Hi Jeff, Paul, and Listees, Jeff wrote: > Why is it critical to use non-iodized salt? Well, during discussions with other people who have tried canning fish and had their batch turn out to taste bad, we discovered that the common thread seems to be that they didn't use non- iodized salt. It's easy to check. Just use a teaspoon of iodized salt with the next batch and see how it turns out. We're speaking about fish here. Other things may come out fine with iodized salt, and evidently do. Non-iodized salt should be available in any large grocery store. At least it's that way here in the N/W. Paul; about the amount of water. I've canned with the top of the jars covered for many years now. Never had a jar break and always had the jars seal this way. A remarkable record I think. If my memory is correct, and sometimes it isn't, we had failures at first until this system evolved. I run an antique steam engine and boiler for fun. It's critical that the water level in that boiler be fairly high and constant, so that knowledge probably spilled over into canning. Gotta tell about a big halibut (118#) Dawna caught in Glacier Bay, Alaska. We finally got it on board at 10:00 AM and we ran to Blue Mouse Cove. After eating all we could (the Boatkat too) and filling the smoker and freezer, there was no other way to take care of it but to can it. We canned until 3 AM the next day. Couple of days later she hooked and brought up a bigger one! I ran for the camera while she was telling me to "grab the harpoon." Sanity finally set in after reminding her of the amount of work the other fish caused. She was real quiet for several hours. The Boatkat wasn't friendly for a while either, but we all got some sleep that night. Sandy and Dawna Floe Sea Eagle (39 CHB) Day Island, WA