Canning Tools You Need Right Now

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If you have never canned or preserved anything at home you don’t know what you’re missing. Summer and fall has been a canning frenzy around here. Mrs. Terry and Sandy have been so busy canning all the goodies from the garden all summer and now that we are heading into fall we’re making apple jelly, juice, cider, butter, and more.  I know lots of people who have always wanted to try home canning, but are just a tiny bit afraid, or are like most people and just don’t have the supplies and equipment needed. If that is the case for you here are a few canning essentials you might want to get you started.   This post contains affiliate links. Which means we make a small commission when you purchase through qualifying links.

There is a little controversy over home canning and food safety. You can safely can and preserve your own food, but I highly recommend following USDA guidelines for safe food handling and home-canning. In fact, every time we can we use a USDA approved recipe for the base. We might add our own spices or flavors, but the directions and required ingredients come straight from one of those recipes.

I am sure I lost some readers with that last paragraph, but I am not saying there are not other methods of canning that work. I am simply saying the only kind we like to use are those that have been tested and proven to work and keep food safe for consumption after an extended period of time. There are serious food borne illnesses (very concerning to me as a mama to two little ones) that can be the result of poorly processed home canned goods. Following good food preparation practices and taking precautions help to prevent those.  

First thing to remember is don’t try to multi-task when canning or preserving. Just map out some time when you can be free from distractions (not easy as a mama, I know), or as free from distractions as possible and devote your undivided attention to the project at hand.

This post contains affiliate links. Which means we make a small commission when you purchase through qualifying links. Second always start with clean produce and a clean working environment. Including clean and sterile canning tools and equipment. Here are a few tools you will want to have on hand when canning or preserving:

1. I love this all in one canning toolkit from Norpro. It Includes: * Long tongs with green vinyl coated handles * Vinyl coated jar lifter * Magnetic lid lifter * Extra wide mouth funnel * Vinyl coated jar wrench * Bubble popper/measurer.                                                                                                                 
2. If preserving foods that can be done in a water bath you will need a large water bath canner, but if you don’t want to dish out the money, or aren’t sure you’ll use it enough you can also use existing home cookware with one of these canning basket inserts for small batches. I have used this very one many times in a large stockpot with great results for jelly, jams and marmalade.                                                                
3. We love the Ball Blue Book of Home Preserving! It is very helpful and informative even for a home-canner just starting out. There are also lots of yummy recipes in it.                                                       
4. For low-acid foods you will need to bring in the big guns and use a pressure cooker. I have this one by Presto with up to 10 lbs of pressure. My mother-in-law LOVES her All American pressure cooker.
5. Jars in various sizes are a must. All jars must be clean and sterile. We run them through the dishwasher and then place them in hot (not boiling) water for about ten minutes leading up to pouring the contents of the jars into them. You are pouring the contents into hot sterile jars.
6. Clean, sterile, rust-free rings are also needed for all canning projects.  They are available in regular or wide mouth. You can find them in most grocery stores in the canning section, or you can get them here. The recipe will usually tell you how much it yields and you can decide from there how many rings you need. We have thousands. Most people will not need that many. They are nice to have on hand and can be used with single-use or reusable canning lids.
7. Lids are in most cases single-use like these that you will find in most grocery store canning sections. They are a one and done deal. You can with them, they make a great seal and you never can with them again. As in they are not reusable. I don’t know if that is common knowledge or not, but in most circles I travel it is not.
8. Reusable lids however, are amazing and although a little more upfront are a great investment (we have found). We love Tattler reusable canning lids. They come in wide mouth and regular as well. They come with their own reusable gasket rings. Whether you use the single use or the reusable kind you will want a screw on lid for once it is opened. We like these storage caps.                                                                             
9. A Jelly Press is very handy when making jellies. It removes skins and seeds from grapes in no time! 
10. Cheesecloth is always a good thing to have on hand in your pantry. You can find another list of useful pantry items to keep on hand here. Some recipes (especially some jelly and jam) call for straining through a cheesecloth. Note:  It’s important to always read the recipe instructions ahead of time, so you don’t get halfway through and realize you don’t have a tool or ingredient you need.