Canning Basics 101 – Canning Supplies

Canning Supplies Canning and preserving food is easy and safe to do. Anyone can teach themselves how to can and preserve great healthy food. You will need some basic equipment to get you started.

The equipment we cover here is for canning food. Supplies for drying, freezing and other types of food preservation are covered separately.

You will need:

Canning jars – half-pints, pints or quarts
New lids & rings (you an re-use the rings but need new flat lids each year)
A jar lifter
A good funnel – stainless still is the best

You will also need a canner. There are two different kids of canners. A pressure canner and a water bath canner.

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, pickles, jams and jelly. These types of food 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. Those that have them love them. Make sure you research your product thoroughly before purchasing so you will know exactly what it can and cannot do.

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 – that grinds and presses the juice out of tomatoes.
A food processor or chopper.
A really large pressure canner that will double the amount you can do at one time. Pricey but worth it!
Corn cobber – slide your ears of corn over this and they come off the corn in seconds.

More On This Subject

Canning Guide Boiling Water Bath Method
Basic Canning Supplies: What You Need to Succeed
Canning Recipes-Home Canning Recipes