My list of favorite canning supplies and cookbooks.
Yesterday while the HH was out running errands I had him pick up the last of the canning supplies {pectin, canning salt and a few lids} that I think I’ll need for this year’s upcoming canning season.
And while stocking up on canning supplies in March might seem a little early for some, now is the time to buy your supplies because the shelves are full in the canning sections right now and if you wait until June to buy your supplies… chances are a lot of the items on your list will be sold out by then.
So consider yourself warned… Shop early!
If you’ve never canned before, canning is one of the coolest skills to learn. It’s not hard once you get the hang of it and it allows you to eat all your favorite homegrown fruits and veggies whenever you want.
Plus, if you’re trying to save money or have a big garden {or a great source for fresh fruits and vegetables at a reasonable price}, canning is the answer. Once you learn how to preserve fruits and veggies when they’re in season, you can enjoy them all year long.
Of course, there’s always an initial investment. But that’s where this list comes in. I’ve tested and tried a whole bunch of canning products through the years and I’ve come up with a list of the most awesome ones.
I first published this list of all my favorite canning supplies a few years ago, but since I know I’ll be doing a boatload of canning this summer and I want YOU to give it a try too, I decided to share the list again.
Here is my list of my favorite canning supplies and cookbooks:
Jars and Supplies:
The most popular canning jars are Kerr or Ball. While I tend to lean toward whichever are cheapest, I do like Ball a bit more than Kerr. I also like the wide-mouth variety waaaay more than regular because it is so much easier to get the food out. Below you’ll find links to my favorite Ball jars.
Just remember…
If you are new to canning, on any given summer, it’s a pretty safe bet that you will be able to find a steal of a deal on used canning jars from someone’s yard sale. Just be sure to inspect every jar for cracks or chips before you buy them. Here are some of my favorites:
- Ball Jar Crystal Jelly Jars with Lids and Bands– perfect size for gifting jam to neighbors at Christmas!
- Ball Regular-Mouth Mason Jars with Lids and Bands – These end up being a little too small for me when I’m canning for my family.
- Ball Wide-Mouth Pint Mason Jars with Lids and Bands – But these ones seem to be the perfect size for our family of 4!
- Ball Wide-Mouth 24 oz Mason Jars with Lids and Bands– For some reason, these jars are harder to find than the others, so when I see them, I snatch some up!
- Ball Plastic Storage Caps – I use these all the time to preserve a jar I’ve opened but didn’t need all of. Perfect for fridge storage.
- Ball Canning Lids and Rings – Because you can’t reuse the lids from year to year, you’ll need to stock up on those. And I always keep some extra rings on hand just in case!
Now if I want some super pretty jars to give to friends and family, I buy Weck jars. Actually, I’m totally obsessed with them because they make everything I can so pretty sitting there on the shelf! How to Use Weck Canning Jars.
You can find deals on Amazon from time to time, but I normally wait for a big end of season sale at Williams-Sonoma or Crate and Barrel and buy my Weck jars there. The Weck tulip jars are my favorite for gift giving.
Pectin
- Sure Jell – This is my favorite pectin, and it goes on sale on Amazon often, so you can normally get a really good deal on it.
- Certo Premium Liquid Fruit Pectin – Although you can use this for jams, it seems like I use it more for canning jellies.
- Pomona’s Universal Pectin – Perfect for low sugar recipes.
- Ball Jar Citric Acid – This is what I use instead of lemon juice when canning tomatoes. Lemon juice works too, but I find that it changes the taste a bit, so I prefer this.
Equipment:
Equipment:- All American-Quart Pressure Cooker/Canner– I use this when I’m canning meats, corn or beans. My mother in law gave it to me for Christmas a few years ago and it’s like the Rolls-Royce of pressure cookers! It’s awesome. How to Use a Pressure Canner.
- Presto Pressure Canner/Cooker– This pressure cooker will certainly do the trick too, and is very highly rated!
- Granite Ware Steel/Porcelain Water-Bath Canner with Rack– This canner is perfect for preserving tomatoes or fruit,plus I love it because I can process 7 quart jars at a time. How to Use a Hot Water Bath Canner.
- Presto 7 Function Canning Kit– This kit will make your life sooooo much easier. The magnet is so you can easily grab and place your lids on the jars. The funnel makes putting the food into the jars a lot cleaner {plus, I use mine for other things throughout the year}. The bubble remover, well, removes bubbles from your liquid before you seal the jar. And, the jar lifting tongs allow you to lift jars individually out of your water bath–because remember, they are hot, and sometimes a little heavy, so being able to lift them singly helps.
A few years ago we invested in a Camp Chef Explorer 2 Burner Range. None of our homes here in New England have had A/C and well, things can get pretty humid here in the summer so the last thing I would want to do is heat up the house in the middle of August.
In a nutshell… I LOVE THIS CAMP STOVE! It’s been a total game changer when it comes to canning and I highly it.
Canning Books: {Some of my favorites}
- Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
-This book should pretty much be known as the bible of home preserving. Not only does it have all of the basics plus a lot more, pretty much everyone I know who cans owns it.
- Tart and Sweet: 101 Canning and Pickling Recipes for the Modern Kitchen
Perfect if you want to learn about small-batch canning!
- Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It: And Other Cooking Projects –
Ohmygoodness the recipes in this book are the bomb.
- The Everything Canning and Preserving Book– Just like it says in the title, it covers everything!
More Canning Books
- Urban Pantry: Tips and Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable and Seasonal Kitchen
– Avid chef and gardener Amy Pennington demystifies canning and pickling for the urban kitchen.
- The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook– Not only does this book include more than 100 original jam, jelly, and marmalade recipes, but master jam artisan Rachel Saunders shares all of her technical preserving knowledge, as well as her unique jam maker’s perspective on fruit.
- Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round
– I loved this book because it gives tips for canning all year round.
- Put ‘em Up!: A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide– The step-by-step instructions in Put ‘em Up will have the most timid beginners filling their pantries and freezers with the preserved goodness of summer in no time.
- The Amish Canning Cookbook: Plain and Simple Living at Its Homemade Best- There really is a part of me that thinks I should have been born Amish. I crave that simple lifestyle, so of course I totally love this book!
Well there you have it, all my favorite canning supplies all in one spot. And if you are looking for some tried and true tested recipes, pop on over HERE where you’ll find my favorite 77 Canning Recipes in Season Order. That way, you can browse everything in one place, and plan out your next can-a-palooza session.
Happy Canning!
~Mavis
Mary says
Hey Mavis, your clay garden markers are featured in the March Yankee magazine!
Carrie says
I discovered Tattler jar lids a few years ago. Unlike regular jar lids, they are reusable! I was so glad to have them the last few years when lids were extremely hard to find.
I still buy regular lids when on sale because they are nice to have on hand and when I make items for gifting.
Lana says
I have the new smart canner and absolutely love it. My two Presto canners rarely get any use now.
Mama Cook says
This is the year I learn to pressure can!!!
I bought an All American Pressure Canner @ Christmas from Lehmans when the had a 20% off sale. They have store wide sales a couple times per year, so for a big item like this, it pays to watch and wait!
How much pectin did you stock up on? I always purchase as I go, but I think you’re right, this year I’m buying early!!!
Happy Day!
Mavis Butterfield says
Will you let me know the next time they offer 20% off? There is something on the site that I’ve been wanting to get. I bought 12 boxes of regular pectin and 6 of the liquid. I plan to can a lot this summer. 🙂
Mama Cook says
Definitely!!!!
Thanks!!!
Jules says
I’m finding it hard to buy lids out here in Oregon. If I do find them they are limited to one box per customer.
My mom canned and so I learned early how much better home canned tastes compared to the store can. And now my kids get to learn that in addition to saving money
Mimi says
Check Bi-mart for canning jar lids in Oregon. They usually are well stocked.
DJ says
I bought a box of 100 from Amazon. I keep extra lids at all times. I have new ones that I bought years ago. I like to get things I need or will need when I find them.
Jam says
What do you all use to open your home canned jar lids when you are ready to eat them? I’ve chipped the lip of several jars trying to get the sealed lids off, using a bottle opener and a butter knife. There has to be a better way & just using my hands doesn’t work. Thanks!
Mavis Butterfield says
A fork. 🙂
Carrie says
We have a plastic jar opener. Kinda like a bottle opener. My kids think it is the coolest thing and use it even if the jar has already been opened 🙂 I usually just pull it up with my finger tips and they get so made I deprived them a chance to use it.
Search for Brix Original Easy Jar Key Opener on Amazon.
KC says
The opposite end of our most-generic metal can opener has a thing that we use, which you can also use to poke a triangular hole in tomato juice or pineapple juice cans, if that tells you what I’m talking about? There’s a bit of metal you slot under the lid and a longer piece of metal that goes on top of the lid, and you pry the lid off. (there are also round-ended ones, instead of triangular-pointy ones, that are less likely to dent the lid and that’s especially nice for things like jam or pickles where you’ll be putting the lid back on for fridge storage, but you can also just move gently with the pointy ones)
I would note that you want to aim for a part of the jar where you can get the nubbin of metal under the lid; sometimes the glass jar screw-top rings get in the way. Good luck!
Linda Anderson says
There is a recipe on http://www.oldworldgardenfarm.com for canning tomatoes with green chiles. I would imagine it’s like Ro-tel and hope to try it this summer.
Do you grow Chile peppers, and if so, what kind?
Erica says
Thank you for the suggestions. I have always wanted to learn how to can and never knew where to even start!
Conni says
So…you are saying that your model of camp stove will hold a full All American pressure canner? My AA has never been out of the box as I found out, after buying it, that smooth-top ceramic stovetops might crack from the heat/weight. Thank you!
Tanya says
We have the same camp stove bought for the same purpose (I too have a glass top stove.) It will not only hold the canning pot but a second pot of water that I keep hot to add to my canner when the water level gets too low. Very sturdy!
Janis says
I had that same problem….I bought an electric canner. I think its made by ball..I found it on Amazon and have used it for 8 years…it works great.
Elise in the SF Bay Area says
I also use Tattlers. Almost exclusively, although I don’t can a ton.
And I use a beer bottle opener (it’s built in to our wine cork puller) to pry off jar lids. There IS an old tool that exists that pries lids off very well, but I haven’t needed it for my tattlers. It’s called “Pry-a-lid” that can be purchased as an antique item from Etsy, I just searched “canning jar opener” and found some with packaging for $25 and some without packaging for $10. I’ve joined a great canning advice group on Facebook – there are TONS of interest groups on FB that I have learned to love.
Tammy says
Tattler also sells an opener, for $3.75.
Teri says
Was your hh able to find lids?
Mavis Butterfield says
I only needed a few boxes of the wide lids, but yes, he found them for me.
Linda Practical Parsimony says
I have ac and can keep the place cool. However, I do want a camp stove so the canner will fit on the eye and still give uniform heat. I am glad to know what works.