Washington State University Extension offers a wide range of home food preservation and food safety resources on their publications website, including the Fundamentals of Consumer Food Safety & Preservation Master Handbook.
Most can be downloaded instantly free of charge.
Several are available in Spanish.
- Elaboración de conservas de tomates y productos de tomates
- Guardado de frutas en conserva
- Guardado de vegetales en conserva
- Recetas de salsa para guardar en conserva
- Elaboración Segura del Queso Fresco
The National Center for Home Food Preservation is your source for current research-based recommendations for most methods of home food preservation. The Center was established with funding from the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (CSREES-USDA) to address food safety concerns for those who practice and teach home food preservation and processing methods.
Everything you need to know about canning is available in USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning. This resource is for people canning for the first time or for experienced canners wanting to improve their canning practices.
The free, 196-page publication can be downloaded from the National Center for Home Food Preservation website.
The first section explains the scientific principles on which canning techniques are based, discusses canning equipment, and describes the proper use of jars and lids. It describes basic canning ingredients and procedures and how to use them to achieve safe, high-quality canned products.
The second section is a series of canning guides for specific foods, including recipes:
Selecting, Preparing, and Canning Fruit and Fruit Products
Selecting, Preparing, and Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products
Selecting, Preparing and Canning Vegetables and Vegetable Products
Preparing and Canning Poultry, Red Meats and Seafoods
Preparing and Canning Fermented Foods and Pickled Vegetables
Preparing and Canning Jams and Jellies
Canning Timer & Checklist – PNW689 (App for iOS and Android)
Select from over 50 popular foods used in home canning—including vegetables, fruits, meats, jams, jellies, pickles, and seafood—to generate a checklist and timer for processing. This app lets set you set your jar size, pack type, canning method, and elevation. It also reminds you of the steps necessary to prepare jars and canning pots. The timer is based on the specific information you enter.
Designed for people with previous canning experience.
Our pages provide links to external sites for the convenience of users. WSU Extension does not manage these external sites, nor does Extension review, control, or take responsibility for the content of these sites. These external sites do not implicitly or explicitly represent official positions and policies of WSU Extension.
Pressure Gauge Testing
We are not currently testing dial pressure gauges for canners.
There are a couple of options available to you:
Second Mile Food Hub
2026 Pressure Gauge Testing Dates
- Monday, July 27 | Noon–1:30 p.m.
- Saturday, August 8 | 10 a.m.–Noon
- Tuesday, August 11 | 1–2:30 p.m.
- Saturday, September 19 | 9:30–11 a.m.
Cost: Free
Registration: Drop-in; no registration required
Bring only the canner lid with the gauge attached. For All American canners, remove the gauge from the lid before bringing it in.
A Master Food Preserver will test your pressure gauge for accuracy. Annual testing is recommended to help ensure safe pressure canning.
Oregon State University Extension
Many OSU Extension offices throughout Oregon offer free pressure canner dial-gauge testing. Testing locations and availability vary by county. OSU recommends having dial gauges checked annually and new gauges checked before first use.
Find an OSU Pressure Gauge Testing Location
Bob’s Sporting Goods
Free, drop-in testing
Bob’s in Longview does pressure gauge testing for free in their housewares section on a drop-in basis.
Bob’s Sporting Goods
1111 Hudson St
Longview, WA 98632
360-425-3870
All-American Canners
Gauge testing is not needed for models with both a weighted and dial gauge. All American recommends using the weighted gauge to determine canning pressure. The dial gauge is for reference only and should not be relied on to regulate pressure during processing.
For questions about your specific model, contact All American directly:
Phone: (920) 686-2701
Email: customerrelations@wafco.com
Presto Gauge Testing
Presto tests its own pressure canner gauges for free. Allow 2–3 weeks for return. Include your name, street address, and phone number, and consider using tracked shipping.
Mail to:
National Presto Industries, Inc.
Attn: Gauge Testing
3925 N Hastings Way
Eau Claire, WI 54703
For other gauge brands, contact Presto first to confirm they can test them.
Weighted Gauge Option: Presto can also help determine whether your canner can be converted to a 3-piece weighted gauge, which eliminates the need for annual dial-gauge testing.
Presto Customer Service: 1-800-877-0441
Email: Contact1@GoPresto.com