What do I need to start canning?

[jc12551]

I always helped people can, but I have never canned independently. What supplies do I need? Don't leave anything out, no matter how small!

Jessica in NC

 

[simple life]

You need the mason jars with the lids and rings.There are several sizes.
Walmart sells the accessory kits for canning, it has the jar lifter, the magnetic cover lifter, a funnel and a measurer for head clearance.
Some canners come with all of that so don't buy that until you get your canner.
Then you need to decide if you want a pressure canner or hot water bath type.
There has been alot of discussion about those.
You need a pressure type if you want to do vegetable or meat. The hot water bath is only good for fruits, jams, pickles etc.
They have the combo ones available online and probably in stores as well.
Walmart or any of those type stores sell the pectin and all types of ingredients to do the canning and they have recipes right on the box.
I pick up a box and read the recipes to decide if there is anything else I need to buy before I leave the store. Sometimes its the canning salt, lemon juice or sugar. It depends what you are going to make.
They also have alot of starter packages for salsa, tomato sauce, pickles etc.
When I first started canning I think I bought every ingredient I thought I would possibly need. I was so afraid that I would run out of something or not have what I need right in the middle of canning.
Its okay though, it all gets used up.
There are alot of recipes online, its endless or you can buy the Ball's canning book.
It really isn't all that much stuff you need and the main ingredients will come from your garden.
If you get stuck though just holler, there are alot of people here that have all kinds of experience with preserving.
Good luck.

 

[punkin]

A good resource for you is www.homecanning.com:happy_flower

 

[Tutter]

You can probably find all you need at your local hardware store, as well. Mine sells everything, and is one of favorite places to visit!

 

[jc12551]

Thank you for your responses. I need to go shopping b/c I have 120 ears of corn coming tomorrow! Half is sold to others, but that leaves me with 60 ears to process and my freezer won't hold it all. I need to cut and can some. I just put in the freezer 100 sliced yellow squash yesterday. Then the tomato delivery is in a couple weeks. Sometime in there is pickles. I usually do fridge pickles, but my DH told me he ordered 20 boxes of cukes. yikes! I need a bigger house to store everything.

Can you can eggplant. A lady at church said you can, but she had never done it. I was wondering about taste, texture, etc.

Jessica in NC

 

[bills]

For corn you better get a pressure canner! In the long run you are far better off with one, as it allows you to can a wide variety of stuff. I do smoked salmon, and moose meat for instance.

Buy the biggest one you can afford. (They are not cheap, but will last a lifetime if you get a good one. You should have the gauge tested every few years though.) Bigger is better, as it does take some time to process the jars, so you may as well do as many as you can at once. Cheaper on the electricity/gas usage as well.

By the way did you blanch the squash before freezing? I did a lot of zucchini last summer, and with the blanch/quick cool method, and bagging them with the "foodsaver" vacuuming system, it turned out fantastic.

 

[jc12551]

I didn't blanch the squash first. I never thought about it. I learn something every day.

 

[Tutter]

Bills, when you have a chance, would you mind elaborating on the smoked salmon and moose? We don't have moose, but we do have elk!

 

[bills]

Bills, when you have a chance, would you mind elaborating on the smoked salmon and moose? We don't have moose, but we do have elk!

Well the nice thing about a pressure canner is that you can do meat, (as Simple Life mentioned) and fish.

With the salmon I brine it, ( the brine is a mixture of mostly brown sugar, and salt, although I have added garlic, and seasonings some times) smoke it, then simply put the smoked fish into the jars. No hot water pack, no added salt, nothing but the smoked salmon. When it is done there is always a bit of juice at the bottom of the jar, but otherwise it is canned dry. Now I like my salmon the indian candy style, so it quite dry when you eat it. For moisture fish, just don't smoke it as long.

Moose,which by the way tastes like beef, no gamey taste, only much leaner, is a big animal. You can get upwards of 400 pounds of meat from a big one. There is always lots of trimmings, which some I grind for making burger. The tougher trimmings I use in stews, stroganoffs etc.. This is the meat best canned. You can freeze it but it is only really good for about 8-10 months, or you risk freezer burn. I chop the trimmings into stew size pieces, and pack them in the jars with some salt.When done, they are as tender as fillet mignon, and you don't have to defrost, or long cook them to tenderize. I have some right out of the jar, cold, with just some salt and pepper when I need a protein pick up.

The tougher cuts of an elk would work wonderfully canned.

 

[Grow 4 Food]

You missed one very important thing. One of the most important things in canning is that all mighty Blue Ball Canning Book!!!!! It will tell you how to can just about everything worth canning. You can get it at book stores, walmart, or even order it direct from blue ball (the jar people)

Hobby