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Pressure canning by altitude (USDA)

Altitude changes the pressure, not the time. Enter your elevation and gauge type to read the setting from the published USDA and NCHFP tables.

Short answer

Weighted gauge: 10 psi at 0 to 1,000 ft, 15 psi above 1,000 ft. Dial gauge: 11 psi at 0 to 2,000 ft, 12 psi at 2,001 to 4,000 ft, 13 psi at 4,001 to 6,000 ft, 14 psi at 6,001 to 8,000 ft and 15 psi at 8,001 to 10,000 ft. The processing time always comes from the tested USDA or NCHFP recipe.

Find your pressure

Or pick a range:

Canner gauge

USDA table setting

Enter your altitude or pick a range to see the pressure.
  1. 0 to 1,000 ft10 psi
  2. Above 1,000 ft15 psi

Processing time comes from the tested recipe. Use the time in the USDA or NCHFP recipe for your food and jar size. In those tables altitude changes the pressure, not the time.

  • Confirm the setting in the tested recipe's own table: a few products list different values.
  • Test a dial gauge for accuracy before each canning season (NCHFP).
  • NCHFP does not recommend electric multicookers for pressure canning.
  • Follow your canner maker's instructions for venting and water depth.

Source: USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning (2015) and NCHFP process tables for low acid foods. Water bath canning is not covered here.

The published table

These are the pressures in the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning (2015) and the NCHFP process tables for low acid foods in a pressure canner. The tool reads them; it does not calculate anything.

  • 0 to 1,000 ft

    Weighted gauge10 psi

  • Above 1,000 ft

    Weighted gauge15 psi

Weighted gauge canners. The weight has 5, 10 and 15 psi settings, so above 1,000 ft the setting is 15 psi.

  • 0 to 2,000 ft

    Dial gauge11 psi

  • 2,001 to 4,000 ft

    Dial gauge12 psi

  • 4,001 to 6,000 ft

    Dial gauge13 psi

  • 6,001 to 8,000 ft

    Dial gauge14 psi

  • 8,001 to 10,000 ft

    Dial gauge15 psi

Dial gauge canners. Some recipe tables stop at 8,000 ft; always read the table in the recipe you are using.
USDA pressure by altitude: weighted gauge 10 psi up to 1,000 ft and 15 psi above; dial gauge 11 to 15 psi in 2,000 ft steps1,000 ftWeightedgauge1015Dialgauge111213141502,0004,0006,0008,00010,000Altitude in feet (numbers in bars are psi)
Pressure settings from the USDA and NCHFP tables for low acid foods. The tested recipe governs: confirm the setting in its own table, and take the processing time from it.

Why altitude changes the pressure

Low acid foods need a processing temperature of about 240 F to destroy Clostridium botulinum spores. Air pressure drops as you go higher, so water boils at a lower temperature, and the canner needs more pressure on the gauge to reach the same temperature inside. That is why the pressure goes up with altitude while the processing time in the tested recipe stays the same.

Weighted or dial gauge?

A weighted gauge lets steam escape when the pressure passes its setting, so it rocks or jiggles and does not drift out of calibration. A dial gauge shows the pressure on a needle and can be set to any value, which is why its table has more steps, but it should be tested for accuracy before each canning season. Your county Cooperative Extension office may offer testing.

Cutaway of a stovetop pressure canner with its parts labeledDial gaugeLidGasket orWater levelmetal sealWeighted gaugeVent pipeOverpressure plugLocking handleJarsJar rack
A stovetop pressure canner. Some canners have a weighted gauge, some a dial gauge, some both. Follow the maker's manual for venting and water depth.

Before you start, read the canner maker's manual for venting and water depth, and use a current tested recipe from USDA or NCHFP. More on the process in pressure canning.