affect how long you need to let the jars sit after canning. I find that high-acid foods like fruits and pickles tend to seal quickly. Sometimes, they even ping the moment I pull them from the canner.
(By “ping,” I mean the popping sound a jar makes when it seals.)
Low-acid foods, on the other hand, seem to take longer to seal.
Altitude
Altitude also plays a role in how long you need to let your jars sit after canning. At higher altitudes, the air pressure is lower, so jars may need to sit longer (aka take longer to seal) than someone canning at just 100 feet above sea level.
Fortunately, you don’t have to keep track of different seal times for different foods.
All you really need to know is to wait 12-24 hours after canning before you check your seals and move your jars to storage.
How to Check if Your Jars are Sealed
After canning, it’s important to check if your jars are properly sealed. Here are a few methods you can use to check if your jars are sealed:
Method 1: Press the Lid
Press the middle of the jar lid with your finger. If the lid springs up when you release your finger, the jar is not sealed properly. If the lid stays down and does not move, the jar is sealed.
Method 2: Tap the Lid
You can also tap the lid with a spoon (or even your fingernail). If the jar is sealed properly, it should make a sharp, clear ringing sound. If it makes a dull sound, the lid likely didn’t seal properly.
Method 3: Visual Inspection
You can also visually inspect the jars to see if they are sealed properly. Look at the lid and check if it is slightly concave in shape. If it is, the jar is sealed properly. If it is not concave or bulging, the jar is not sealed properly.
READ NEXT: Check out our complete tutorial on false seals and how to identify them.
Great tutorial, very helpful.