New to Canning.... NEED HELP!!!

[moneysavingmomma]

Ok so I have never canned myself but spent a ton of time as a child watching my granparents can so I am not totally clueless on the process. I am going to buy a canner and jars tomorrow (if I can find one) and was wondering where is the best place to find them? What type of canner (water bath or pressure) would you suggest and why? What brand would you suggest? What are the best jars or are they all the same? My grandparents are not here anymore or I would ask them. Any advice would be great! Thanks!

 

[miss_thenorth]

What type of canner you sue depends on what you plan on canning. I suggest you get ahold of the Blue BAll Book of Canning, and go though that, figure out wht you plan on canning, and so on.
FWIW, I recently got a steam canner, but before that, I used my pressure canner for regular canning (without sealing it) for regular stuff and sealed it when I needed to pressure can.

 

[Wannabefree]

ahemm...that would eb the Ball Blue Book of canning, and I highly suggest that as well. It does depend on what you would be canning as to whether you would NEED a pressure canner or not, but if you buy a pressure canner, you can do anything, water bath, you can't.

 

[moneysavingmomma]

Ok so here are the types of thing I plan on canning. Green beans, tomatos, squash, pickles, pickled okra, jellys/jams, & fruits.

 

[Wannabefree]

Ok so here are the types of thing I clan on canning. Green beans, tomatos, squash, pickles, pickled okra, jellys/jams, & fruits

All the tomatoes, pickles, pickled okra can be done water bath. Green beans and squash can't. They need to be pressure canned. Water bath is for highly acidic contents only, others aren't safe to do that way.

 

[keljonma]

Water bath can to start. I got mine - a large blue speckle ware canner from a friend - but you can get them anywhere like yard sales, flea markets, and thrift shops. Should come with a rack in it. A small canning utensil kit usually comes with wide-mouthed funnel, jar lifter, lid lifter, but you may have to get this separately from the canner. Make sure it has a lid, I have seen them for sale at yard sales with the lid missing.

And if you have a large stock pot, you can use that, just put a cake cooling rack or towel in the bottom so that the jars don't touch the pot.

http://www.mastergardening.com/can-1010.html?gclid=CJmA7M7tu6kCFZQbKgodpiYKfg

Search the threads here for canning ideas and recipes.

Ball Preserving has a good site. http://www.freshpreserving.com/

I think relishes, chutneys, fresh fruits, and jams are easiest for beginners. Have fun and don't sweat too much about it. Use the freshest and best looking produce you can find.

If you don't have a canning book, you can probably borrow one from your local library to experiment with some new recipes.


and did I say, have fun

 

[moneysavingmomma]

Thanks fo the info I have looked around Amazon and found lots of things. Almost all the Blue Books they have are older than I am so not sure how up to date they are. I did find a 2002 & 2004 though! I will deff. go to the library and see what they have before I buy. I didn't even think of that.

 

[FarmerJamie]

Thanks fo the info I have looked around Amazon and found lots of things. Almost all the Blue Books they have are older than I am so not sure how up to date they are. I did find a 2002 & 2004 though! I will deff. go to the library and see what they have before I buy. I didn't even think of that.

Not a whole lot of change over the years? The process is basically the same? I refer to my late grandmother's books, all the time....

 

[freemotion]

With pressure canning, the newer books (after the 70's maybe? 80's?) the recommendations for pressure and times for various items has changed. I am one that follows those recommendations to the letter. Botulism is impossible to see, smell, or taste, and it is deadly.

Advice? Have a ball! (pun intended!) You may find canning quite addictive. I love it. It is a LOT of work at first and can be a bit intimidating, and you will make some mistakes, but keep going. There is nothing more satisfying than looking at those rows of gleaming jars and knowing you did that yourself. And you saved a bundle as well!

 

[FarmerJamie]

With pressure canning, the newer books (after the 70's maybe? 80's?) the recommendations for pressure and times for various items has changed. I am one that follows those recommendations to the letter. Botulism is impossible to see, smell, or taste, and it is deadly.

Advice? Have a ball! (pun intended!) You may find canning quite addictive. I love it. It is a LOT of work at first and can be a bit intimidating, and you will make some mistakes, but keep going. There is nothing more satisfying than looking at those rows of gleaming jars and knowing you did that yourself. And you saved a bundle as well!

Fair enough. I always try to err on the side of caution, too. I'll look more carefully going forward.

Advice - and you can try new things in small batches that you may not have tried otherwise! Zucchini relish, cabbage relish, pickled whatever.