Canning jar sizes
Every size, with published dimensions, what each is actually for, and how many fit a canner load.
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Canning jars run from the 4 oz quarter-pint to the 64 oz half gallon. The 16 oz pint and 32 oz quart are the workhorses. Each size comes in regular mouth, taking an approximately 70 mm lid, or wide mouth, taking an approximately 86 mm lid, and the two are not interchangeable.
Regular mouth sizes
| Size | Volume | Height x width | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jelly jar (4 oz) | 1/2 cup | 2 1/4" x 2 3/4" | Jelly, gifts, sample batches |
| Half-pint (8 oz) | 1 cup | 3 3/4" x 2 3/8" | Jam, jelly, marmalade, chutney |
| Three-quarter pint (12 oz) | 1 1/4 cups | 5 1/4" x 2 3/8" | Jam, sauces |
| Pint (16 oz) | 2 cups | 5" x 2 3/4" | Salsa, sauce, pickles, fruit, most tested recipes |
| Quart (32 oz) | 4 cups | 6 3/4" x 3 3/8" | Tomatoes, juice, larger batches |
Wide mouth sizes
| Size | Volume | Height x width | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half-pint (8 oz) | 1 cup | 2 1/2" x 2 7/8" | Jam, dips, short storage |
| Pint (16 oz) | 2 cups | 4 5/8" x 3" | The most versatile single jar in canning |
| Pint and a half (24 oz) | 3 cups | 6 5/8" x 3" | Pickle spears, tall packs |
| Quart (32 oz) | 4 cups | 6 1/2" x 3 1/4" | Peach halves, whole tomatoes, pickles |
| Half gallon (64 oz) | 8 cups | 9 1/8" x 4" | Juice and a very short tested list only |
Mouth sizes
| Regular mouth | Wide mouth | |
|---|---|---|
| Lid diameter | About 70 mm | About 86 mm |
| Inner opening | About 60 mm | About 76 mm |
| Interchangeable? | No | No |
How many fit a canner
| Jar | 21.5-qt water bath canner | Presto 23-qt pressure canner |
|---|---|---|
| Half-pints | 12 | 26 |
| Pints | 9 | 20 |
| Quarts | 7 | 7 |
How deep your pot needs to be
A water bath canner must keep at least an inch of briskly boiling water over the tops of the jars. Add freeboard so a rolling boil does not go over the side, and the depth requirement follows directly from the jar height.
| Jar | Height | Minimum interior depth |
|---|---|---|
| Half-pint | About 3 3/4" | About 7" |
| Pint, regular | About 5" | About 8" |
| Quart, regular | About 6 3/4" | About 10" |
| Half gallon | About 9 1/8" | About 12" |
Which size for which job
- Jam and jelly: half-pints. You finish them before they dull in the fridge.
- Salsa, sauce, pickles: pints. The standard size for most tested recipes.
- Tomatoes, juice, fruit halves: quarts. Fewer jars, longer processing times.
- Anything you reach into to pack: wide mouth, whatever the volume.
- Gifts: 4 oz jelly jars, which are otherwise not very useful.
One rule that overrides all of this: use the jar size the tested recipe specifies. Processing times are jar-size specific, because a bigger jar takes longer for heat to reach the center. A pint time is not a quart time, and scaling it yourself is not something the recipe supports.
Next stepHow to sterilize jars, and when you need toCommon questions
What are the standard canning jar sizes?
What is the difference between regular and wide mouth?
How many pint jars fit in a canner?
Can I use a different jar size than the recipe says?
Are half-gallon jars safe for canning?
Are mason jars and canning jars the same thing?
Sources
- Ball — Mason Jars & Lids, Regular Mouth
- Ball — Mason Jars & Lids, Wide Mouth
- Presto — 23-Quart Pressure Canner (01781)
- NCHFP — Recommended Canners
Product specifications are taken from each manufacturer’s own published page, cited on the product. We have not handled these products — how we pick.
