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What I Actually Use for Home Canning & Food Preservation
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items I started preserving food because I wanted to stretch our grocery budget, make the most of sales and seasonal produce, and keep more food on hand for our family. This is a collection of the tools I actually use as I learn and grow in home canning, fr...
Sections
6
Websites & Social Media
Reading & Learning
Canning Equipment - You Need to Have
Canning Equipment - What’s Nice to Have
Dry Goods & Freezer Preserving
Refill Items
Websites & Social Media
Free resources are the best!
This site is so helpful for just starting out! They also have great info about what may have gone wrong if you find a jar didn’t seal or something went bad.
Canning - National Center for Home Food Preservation
She swears A LOT, so don’t listen with littles in the room!! lol. However, I learn a lot from her about canning & homesteading in general! She’s fantastic and I get a lot of confidence in my own ability from following some of her videos.
Erica | Anderson Acres (@andersonacres14)
I absolutely love this gal & her family! They operate a beautiful farm and make so much of their own food! I love her work. Also, her ebook on organizing your pantry was 100% worth purchasing!
Our Midwest Roots
Reading & Learning
Knowledge is power and being able to learn from the experts is a real privilege! There are tons of YouTube or Social Media platforms that are amazing helpful resources too, but getting as much knowledge from these expert resources is important at the...
If you’re new to canning and/or preserving food, this resource is a must. Complete with easy recipes you can try today, this guide has gotten me through a lot of learning and introduction to building a great supply of food at home!
Judi Kingry, Home Preserving Book, 400 Recipes, Canning ...
Another amazing resource that goes beyond just making sauces, jellies and jams. If you’re looking to create full, shelf stable meals, this is the resource for you.
The author also breaks down exactly what you need to know about pressure canning so i...
The Complete Guide to Pressure Canning : Everything You ...
Canning Equipment - You Need to Have
Canning at home is safe, fun, and a great way to make your food budget stretch. Getting into learning this skill is so important and rewarding- I hope you give it a try!
For those with gas stoves, or electric stoves rated for pressure canning, this is my favorite canner. I’ve used this model for years, as have many of my friends and family.
I also love that this can double as a hot water bath canner. There really is...
Presto Pressure Canner for Home Canning
For those who cannot use a stovetop pressure canner, this one has been a godsend for me! I have absolutely loved being able to pressure canner through this magnificent process.
Plus, added bonus as a momma: this reduces a lot of the “watching” that...
Electric Pressure Canners - Presto Products
If you are only planning to do hot water bath canning, this is a great pot to use! It come with a rack that comes up to load and unload the canner, as well as is large enough to handle bigger batches of food.
Please remember two things though:
First...
Granite Ware 21.5 Quart Water Bath Canner with Rack for ...
For filling your jars, trust me - you NEED a funnel!! This is the one that I have (and a lime green one that my kids just think is so funny!), but truly any one will do!
There’s certainly an argument to be made for a stainless steel or metal funnel. ...
Mainstays Plastic Canning Funnel for Mason Jars, Home ...
Another absolute must have: the jar lifter! Seriously, the jars will get HOT HOT HOT and you need this. Don’t skip it.
Canning Lifters for Safe Jar Handling
Quart jars: the ones I use for broths, soups, full meals & beans!
Quart Jars for Home Storage and Canning
Pint Jars: I use these for veggies (corn, beets, carrots, pickles). I do strongly recommend wide mouth jars because they are easier to fill and empty when you’re ready to use what you have canned!
Ball, Glass Mason Jars, Wide Mouth, 16 oz, Pack of 12
Half Pints are great for smaller batches of jams and jellies, chocolate sauce, or things you’d like to give as a gift! I don’t use these as often, but it’s great to have a few on hand!
Half Pint Jars for Home Canning and Storage
Canning Equipment - What’s Nice to Have
As with everything, there’s necessity and there’s nice to have! This is the latter. But they will make your life easier! I can promise you that.
This funny looking tool is one that I wouldn’t say is required, but certainly nice to have! A key thing you’ll need to do is boil your lids to both sterilize them and to make sure the rings get a good seal. This little tool helps with getting those r...
Roots & Branches Magnetic Canning Lid Lifter VKP1000
This little item is again a nice to have, but serves two practical purposes.
First, it’s a debubbler, which is a fancy way of saying it’s a stick that you use to get air bubbles out of your jars before processing! You can use anything for this; a bu...
Canning Bubble Remover
Dry Goods & Freezer Preserving
I started here, before I ever canned anything! It’s truly amazing what you can save in your freezer and pantry if you have the right tools!
If you’re looking to preserve the shelf life of your dry goods, this tool is perfect for that! There is so much that you can get better life from just by transferring it out of the package it came from and over to a jar that can be sealed.
I love th...
ForJars Vacuum Sealer Kit
When buying meat in bulk, having a way to keep air away from it in the freezer is critical! This machine has been a HUGE lifesaver for us.
One thing I’ve found in my local grocery stores is that meat tends to go on sale in cycles. Every 3-4 weeks i...
FoodSaver FM2000 Vacuum Sealer Starter System with Bags
Refill Items
Once you get going, you’ll run out of the initial items! Make sure you give yourself some extras on hand so that you’re ready when the next project pops up!
Lids are (annoyingly!) single use. This is one rule I do follow religiously, so for me, having extra lids on hand is absolutely critical. I tend to buy these in bulk so that I have plenty of them available. It’s no fun to be mid canning project and r...
Ball Wide Mouth Lids for Mason Jars
Typically your FoodSaver will come with some bags, but it’s not going to last long! I highly recommend having a a stash of extras, and in different sizes, where possible. It’s so helpful to get the variety pack so you have things ready to go.
FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer Rolls and Bags Variety Pack