Canning and preserving fruits, vegetables, meats and other goodies like jellies and jams is a wonderful way to provide for your family. Once it was the only way to ensure you had good food all winter long. Don’t let today’s convenience of supermarket shopping keep you from learning how to can your own food. The food tastes better, is healthier and you know what is in there. The only thing you need to remember when learning to can is to follow the rules. Do no take shortcuts. You will jeopardize your family’s health if you do.

Hidden Dangers
One of the dangers of not canning food properly is bacteria. These tiny, hidden microbes can wreak havoc in improperly prepared food, leading to sickness and botulism. That is why low-acid foods such as meat and vegetables must be canned at high heat in a pressure canner. Bacteria thrive in low-acid environments. But even fruit and jellies can be spoiled if you do not take proper caution and cleanliness steps.

What You Need to Start
The dangers of canning improperly are real. Make sure that you have the proper tools and equipment necessary for the canning recipe that you are following.

• Pressure Canners. This is a must if you are going to be canning meats or low-acid vegetables. These types of foods are not safe in a water-bath canner. There are several good models available. Some have a toggle gauge and others have a dial gauge. I personally recommend a dial gauge. I find it easier to know when my pressure is just right.
  
• Water-Bath Canner. This is used for fruits, high-acid vegetables like tomatoes and pickles and jams and jelly. These types of foods do not require the long, high temperatures that meats and other vegetables do. You can often find these canners at thrift shops or yard sales.
  
• Steam Canner. Some people recommend these for fruits and jellies. They take very little water to operate and heat the food by steam rather than submersing in water. Make sure you research your product thoroughly before purchasing so you will know exactly what it can and cannot do.
  
• Small Necessities. You will also need to have canning jars, new lids and rings, a jar lifter and a good funnel (stainless steel is the best).
  
• Other Nice Items to Have. If you are going to do a lot of canning there are several other items that are nice to have on hand. These include a tomato mill, a food processor or chopper, a really large pressure canner that will double the amount you can do at one time and a corn cobber–slide your ears of corn over this and they come off the corn in seconds.