CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 10/01/99

Can You 'Can' Drinking Water For Emergencies?

University of Georgia experts say many people have asked them whether they can "can" water for emergencies.

Their answer? Yes, you can, but you don't really need to.

water.jpg (4473 bytes)

"Using clean containers for chlorine-treated water is just as suitable," said Elizabeth Andress, an Extension Service food safety specialist with the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

"Canning," Andress said, "refers to putting boiled water in jars, covering with two-piece, metal, home-canning lids, with a screwband, and processing the submerged jar in boiling water for a specified number of minutes."

The container size for canning will be limited by the size of your boiling-water canner. Glass jars are required for home canning lids, too, and the weight of these filled jars will be an issue. They're also more likely to break (the glass) or rust (the lids) during disaster situations.

However, if you still want to "can" water for storage, Andress said, follow these directions:

The canner must be deep enough to have 1 to 2 inches of water boiling over the tops of the filled jars during processing. It must have a rack in the bottom and a lid.

Prepare home-canning jars by washing in hot, soapy water and rinsing well. Keep them warm until ready to use. (You can do this by filling them with clean hot water or submerging them in warm water in your canner.) Prepare the lids by following the directions on the package.

Bring clean, potable water to boiling. Fill into the warm, clean jars, leaving a half-inch head space. Adjust the prepared lids, and process in boiling water for 10 minutes. (Start timing the process after the water in the canner comes to a boil around the filled jars.)

Boiled water may taste "flat" when opened. To improve the flavor, aerate air into the water by shaking the jar or pouring it back and forth between two clean jars.

At the end of the 10-minute process, remove the jars from the canner and place them on a rack or towel out of cool drafts. Allow them to sit undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours, until they are cool and the lids have sealed.

The water may be stored for 5 years or more.

Faith Peppers is the director of public affairs with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Experts/Sources:
Elizabeth L. Andress
The holiday season can be a time of anticipation and joy, but balancing multiple commitments and personalities across families and friends can be a source of stress for hosts and visitors alike. Like preparing parts of the meal ahead of time to spend more of the holiday with guests, taking time ahead of the day to set expectations can go a long way to ensuring enjoyable gatherings, said Ted Futris, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of human development and family science in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. CAES News
Manage holiday stress with kindness, boundaries 11/21/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The holiday season can be a time of anticipation and joy, but balancing multiple commitments and personalities across families and friends can be a source of stress for hosts and visitors alike. Much like preparing parts of the meal ahead of time allows you to spend more of the holiday with guests, setting expectations ahead of the celebration can go a long way to ensuring enjoyable gatherings, said Ted Futris, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of human development and family science.
Conner Hall CAES News
CAES welcomes 2024 cohort of Rural Scholars 11/20/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences welcomed its fourth cohort of students chosen for the CAES Rural Scholars Program this fall just weeks after celebrating the program's first graduation. Georgia Orman, one of four inaugural Rural Scholars in CAES, graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education. The new scholars for 2024, all from Georgia, are Ela Ash of Ocilla, Lauren E. Coley of Cochran, Amelia Housley of Canon, and London O’Steen of Ambrose.
Women play a vital role in rural American farming, but much of that work is "invisible," like raising children or household chores, according to a new UGA study. (Getty Images) CAES News
The women and stress behind rural farming in America 11/19/24 Leigh Hataway
Recent research from the University of Georgia suggests the unique stresses from farm life may be taking a toll on one of the pillars of the families that make your dinners possible: the women who keep farming families running. “If we don’t control our food sources, we don’t control our health and safety,” said Anna Scheyett, lead author of the study and a professor in UGA’s School of Social Work. “It’s a matter of national security that farmers survive in the United States. And one of the big factors in helping farms survive is women.”
Mergoum at Creature Comforts CAES News
That's the spirit! 11/18/24 Maria M. Lameiras, Claire Sanders Kinnard
Wheat breeders spend years meticulously crossing varieties to coax the best traits out of each species, carefully propagating plant varieties that are healthier, heartier and better suited for the environments where they are grown. Professional brewmasters are equally painstaking when choosing the components that will give their beers a specific flavor profile.
Contest-winning concept becomes viable business for alumnus who developed solar-powered, self-propelled chicken coop as a student. CAES News
Poultry in motion 11/14/24 Sean Montgomery
Chris Ayers emerged from his orange and black rough-terrain vehicle with an ear-to-ear grin. “This is Chiktopia,” he said, sweeping his arm wide to indicate the back half of a 3,600-square-foot warehouse on his family’s farm in Ball Ground, Georgia. “This is where I manufacture and assemble the chicken coops. Everything is done entirely from over here.”
UGA Grand Farm Site Plan web CAES News
UGA Grand Farm wins stage two of 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund competition 11/13/24 Jordan Powers
Startups in the agricultural technology sector face significant barriers on the path to establishment, including access to training and capital. These barriers are heightened for underrepresented entrepreneurs seeking to start new companies. The University of Georgia Grand Farm, part of a historic partnership between the University of Georgia and Fargo, North Dakota-based Grand Farm, aims to change that.