I’ve been planning to do a series on this blog for months that would teach beginning canners everything they needed to know. A series of articles detailing the necessary tools, the boiling water bath procedure, best safety practices, good beginner recipes, advice for successful jam making, and pointers for making flavorful, visually appealing pickles would be included.
It’s taken me a while to bring this idea from conception to execution, as it does with so many of my ideas, but my goal is to begin this series right away and keep going for the next six to eight weeks. As we proceed, please get in touch with me and let me know if you believe that I am missing anything that you believe should be included in a canning primer.
One of the myths surrounding canning is that you need a special canning pot in order to do it. This is not true. A pot tall enough to hold a rack, your jars, an inch of water above the jars, and another inch or so of space so that the water can boil are all you need.
I use this Cuisinart 12-quart stock pot most frequently; it’s the one on the left in the image above. I use the yellow stock pot in the middle of the picture (made by Dansk; I found that one on eBay) for batches that only produce three or four jars. And I use a fourth burner pot when I only need to process two or three half pints.
Finding a small rack to fit into the bottom of a stock pot is always necessary when converting it into a canning pot. I’ve used dedicated racks like this one from Progressive International (it’s quite good), round cake cooling racks, kitchen towels, a layer of used canning jar rings, and more. However, my favorite is this silicone trivet. It can be folded up for simple storage, doesn’t rust, and due to its flexibility, it works in a variety of pots.
Of course, you don’t need to start out with all three of these pots. The goal is simply to demonstrate that almost any tall pot can be used as a canner and that, if you only need to can a small number of jars, you can use a smaller pot from your collection of kitchen tools.
Once you’ve figured out your canning pot, you’ll need a pot to cook your product in. I usually choose a roomy Dutch oven for jams, jellies, tomato products, chutneys, and other products that need to be cooked down. For its capacity to conduct heat, my nine-quart Le Creuset, shown above, is a favorite.
I also frequently cook in an 8 quart All-Clad stainless steel Dutch oven, especially when I’m making something I know will burn easily (my tomato jam comes to mind). You can always scrub a burnt spot off stainless steel. It is more difficult to do so without damaging an enameled pan’s finish. I recently increased the collection of cookware I bring to canning classes by adding a Sur La Table 8 quart pan, and I like it. When trying to encourage evaporation, it is not quite as low and wide as the All-Clad model, but it is of comparable tri-ply quality for about $100 less.
For a lot of my extremely small batches, I also use a stainless steel skillet. The one I have is from that ridiculously highly rated Tramontina tri-ply cookware set that only Walmart* seems to carry. Additionally, it costs only a third as much as an equivalent All-Clad model. A nice one that is in the middle of the price range is produced by Sur La Table. You want something that will perform well under those conditions because these small batches are cooked quickly over very high heat, and I’ve found that any heavy, low, wide stainless skillet will do.
I always use the pot with the fourth burner in the above image to heat pickle brines. It is simple to pour the brine into the jars because it has both a spout and a handle.
Finally, we come to the small tools. A knife and a cutting board are required, but I assume most of you already have those, so I haven’t included them here. It’s always a good idea to have a heatproof tool on hand for stirring and scraping, and the silicone one on the left end is my favorite because it can be washed in the dishwasher (I have five of them so there’s always one clean one around).
To avoid making a huge mess when putting your products into jars, a wide mouth funnel is always helpful. Despite using both frequently, I prefer the stainless steel ones slightly more than the plastic ones. It’s a good idea to have a jar lifter, and I’ve discovered that Progressive International’s model is my favorite because it has a stronger magnet than most of them, which makes getting the lids out a little bit simpler.
When moving jars in and out of the water, jar lifters are made to provide you with a firm grip on the jars. Although the jar lifter has undergone numerous redesigns in recent years, I still prefer the classic design (despite the fact that the rubber on the grips does have a propensity to peel away over time).
Last but not least, you need a quality tool to transfer your product from the pot to the jars. For many years, I performed this task using an 8-ounce measuring cup (since it is the same size as a half pint, you could be certain that each scoop yielded enough to fill a jar). But ever since I purchased this canning ladle from Progressive International last year, I’ve discovered that I use it for almost every batch. Similar to my measuring cup, it has a one-cup capacity, works well to remove the last, tricky drops from the bottom of the pot, and has a small hook that lets you rest it on the pot in between scoops to prevent a mess. It would be the best ladle ever if it were made of stainless steel.
You’ve probably noticed as you read through this post that some of the things I list can be found in your kitchen. And chances are, even if you don’t have exactly what I’m suggesting, you do have something similar. Actually, a lot of people are already capable of performing this kitchen task.
Finally, remember that this post details just my opinions. There may be favorites you have or discover that aren’t listed anywhere here. Such is the way of life.
*I understand that Walmart isn’t for everyone (and they certainly aren’t for me), but this particular line of cookware is incredibly high-quality and ridiculously cheap.
You may wish to try a search on Amazon for more permanent ideas for canning racks.
There should be insulation or padding on the bottom of the pot when water bath canning for a number of reasons:
If they will fit inside your pot, the following items are also frequently advised that you try as bottom insulation:
A cheap metal Chinese dumpling steaming rack might be preferable to canning rings tied together. At a Chinese grocery store or in Chinatown, these should only be a few dollars.
Many people complain in frustration that it’s difficult to get a folded dish towel to stay in place so they can place the jars on it when the water is boiling because it just flaps all over.
Heat a pot to 180 degrees with half a full cup of water in it. Fill the rack with the jars and place them in the pot. If more water is required, add it until the level is one inch above the jars’ tops.
Boiling jars in water for 10 minutes will sterilize the lids and rings. One at a time, remove the jars, lids, and rings to prepare for filling.
After bringing the water to a rapid boil, turn the heat down so that it only gently boils. At this point, start timing. You can find processing times for various foods, as well as additional times based on altitude, in a canning manual.
Some foods must be processed safely in a pressure canner, but others are sufficiently acidic to be canned in hot water. You don’t need to purchase special equipment beyond a cheap rack to hold the jars if you have a large enough pot to hold a few canning jars to preserve food like tomato or apple sauce. Jams and jellies also preserve well in hot water.
Jar Lifter. Regardless of size, this invention makes it simple to lift hot jars into and out of a boiling water canner.
Canning Funnel. It is simpler to pour hot ingredients into jars using this extra-wide mouthed funnel without spilling anything. If you don’t already have one, you can make one by slicing off the top of a large plastic bottle or milk jug to use as a funnel.
And here’s some good news for the thrifty among us: The National Center for Home Food Preservation says that reusing pint- or quart-size jars that are compatible with two-part canning lids is okay for acid foods that are processed in a water bath. They do warn that canners can expect more breakage when using these jars, but I haven’t found this to be problematic.
The only risk-free method for preserving low-acid foods like meats, vegetables, and beans is pressure canning. The internal temperature of the jar’s contents must reach a higher temperature in order for this technique to effectively kill botulism spores. (Read why using an electric pressure cooker instead of a pressure canner is not safe.) ).
High-acid foods are frequently preserved using water bath canning, also known as boiling water bath. These are foods that fall at 4. 6 or lower on the pH scale. (Yes, it’s confusing. The lower the pH, the higher the acid level. ) You should always adhere to the instructions in recipes that are sourced from reputable sources.