To can spinach, hot-pack wilted greens in jars and process pints 70 minutes or quarts 90 minutes in a pressure canner, adjusting PSI for altitude.
Home-canned spinach is handy for soups, dips, and quick sides. The method is a pressure canning job, not a water-bath task. You’ll steam-wilt the leaves, hot-pack the jars, and hold steady pressure for the full time. This guide keeps things tight and safe from start to finish.
Quick Answer And Core Steps
Here’s the flow in one pass: rinse several times to remove grit, trim tough stems, steam 3–5 minutes until wilted, pack loosely, add boiling water, leave 1-inch headspace, and process pints 70 minutes or quarts 90 minutes in a pressure canner. Use 11 PSI on a dial-gauge canner at 0–2,000 feet or 10 PSI on a weighted gauge at 0–1,000 feet. Raise pressure for higher elevations.
| Step Or Item | What To Do | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Prep Rinse | Multiple rinses until water runs clear | Grit can cause spoilage and off-texture |
| Trim | Remove tough stems and midribs | Better pack and even heat |
| Pre-Heat | Steam-wilt 3–5 minutes | Hot pack and tighter fill |
| Jar Pack | Fill jars loosely with hot greens | Leaves compress; space aids heat flow |
| Liquid | Add fresh boiling water | Covers food and helps color |
| Headspace | 1 inch | Room for expansion |
| Salt (Optional) | ¼ tsp per pint; ½ tsp per quart | Seasoning only |
| Process Time | Pints 70 min; Quarts 90 min | Tested schedule |
| Pressure | Dial 11 PSI (0–2,000 ft); Weighted 10 PSI (0–1,000 ft) | Raise PSI with altitude |
| Yield | About 4 lb raw leaves per quart | Plan harvest and shopping |
How Do You Can Spinach? Step-By-Step
Wash in small batches in cool water. Lift the leaves out of the basin so dirt stays behind, then change the water and go again. Keep going until the water stays clear.
Trim out thick stems and any bruised or yellow pieces. Drain well.
Steam-wilt about 1 pound at a time in a blanching basket or a cheesecloth bag for 3–5 minutes. The goal is a soft, wilted pile that still looks green.
Warm your clean jars, lids, and bands. A hot jar lowers siphoning and helps the pack sit right.
Pack the wilted spinach loosely into hot jars. Do not mash. Add ¼ teaspoon salt per pint or ½ teaspoon per quart if you want seasoning.
Pour fresh boiling water over the greens, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Remove bubbles with a clean tool and check headspace again.
Wipe rims, apply lids, and set jars into the preheated pressure canner with the rack in place.
Lock the lid and vent a strong column of steam for 10 minutes to drive out air. Then pressurize. For dial-gauge canners at 0–2,000 feet, hold 11 PSI. For weighted gauge at 0–1,000 feet, use 10 pounds. Adjust for altitude as shown below.
Start timing when you hit target pressure: 70 minutes for pints, 90 minutes for quarts. Keep the needle steady; steady heat limits liquid loss.
When time ends, remove heat and let pressure drop to zero on its own. Wait a minute, open the vent, then remove the lid away from you. Rest jars on a towel. Let them cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours.
Check seals. Remove bands, wash the outsides, label, and store in a cool, dark place.
Taking Spinach In Your Pressure Canner — Trims, Tools, And Notes
You only need standard gear: a pressure canner with a rack, canning jars with two-piece lids, a jar lifter, a bubble tool, and a kettle for boiling water. A dial-gauge canner needs a yearly gauge check. Weighted gauges don’t need calibration, but keep the vent and weight clean.
Use leaves that look fresh and tidy. Field spinach carries sand, so the rinse step takes patience. Tender baby leaves shrink a lot; flat or savoy types both work.
Pack is hot, not raw. Raw pack for greens isn’t a tested method for shelf storage. Hot pack gives even heat and better texture in the jar.
Why Spinach Must Be Pressure Canned
Spinach is a low-acid vegetable. That calls for the higher heat of a pressure canner to reach safe temperatures in the center of the jar. Water-bath canning doesn’t hit those temperatures. The time and pressure listed here come from tested methods.
Headspace, Liquid Loss, And A Clean Seal
Stick with 1 inch of headspace. Remove bubbles so the fill stays even. Keep pressure steady during the run. Wild swings cause siphoning. After cooling, take off the bands to spot any loose seal later.
Altitude And PSI For Canning Spinach
Air gets thinner as you climb. That drops the boiling point, so you raise PSI to keep the same internal temperature in the canner. Use the chart below to pick the right weight or dial reading for your range.
| Altitude | Dial-Gauge PSI | Weighted-Gauge PSI |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1,000 ft | 11 PSI | 10 PSI |
| 1,001–2,000 ft | 11 PSI | 15 PSI |
| 2,001–4,000 ft | 12 PSI | 15 PSI |
| 4,001–6,000 ft | 13 PSI | 15 PSI |
| 6,001–8,000 ft | 14 PSI | 15 PSI |
Sourcing The Rules
For step times, jar sizes, and altitude tables, use the National Center page for “Spinach and Other Greens”. It tracks back to the USDA canning guide. For canner setup, venting, and gauge checks, a land-grant edition of the guide from Mississippi State Extension lays out the checks in clear steps: USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning (PDF).
How Much Spinach To Buy, And What Yield To Expect
You’ll need a lot more fresh leaves than you think. A canner load of 7 quarts takes about 28 pounds. A load of 9 pints takes about 18 pounds. Across a season, that math saves repeat trips to the market.
One quart holds about 4 pounds of raw leaves once wilted. That’s a handy rule when you’re picking in the garden.
Quality Checks, Storage, And Shelf Life
Seals should be flat and firm. Any jar that didn’t seal goes in the fridge and gets used soon. For sealed jars, store in a cool, dark spot. Mark the month and year so you rotate stock. Many home canners use greens within a year for best color and flavor.
Before opening, look at the liquid. It should be clear with the greens submerged. When in doubt, throw it out.
Can You Flavor The Jar?
Stick to salt only inside the jar. Garlic, butter, dairy, and thickeners aren’t safe for pressure canning with greens. Season after opening the jar. Add the canned spinach to creamy dips, spanakopita fillings, soups, or omelets.
Troubleshooting Spinach Canning
Floating greens: pack was too loose. Next time, wilt a touch longer and press the pack lightly with a tool before adding water.
Siphoning: pressure wobbled or jars cooled too fast. Keep heat steady and let the canner drop to zero on its own. Rest jars on a towel away from drafts.
Cloudy liquid: hard water or starch from overcooked leaves. Use soft water if you have it and keep the steam-wilt brief.
Dark color at the top: liquid level fell. Next run, mind the headspace, de-bubble, and keep a steady dial.
Metallic taste: reactive water or bands left on during storage. Remove bands, rinse jars, and store upright.
Close Variation: Canning Spinach Step-By-Step For Safe Pantry Jars
This section mirrors the method with tight timing. Rinse well, wilt 3–5 minutes, pack hot, cover with boiling water, cap, vent 10 minutes, run pints 70 and quarts 90 at the right PSI. Label and shelve. That’s the tested way to keep canned spinach safe and tasty.
Yes, you’ll repeat parts of the method here. Repetition helps when canning day gets busy. Tape a short list to a cabinet so the steps stay front and center. If you came here asking “how do you can spinach?” this is the plain sequence to follow every time.
Equipment Checklist And Setup Tips
Pressure canner with rack, clean jars, new lids, bands, jar lifter, bubble tool, funnel, and a kettle for boiling water. Keep a timer handy. Preheat jars in hot water so the pack stays hot. Keep a vinegar splash nearby to wipe hard-water film from lids and the canner rim.
Check the vent and gasket. If you use a dial-gauge canner, get the gauge tested at your extension office. A steady dial means steady heat inside the jar.
Serving Ideas After You Open A Jar
Drain the jar and squeeze out extra moisture. Stir into white bean soup, fold into ricotta for lasagna, blitz into a dip with yogurt and herbs, or sauté with olive oil and lemon. A dash of nutmeg plays well with greens.
Cost And Pantry Math
Greens shrink a lot. A large tote from a farm stand might yield just a few quarts once wilted. Plan loads: a seven-quart run uses about 28 pounds; a nine-pint run uses about 18 pounds. If you garden, set a harvest day and clear the sink for the long rinse routine.
Safety Reminders You Can’t Skip
Do not water-bath low-acid vegetables. Do not shortcut venting. Do not guess at PSI. Keep headspace at 1 inch. If a jar looks off when you open it, discard it. If lids are bulging or liquid spurts, discard the jar. If anything smells wrong, toss it. Safety beats saving a jar.
Where The Keyword Fits Naturally
You’ll see the base question “how do you can spinach?” answered near the top and again here. The steps and times match tested sources. Follow them as written for steady results batch after batch.
