09-07-2012, 07:09 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-17-2016, 12:38 PM by streaker69.)
If you're looking to get into canning, this is the thread for you. In here I'll go through what you'll need to get started into preserving your own food as well as recipes that you can use. If you get into this, you'll find that the food you preserve yourself is not only better than store bought, but in the long run it's cheaper, even if you're buying some of your raw ingredients from the store.
To start off, you'll need some hardware.
![[Image: wrhWwW.jpg]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=imageshack.com%2Fa%2Fimg911%2F5501%2FwrhWwW.jpg)
Top row back: Blanching pot, 14Q pot, 7Q Pressure Cooker
Bottom row back: Collection of pots, 7Q water bath, 14Q Pot
Front row: Large SS Ladle, SS jar funnel, heat diffusers, Hot Jar
Lifter, Lid lifter, Lid Wrench, Pure Cotton pillow case sealed in
airtight bag.
The pillow case sounds strange, but it's the best way to strain tomato
juice into paste. I highly recommend getting stainless steel ladles and
funnels, not the cheap plastic ones.
You don't need all the pots that are shown there, probably just the two larger ones, but it doesn't hurt to have extra pots. If you haven't canned before, you'll want to pick yourself up a copy of the Ball Complete Book Of Home Preserving:
![[Image: 51nF3izhyuL._SL500_AA300_.jpg]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=ecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F51nF3izhyuL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
You can get it in Amazon, at Walmart where they have their canning supplies, I've even seen it at Lowes near the customer service desk. This is your canning bible, it will tell you everything you need to know.
You'll also need to start acquiring canning jars. Craigslist has been an excellent resource for me collecting large amounts of jars. Used jars, you probably shouldn't pay more than $5/dozen. If you're buying used jars, you'll also need to get a stockpile of lids and rings to close your jars.
![[Image: Screen-Shot-2012-08-29-at-9.31.48-AM.png]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=www.livingrichwithcoupons.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F08%2FScreen-Shot-2012-08-29-at-9.31.48-AM.png)
Lids and rings come in two sizes, Regular Mouth and Wide Mouth. You'll select the jar based upon what you're canning. You don't want to put pickles inside a regular mouth jar, and there's no point in putting tomato sauce in a wide mouth jar.
There are beginner sets of canning tools you can pick up rather inexpensively, but if you're going to get into it and do it seriously, do not buy the plastic funnels ladles and other plastic parts. Spend the extra money and get good Stainless Steel tools. You'll be much happier in the long run, as things like Salsa, and Tomato juice/sauce have a nasty tendency to stain plastics.
That should be enough to get us started on this, I'll start posting recipes and things that I've canned later.
To start off, you'll need some hardware.
![[Image: wrhWwW.jpg]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=imageshack.com%2Fa%2Fimg911%2F5501%2FwrhWwW.jpg)
Top row back: Blanching pot, 14Q pot, 7Q Pressure Cooker
Bottom row back: Collection of pots, 7Q water bath, 14Q Pot
Front row: Large SS Ladle, SS jar funnel, heat diffusers, Hot Jar
Lifter, Lid lifter, Lid Wrench, Pure Cotton pillow case sealed in
airtight bag.
The pillow case sounds strange, but it's the best way to strain tomato
juice into paste. I highly recommend getting stainless steel ladles and
funnels, not the cheap plastic ones.
You don't need all the pots that are shown there, probably just the two larger ones, but it doesn't hurt to have extra pots. If you haven't canned before, you'll want to pick yourself up a copy of the Ball Complete Book Of Home Preserving:
![[Image: 51nF3izhyuL._SL500_AA300_.jpg]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=ecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F51nF3izhyuL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
You can get it in Amazon, at Walmart where they have their canning supplies, I've even seen it at Lowes near the customer service desk. This is your canning bible, it will tell you everything you need to know.
You'll also need to start acquiring canning jars. Craigslist has been an excellent resource for me collecting large amounts of jars. Used jars, you probably shouldn't pay more than $5/dozen. If you're buying used jars, you'll also need to get a stockpile of lids and rings to close your jars.
![[Image: Screen-Shot-2012-08-29-at-9.31.48-AM.png]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=www.livingrichwithcoupons.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F08%2FScreen-Shot-2012-08-29-at-9.31.48-AM.png)
Lids and rings come in two sizes, Regular Mouth and Wide Mouth. You'll select the jar based upon what you're canning. You don't want to put pickles inside a regular mouth jar, and there's no point in putting tomato sauce in a wide mouth jar.
There are beginner sets of canning tools you can pick up rather inexpensively, but if you're going to get into it and do it seriously, do not buy the plastic funnels ladles and other plastic parts. Spend the extra money and get good Stainless Steel tools. You'll be much happier in the long run, as things like Salsa, and Tomato juice/sauce have a nasty tendency to stain plastics.
That should be enough to get us started on this, I'll start posting recipes and things that I've canned later.