Do you can?  I love the idea of putting my own food away.  I can totally control the ingredients, and a lot of the time, I grew the ingredients in the first place.  There’s something awesome about feeling self-reliant.  Plus, once you invest in your canning supplies, the savings really start to add up.

If you plan to start canning this year, here’s a guide of canning essentials to get you started.  {I totally recommend starting now, so that you can spread the purchases out throughout the summer, making it a little easier on your budget.}

First, canning jars.  Kerr or Ball are the most common.  I don’t have a preference, in fact, I think they are basically the same, so I tend to lean toward whichever are cheapest.  I do like the wide-mouth variety waaaay better, though, just because it is so much easier to get the food out.  They are a little more expensive, but remember, you’ll use them year after year, so the cost will be negligible in the long run.    I have a friend who tried to use recycled mayo jars, etc. once, but said that they didn’t seal very consistently, so I would avoid them personally.

You’ll need lids and rings to go on your jars.  If you are new to canning, you cannot reuse the lids from year to year, but you can reuse the rings.  {The lids seal properly one time, so for food safety, you have to get new each time you can.  There are some reusable lids, which you definitely pay for, but I have never used them, so I really don’t know if they work well.  If any of you have used them, though, let me know what you thought in the comments.}

Next, you’re going to need a canner {which is basically a big black pot, specially designed to fit your canning jars}.  Try to find one that comes with a rack to place the jars into the pot.  It’s just easier and more cost effective than buying them separate.  This is what you will use to process most of your canned foods.  Again, if you have never canned before, this process is called a water bath {letting jars sit in a rolling boil}.  Usually, your recipe will tell you how long to process your food in a water bath.

I consider the next bit optional, but seriously recommended.  Usually you can buy them all in a home canning kit for pretty cheap.  Make sure the kit has at least these:  a magnet, a jar-sized funnel, a bubble remover and jar lifting tongs.   They will make your life sooooo much easier.  The magnet is so you can easily grab and place your lids on the jars.  The funnel makes putting the food into the jars a lot cleaner {plus, I use mine for other things throughout the year}.  The bubble remover, well, removes bubbles from your liquid before you seal the jar.  And, the jar lifting tongs allow you to lift jars individually out of your water bath–because remember, they are hot, and sometimes a little heavy, so being able to lift them singly helps.

If you plan on canning meats or beans, you’ll need a pressure canner.  It basically helps to get low-acid foods to a safe temperature {240 degrees} for preservation.

Finally, consider buying a canning cookbook.  My favorite is the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.  Not only does it have all of the basics plus a lot more, pretty much everyone I know who cans, owns it.

Do you can?  Can you think of any other basic essentials?

~Mavis