Canning at 8,001 ft to 10,000 ft
BWB +20 min · dial 15.0 psi · weighted 15.0 psi
The numbers
- Elevation
- 8,001–10,000 ft (2439–3048 m)
- BWB add
- +20 minutes (recipes ≤20 min original time)
- Dial gauge
- 15.0 psi
- Weighted gauge
- 15.0 psi
How to apply this
At 8,001–10,000 ft, water boils 12–15 °F lower than at sea level. BWB recipes need +20 minutes when the original processing time is 20 minutes or less; +40 minutes when longer than 20 minutes (USDA Guide 1, Table 3). Both dial-gauge and weighted-gauge pressure canners use 15 psi at this elevation. Above 10,000 ft, USDA does not publish home-canning processing times — the boiling-point depression and reduced atmospheric pressure make BWB unreliable for safety, and pressure canners reach their design ceiling. At alpine elevations, freeze, dry, ferment, or refrigerate-pickle instead of canning. Consult your county extension office for site-specific guidance.
Example cities in this band
- Telluride, CO (8,750 ft)
- Aspen, CO (7,908 ft)
- Crested Butte, CO (8,909 ft)
- Breckenridge, CO (9,600 ft)
- Alma, CO (10,361 ft, edge of band)
- Leadville, CO (10,152 ft, edge of band)
- Tabernash, CO (8,330 ft)
City elevations refer to the official downtown / metro center. Hillside neighborhoods can sit one band higher; verify with a USGS map if you live above the city center.
Pickle recipes adjusted for 8,001 ft to 10,000 ft
- Quick Fresh-Pack Dill Pickles — pints process 30 min at this altitude (sea-level recipe: 10 min)
- Pickled Dilled Beans (Dilly Beans) — pints process 25 min at this altitude (sea-level recipe: 5 min)
- Pickled Beets — pints process 50 min at this altitude (sea-level recipe: 30 min)
All altitude bands
- Sea level to 1,000 ft
- 1,001 ft to 3,000 ft
- 3,001 ft to 6,000 ft
- 6,001 ft to 8,000 ft
- 8,001 ft to 10,000 ft (current)
Source
USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning — Guide 1, Tables 1, 2, 3. Information provided for educational purposes — verify against the current USDA / NCHFP guidance before canning. Last verified 2026-04-30.