Having a well-stocked pantry of home-canned goods is a lifesaver! You can preserve a shelf-stable supply that doesn’t need electricity or refrigeration and store it for a whole year’s worth of food. Especially when you have an extra harvest from your home garden or when you make a bulk purchase from farmers’ markets, wholesale, and grocery stores because you saw a good deal, or when you want to stock up on essentials like broths, meats, veggies, sauces, and jams.
The process of home canning involves preparing and sealing food in heat-resistant, airtight containers. Then, the sealed food jars are boiled or steamed at a required temperature to kill harmful bacteria and create a vacuum seal that prevents spoilage and preserves the food’s safety and quality for a longer shelf life. The two main safe methods for home canning are boiling water bath canning and pressure canning.
When canning at home, it’s important to follow safety and reliable sources like the National Center for Home Food Preservation and use up-to-date tested recipes to prevent foodborne illnesses that can result from improper preservation techniques.
Water Bath Canning
Water bath canning method is used for high-acid foods, like fruits, jams, salsas and pickles. This method uses boiling water to create a vacuum seal that makes the food shelf-stable. You can use a stock pot or an electric canner like the Ball EasyCanner for water canning.
Ball
Ball EasyCanner Electric Water Bath Canner
A multicooker and steamer with a user-friendly design, large capacity, and energy efficiency, making it a popular choice for home canners using the water canning method.
Pressure Canning
To preserve low-acid foods like meats, poultry, seafood, beans and most vegetables, as well as their broths and soups, pressure canning is the way to do it. This method uses high-pressure steam to keep food safe for long-term storage. For pressure canning, you will need a pressure canner with a locked lid, a vent, and a pressure regulator. If you are worried about using an old-style pressure canner, we recommend the digital pressure canner from Presto.
Presto
Presto 12-Quart Digital Pressure Canner
To preserve low-acid foods like meats, poultry, seafood, beans, and most vegetables, as well as their broths and soups, pressure canning is the way to do it. This method uses high-pressure steam to keep food safe for long-term storage. For pressure cannin
When it comes to safe home canning, you’ll need canning jars that can handle the heat and pressure of the canning process. Here are some of the most popular canning jars from well-known brands:
Weck Jars
Weck jars have become a trend through social media platforms for their durable and aesthetic design that can be used for many purposes, from home decor to food storage and using them as drink cups. They are a German brand of canning jars with a reusable glass lid, rubber gasket, and metal clips to create a perfect airtight seal. They are stackable and come in a variety of different sizes and shapes. For the safety of home canning, it is recommended to replace the rubber gasket in Weck jars when it becomes old, cracked, or stretched.
WECK
Weck 742 Mold Jar 0.5 Liter, Set of 6
Mason Jars
Mason-type jars are the most used canning jars for their thick, durable glass and a two-piece lid system that creates a strong seal for safe home canning. They come in different sizes, from half-pint to half-gallon, with regular-mouth or wide-mouth openings.
Ball
Ball Regular Mouth Glass Mason Jars with Lids and Bands
These half pint jars are perfect for any canning recipes, from soups and salsa to pickles.
Ball
Ball Mason 4oz Quilted Jars with Lids and Bands, Set of 12
These small Quilted jars are perfect for jams and sauces.
Canning rings that seal the lids on mason jars are reusable as long as they’re not damaged or rusty. But for every new seal, you’ll need to replace the lids since they’re single-use only. For Jars is a family-owned brand that sells home canning supplies. We recommend their canning lids for their high quality and reliable, airtight results.
FORJARS
100-Pack Regular Mouth Canning Lids
Stockpot
A high-quality stockpot is a must-have if you’re cooking meats or making sauces and broths in big batches for canning.
HOMICHEF
20 Quart Large Stockpot
A stainless steel, tall sides, 20 Quarts stockpot perfect for cooking soups, sauces and broths.
Canning Funnel
A wide-mouth canning funnel makes it easier to fill food and liquid into jars while preventing spills, reducing waste, and keeping the jar rim clean.
Delove
Wide-Mouth Canning Funnel with Strainer
A quality set of a large funnel, small funnel, and a strainer to fill food into jars.
