My home canning supplies list
I am in the midst of the canning season, and while I was looking through my canning cupboard I realized just how much I have collected over the years. Most of my canning supplies came from second-hand stores, yard sales or passed down. I enjoy canning so much I would be lost without some of my tried and trusted supplies. I remember the first-couple years of canning I had to borrow everything from my mother, but over the years I have added to my collection and now have everything I need.
I was very fortunate to grow up watching my Mom can, so I had a good idea what I needed. I was digging through all my supplies I got to thinking that beginner canners may be at a loss to know what they need so I took an inventory of everything I had and compiled a basic canning supply list.
If you are new to canning don’t feel you have to go out and buy everything new. Watch for yard sales and pick up one piece at a time, or better yet go in and share supplies with a friend. Most of these canning tools are only used a few times a year so they are perfect for sharing. When I was younger I had a friend that I would can with. Our kids were all the same age so we would plan a day where they could play together and we spent the day in the kitchen. I have very fond memories of those canning parties and would highly suggest new canners to look for canning partners.
Many of the big box stores carry home canning supplies so you can just about find them anywhere. I found everything on my list at Amazon just so I could show you a picture of each item, but shop around and don’t be shy about asking seasoned canners if they have supplies they no longer use. Many of my canning tools came from older people who no longer had large families to feed.
Here is a list of everything in my canning cupboard:
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Steel/Porcelain Water-Bath Canner with Rack, 21.5-Quart – I have two canners that get a work out from May – September every year. I can so much that it helps speed up the process by having both of them going at once. This canner holds 7 one-quart jars, 9 one-pint jars or 13 half-pint jars. |
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7 Piece Home Canning Set It is the little things that make canning easy and this canning set provides the essentials needed for canning at home. Steel canning rack holds 7 pint- or quart-size jars; sterilizing rack holds 12 lids. Also includes 2 stainless-steel funnels, magnetic lid wand, jar lifter, and cheesecloth. |
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Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving I do not know what I would do without my canning book. I have been canning for years and always refer to my book just to refresh my memory each time I start a canning job. Ball Home Canning Products are the gold standard in home preserving supplies and the experts at Ball have written a book destined to become the “bible” of home preserving. |
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Food Strainer and Sauce Maker Canning tomato sauce is a big job every year, and I could not do it without my food strainer. This sturdy one-piece heat resistant hopper, stainless steel screen won’t rust and resists wear. A must for sauce canners! |
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Ball Jar Heritage Collection Pint Jars with Lids and BandsI added these vintage jars just because I love them! Any canning jar will work but I just love this vintage color and ordered some for myself just because I like to make canning fun! This new vintage blue color comes with embossed logos and a brushed silver lid. |
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Ball Wide Mouth Quart Jars with Lids and Bands, Set of 12 Ideal for preserving jams, jellies, sauces, fruit and anything else makes its way to your kitchen. These time-tested sealing compound helps ensure a quality seal with each lid. |
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Ball 8-Ounce Quilted Crystal Jelly Jars with Lids and Bands, Set of 1 Ideal for preserving jams and jellies. I use this size for my fig butter every year. Custom time tested ceiling compound help ensure a quality seal with each lid. |
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Tattler Reusable Wide Mouth Canning Lids & Rubber Rings – 12/pkg BPA Free! Indefinitely Reusable. I have been using these reusable lids for three years now and other than the lids that come with the ball jar sets I have not bought a normal disposable lid in years. I can see where I have saved money over the years by using Tattler Lids. |
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Grips Food Mill I cannot can enough applesauce to last all year and couldn’t do it without my food mill. It makes processing warm apples into the sauce a super easy job! This food mill includes 3 stainless-steel discs for preparing foods of fine, medium, and coarse textures. |
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Canning Accessories Jelly Strainer Bags We make a lot of blackberry jam in my kitchen and these jelly bags make straining out those blackberry seeds super easy. This strainer bag has an elastic band around frame opening. Ideal for soups, sauces, jams, and jelly making. |
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Stainless Steel Canning Ladle AÂ must for every canner! Dual spouts pour from either side. 3/4 cup with 11-1/2-inch handle. Take the mess out of putting food where you want it to be. Dual spouts pour from either side. |
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Ball Pickle Crisp 5.5 oz. Jar I wish I could say I have good luck with making pickles crispy, but I just have never had good luck with making them crispy, so I rely on Ball’s Pickle Crisp to help me. One jar makes 80 quarts of pickles. Easy to use measure and add to jar. |
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Ball RealFruitTM Classic Pectin I love that they now have a reduced sugar recipe for healthier jam. It has been reformulated for improved flavor and performance. Capture the freshness and flavor of handpicked fruit anytime. Up to 22 half-pint jars per package. |
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23-Quart Pressure Canner and Cooker The only method recommended safe by the US Department of Agriculture for canning vegetables, meats, poultry, and seafood. Doubles as a boiling-water canner for preserving fruits, jams, jellies, pickles, and salsa; Handy as a large capacity pressure cooker. I have to admit when I first using a pressure canner I was nervous, but ever since I started to can meat it is a must and I could not preserve without it now. For a step-by-step tutorial on using a pressure canner please visit The Homesteading Hippy. |
Have I missed anything? Please share with me your favorite canning tool!
Good Morning Tracy…
Between the heat and the grasshoppers, my canning season is done.
I would like to see what you can if you would post your pictures.
Thanks, Have a wonderful day.
Did the grasshoppers ruin your garden this year? I had problems with slugs this year! I will try and remember to take some pictures the next time I can. I have tomatoes, pickles and corn to do so I will make sure I take pictures.
I use a small silicone heatproof mat to hold the jar while I screw the lid on, otherwise it just gets too wobbly!
That is a great tool! I normally fill my jars on a cookie sheet to catch any spills so that would be great to set on the cookie sheet and keep my jars from slipping around. That you for sharing that tip!
What a great list for those of us who haven’t yet ventured into canning! What a blessing to have grown up experiencing the simple pleasures of life.
I do consider myself pretty lucky to have grown up watching my mom can and I just want to help pass on the art of canning to others.
It is canning season… although not enough tomatoes yet to can… just enough to eat. 🙂 I’m so glad to already have most of my canning supplies. Thank you for posting this. 🙂
I am in the middle of canning tomatoes right now. I have two more batches to do and then I should have enough for the winter. Isn’t it amazing how fast you collect canning supplies when you know the food you preserve is better for your family and you are saving money at the same time!
This is a great list! It is a good feeling to have food stored that you have canned yourself. Thanks for sharing at A Little R & R.
I love that feeling…there are days I just open my cupboard and marvel at all my canning work.
I see a lot of people who use a food mill for applesauce. We use an apple peeler that also slices and cores. It takes about 10-15 seconds to get a sliced apple into the pot. Then you can use the peels and cores for apple jelly or apple cider vinegar. Last year we turned 7 bushels of free honey crisps (we gleaned an orchard after the harvest) into apple butter, sauce, juice (all canned), dehydrated, and 3 gallons of hard cider.
Thanks for sharing that Matt! I have been wanting to try making apple cider vinegar and will remember that tip when we get apples next month!
Love my Ball recipe book also! I haven’t purchased a food mill yet but am now thinking I need to – thanks for the great information!
I think I have every Ball Canning book that was published, Great,resource for beginners. Also when I learned to can I went to my local County Extention office and got tons of printed info for free. So much info that I created a canning notebook that I still use. Canning started out for me as a hobby because we had moved and I didn’t know anyone in the area. I quickly found an open farm market that sold produce in bushels, needless to say I was hooked on canning after that. The first thing i canned were peaches and I still remember my son (he was 8 at the time now he’s 34) saying my peaches looked like sunshine in a jar. LOL. I still can to this day even though it’s just my husband and me.
Hi Tracy! Just read several of your post’s on cleaning and canning. I loved it, they where both awesome and enjoyable.
I have every intention of getting back into canning this year. I have 5 grandchildren I want to pass this down to with some education
and know how of what they are doing. I grew up on a farm, Mom, Grandma, aunt’s and several neighbor’s always kept us kid’s busy by
working in all the garden’s, washing canning jar’s in a # 3 wash tub out at the water pump plat form… Oh those memories.
They could put a tear of pride in one’s eye. I do have a question for you though… on the canning meat do you really have to have a
pressure cooker to do it? My Mom had a pressure cooker but never canned in it – I have not had that luxury and actually I am terrified to even try canning in one. Mom and the family all did do canned meats but done it in the normal wet bath canner’s. I know the up grades in technolagy have improved tramendusly but I don’t understand why I actually need a pressure canner.
Can you please help me understand it? Maybe they pre – cooked the meats before canning… would that make a diffrance?
Melody,
I only can meat with a pressure canner. I wouldn’t even try to can meat in a hot water bath. I wish I could help you with canning meats in a water bath, but I’ve never canned meats that way.