It is time to get your food supply gardening canning supplies now. Part of the joy of growing your own food is canning the bounty for the winter. Now is a great time to buy next years canning supplies as the big box stores and the little mercantile alike make room for Christmas goodies. If you have never canned before, here is a list of supplies you will need.
There are several must haves and jars are at the top of the list. Think about what you would like to can to decide what size jars you need. Jams and jellies go in the little ½ pint jars for small families. I always put my jams in pint jars when all the kids were home, but now I use ½ pints to can the jams. That is the right size for just himself and me, plus they make great Christmas stocking stuffers for the kids to take to their homes. I must admit the kids could go through a quart jar of apple butter in a weekend when they were all in sports so I canned it that way for awhile.
Quart jars are great for tomatoes, applesauce, peaches and pears. I do not pressure cook can, but if you are going to be canning this way, make sure to have extra large size jars for green beans and other low acid foods. I have both wide mouth and regular jars. The wide mouths are great if you are going to do peach halves, whole pickles, whole spiced peaches or whole tomatoes. Basically, if the price is good, grab the jars while you can. Jars are the big expense in canning, and the jars can be reused. However, getting jars back when you send jams and jellies home is pretty much not happening, so get a few extras.
Buying jars at an auction is an option too; just make sure that the tops of the jars are completely intact. If there are any nicks, chips, or uneven spots at the top, you jar will not seal. You will need a new lid every time you can. These can not be reused. I mark my lids with the date when I can something in the jars, so I know not to reuse the lid. So grab lids to fit your jars when they are on sale. You will use them.
Rings can be reused; in fact, after the jar has sealed and cooled you will be removing the ring. So you really don’t need more rings than you are going to use in one canning session. I keep my rings on a piece of twine that I hang up in the garage. It is so easy, and I just put the large mouth rings on one string and the regular rings on another string.
While a canner is not strictly necessary, it makes canning your home grown foods so much easier. I have a large canner for quart jars and a small canner for the smaller jars. You can do the smaller jars in the big canner, but I just like the convenience of the smaller one. If you are buying the canner at an auction, be sure the wire rack is included. This makes getting the jars out a breeze.
Then you can get all the fun stuff. A canning funnel is so handy and will make canning less messy. A magnetic lid lifter is great for getting the lids out of the warm water bath. I love my jar lifter; it has saved my fingers for years! A canning ladle will make the process of getting boiling food stuff in the jars it is really a must instead of “fun stuff”. A bubble spatula is nice, but a flexible table knife works well too.
A good canning book is indispensable. If you have never canned because you were afraid of the finished product, this will eliminate your fears. I always have a Ball Blue Book handy when I can and I have canned for years and years. Canning IS an exact science. You absolutely must follow the directions to the T. Do not skip any steps. EVER.
For instance, your Mom probably never added lemon juice to her tomatoes when she canned. Today’ hybrid tomatoes do not have enough acid in them to make them safe to can without a pressure cooker, but if you add a set amount of acid to the tomatoes you will be safe.
Additionally, you can get recipes from university or state extension services that are reliable. I always cast a bit of a wary eye to other canning recipes off the internet unless they are from a very reliable source. Botulism is a real threat if food is not canned properly, and it can be fatal. I still never eat home canned green beans unless I know the person that canned them. Some foods are just dangerous if the instructions are not followed religiously. However, if you are careful, always follow the directions, your garden will feed you well long after the growing season is done. So, get your food supply gardening canning supplies now. Here are some extension websites to further research this topic:
http://extension.missouri.edu/p/GH1452
http://www.arfamilies.org/health_nutrition/Food_Safety/food_preservation/handbook/vegetables.htm
http://www.walnutcreek.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=139
Hi, My Name is Ray Province. The Food Supply Gardening website is dedicated to helping people learn to grow their own food. Learn a little more