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Canning altitude adjustments in Wisconsin
Wisconsin's featured towns sit about 670 to 890 ft — all inside the 0–1,000 ft band, so every tested recipe applies exactly as printed, in any kitchen in the table below.
The lay of the land
Wisconsin's featured towns crowd the upper half of the 0–1,000 ft band: Milwaukee at about 670 ft, Green Bay at about 680 ft, Madison at about 860 ft, and Eau Claire at about 890 ft. None crosses the line, so printed water-bath times stand from the lakeshore to the western valleys. Madison and Eau Claire ride nearest the edge — something to know if your kitchen sits on the ridges outside either town.
In canning terms it's simple ground: every featured town shares the 0–1,000 ft row — water-bath times as written, 10 lb on a weighted gauge, 11 lb on a dial. The table below is short on drama, which is exactly what a canner wants.
| Town | Elevation | Water bath | Dial gauge | Weighted gauge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | about 670 ft | as written | 11 lb | 10 lb |
| Green Bay | about 680 ft | as written | 11 lb | 10 lb |
| Madison | about 860 ft | as written | 11 lb | 10 lb |
| Eau Claire | about 890 ft | as written | 11 lb | 10 lb |
Town not in the table? The altitude lookup takes any Wisconsin ZIP or town and hands back the full card — elevation, minutes, and pressures in one look. Recipe already in hand? The processing time adjuster does the arithmetic on your minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to adjust canning recipes anywhere in Wisconsin?
Not in any of the towns featured here. Everything from Milwaukee to Eau Claire sits inside the 0–1,000 ft band — the elevation range tested recipes are written for — so water-bath times apply exactly as printed. If your own town sits above that band, it plays by different rules; the altitude lookup will say so.
What pressure does a canner run at in Wisconsin?
For every town in the table: 10 lb on a weighted gauge, 11 lb on a dial gauge — the tested base settings, with no correction applied and the recipe's minutes unchanged.
When would altitude ever matter in Wisconsin?
The moment a kitchen sits above the 0–1,000 ft band. None of the featured towns reach it, but a cabin, a move, or a friend's place in higher country will — check the spot rather than assume the state.