The Cantry
DRAFT — PENDING COUNSEL REVIEW. This document is a working draft prepared for attorney review. It has not been approved by counsel and is not yet in effect.

The Cantry · Legal

Disclaimer

Draft last updated: June 2026

What The Cantry is — and is not

The Cantry is an educational index and organizational toolkit for home food preservation. We curate, organize, and link to recipes and guidance published by third-party authorities — including the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP), and state Cooperative Extension services.

The Cantry does not test, validate, certify, or approve recipes. We are not a laboratory, a process authority, or a food-safety certifier. All safety determinations — processing methods, times, pressures, acidification, and altitude adjustments — belong to the third-party authorities who published and tested them. Where our materials describe a recipe as "tested," that word describes the named third-party source's work, never our own.

No warranty of outcomes

Information in The Cantry's products and on this website is provided for general educational purposes, "as is," without warranty of any kind, express or implied. The Cantry makes no representation or warranty regarding the safety, accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any purpose of any recipe or instruction, including those reproduced from public-domain government publications.

Always verify against the source

Recipes and processing guidance change as research is updated. Before preserving any food, verify the recipe and process against the current version published by the originating authority (we link to the source wherever possible), and follow it exactly — including jar size, headspace, processing time, pressure, and altitude adjustments. Do not modify tested recipes: changes to ingredients, proportions, jar sizes, or thickeners can make a previously tested process unsafe.

Foodborne-illness risk

Improperly preserved food can cause serious illness or death, including botulism, which may be undetectable by sight, smell, or taste. If you are uncertain about any aspect of a recipe or process, consult your state Cooperative Extension service before proceeding. When in doubt, throw it out.

No affiliation or endorsement

The Cantry is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the USDA, NCHFP, any Cooperative Extension service, Ball®, or any other authority or brand referenced in our materials. References to these organizations identify the source of their published work only. Reproduction of USDA materials reflects their public-domain status and does not imply government review or endorsement of The Cantry.

Not professional advice

Nothing provided by The Cantry constitutes food-science, medical, legal, or other professional advice. For guidance specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional or your state Extension service.

[COUNSEL: please review the entire document, with particular attention to (1) the adequacy of the "communicator, not certifier" framing in limiting express-warranty exposure; (2) whether the foodborne-illness warning is sufficiently conspicuous; (3) interaction with the Assumption of Risk and Terms of Service.]