Raw Stacking is a layering technique invented by Canning Diva for raw packing — where ingredients are methodically stacked in a specific order inside each jar before covering with boiling liquid. It’s ideal for recipes with multiple ingredients (like stews or layered pickles) and helps ensure consistent distribution and appearance. This guide explains how to build each jar correctly and safely for water-bath and pressure canning.
By Diane Devereaux | The Canning Diva®
Last updated: August 5, 2025
Key Takeaways
- Raw Stacking is a layered raw pack method developed to ensure even distribution of ingredients inside each jar for consistency and visual appeal.
- Each jar is its own recipe, allowing canners to stack raw vegetables, meats, or legumes in a thoughtful order before adding boiling liquid and processing.
- Proper layering is essential — denser or slower-cooking items should be placed at the bottom of the jar to ensure safety and quality.
- This method reduces prep time and allows home canners to create meals or sides without pre-cooking each component.
- Not all recipes are suited for raw stacking — dishes like spaghetti sauce, pot pie filling, or beef bourguignon require cooking and flavor development before canning.
- Layering order matters — denser, slow-cooking items go on the bottom; lighter, quicker-cooking ingredients go on top.
For centuries, home canning has been a way of life for much of society. In the last 40 years, we have seen advancements in technology and enhanced safety practices. The beauty of such advancements many of us recipe creators have also safely advancement canning techniques. The Raw Stacking Method is one of them.
The Raw Stacking Canning Method
Raw Stacking is a term I created to describe raw packing ingredients by way of layering, or stacking, each individual ingredient into individual jars. This technique uses the well-known raw packing method, however, we are intentionally layering, or stacking, a variety of pre-measured ingredients on top of one other to create the recipe. Once each ingredient is layered into every individual jar, we then cover the ingredients with water, broth or stock, then proceed with the rim wiping, screw band application and processing.
A common canning practice when making soups requires the recipe to be cooked prior in a large stock pot prior to filling jars. The reason we do this is to blend the flavors and pre-shrink the food’s fibers to expel its moisture. The difference when using the Raw Stacking Method, however, it to intentionally keep the ingredients intact and rely on the processing time to do the cooking. During processing the food’s moisture is then expelled into each jar while simultaneously cooking in and creating its own broth and absorbing said broth while maintaining liquidity. Essentially, each jar is its own individual stock pot, if you will. The reason we do this is to obtain a higher ratio of solids to liquids in every jar. Unlike cooking a pot of soup, raw sacking is a splendid way to create hearty stews and Meals in A Jar with less broth/liquid and more sustenance.
Here are some of the advantages to using the Raw Stacking Method when canning:
- Each jar retains the full impact of the food’s flavors and nutrients.
- The yield is retained in each jar giving the canner a hearty meal with less broth/liquid.
- Canners control their waste because each jar is filled individually rather than in a large stock pot.
- Save time in your prep work by not having to cook the recipe prior to filling jars.
- Unlike ladling and praying you get the right amount of solids in each jar, the canner now controls the level of solids to liquids.
Many canners have created meals in a jar using the raw stacking technique such as Beef Stew, Irish Bean & Cabbage Stew, Savory Beef & Vegetables, Fall Pot Roast in a Jar and more. These recipes can be found on my website, however in my latest book, The Canning Diva Presents Meals in a Jar, I dedicated an entire chapter to Raw Stacking Canning Recipes.
Recipes like, Beef Stew, four different meat and vegetable varieties, Ham and Kale Soup, Hearty Chicken Soup, Easy Vegetable Stew, Pork Fajitas, Irish Shepherd’s Pie in a Jar, and Pepper Steak.
