Does anyone have good tips on canning?

I agree get the Ball canning book....learn the difference in water bath and pressure canning and which foods have to be done which way...you know so you kill yourself and everyone else. I'd also check out oven canning if you are that worried

I've only done blueberries and strawberries but both times, I was seriously impressed at how well they came out.

I followed the instructions in the powdered Sure-jell insert to a T.

That was all I did.

Full rolling boil means full rolling boil. We did two batches of blueberries, and one, I think did not come all the way to a full rolling boil. It was still pretty good, though.

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I found this lady about dehydrating food, she seems to be the queen of it.


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I second the ball book - [link to www.thriftbooks.com (secure)]

I would also suggest starting with jams or things like pickled peaches and getting a water bath canner, one of the starter kits with a canning funnel, jar lifter and lid lifter with a magnet, and a food mill.

This is a cheaper route and you can learn without too much danger of botulism. Once you get confidence with water bath canning, you can move on to pressure canning.

Read up on safety. I think the ball book covers it, but I'd have to go and check mine to be certain. The LDS have a crapload of websites with information out there along with food storage plans and rotation techniques.

With water bath, it's important to remember that in order to can in boiling water bath and without pressure safely, you need high sugar content, very high acid content. Botulism thrives in low acidic, oxygen free environments. And, it's not so much the bacteria itself but the toxins it leaves behind so you cannot safely recover contaminated food. When in doubt, throw it out.

I've been canning for years and I love it. You can ping me for private contact information if you want someone to discuss canning projects with, get advice, etc.

I hope you enjoy it. There's nothing quite like growing and storing your own food items.

Last Edited by Esme on 09/29/2021 10:49 PM

I have a batch of applesauce from the backyard tree in the boiling water right now.

Take your time. Start with stuff that is easy to get right. High-acid food, sugar jams.

You can treat the jars in a big enough plain pot if you want to save money. If you do go for a pressure canner, do yourself a favor and check out Smith and Edwards (smithandedwards.com) in Ogden, Utah. They had the All American canner for $100 under the best price on Amazon at the time I bought mine.

I think that's a good idea. But a good book on dehydrating would be helpful too.

One of the easiest (and quickest) ways to put food by is to freeze it. Some foods need to be blanched first, just a quick boil to seal in all the goodness and texture. A quick look on the internet will give you all the directions you need to freeze your bounty.