Tip: Remember to date your jars. When buying home canning supplies, you can go online and download a large variety of pretty home canning labels.
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Home Canning Supplies
Home canning is economical for putting up a surplus of fruits and vegetables grown in your family garden. We want to give you an overview of the supplies such as Ball canning jars and other equipment needed for pressure canning.
Ball Canning Jars
When making a list of necessary canning and preserving supplies, Ball canning jars should be at the top. Ball home canning Mason jars have been made in the USA since 1884. Styles include regular mouthed or wide mouthed canning jars in pint sizes, quarts, and ½ gallons. You will need lids; most home canners prefer the Ball regular or wide mouthed dome lids with bands. The caps fit both Kerr and Ball canning jars.
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Ball Home Canning
Kerr Mason jars are manufactured by the same company that manufactures Ball canning jars. Kerr carries a round wide mouth half pint, while Ball home canning has a square collection of jars the same size. All use a two piece lid, which is a ring that holds the lid in place during processing.
Both Kerr and Ball canning jars are designed to be used for pressure canning. With Ball home canning, the lids and jars keep better color and flavor of foods over longer storage periods due to better venting during processing and better sealing after food is processed.
Pressure cookers are recommended on your supplies list for processing vegetables and low acid foods as they give a greater degree of safety. A pressure canner is a cooking device for obtaining temperatures above 212 degrees by means of steam. Even though the canners are strongly built to hold up to the force of pressurized steam, they are also lightweight and easily handled. The pressure canner needs a rack that fits in the bottom to hold the Ball canning jars.
Before using a pressure cooker , test to see that the top fits snugly. Also check that the steam gauge and safety valve are both working properly. To perform a trial run before pressure canning, first put several inches of water in the canner. Then secure the lid, open the steam vent, and place the unit on the stove. Steam should escape only from the vent. When steam has poured in a steady stream for a minute or more close the port and note the pressure gauge to see if it is working.
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1. Prepare jars and food according to raw or hot pack method.
2. Place rack in bottom of cooker. Add 1 to 2 inches of water.
3. As each jar is filled and lid firmly tightened, set it on rack in canner. Pack only enough jars at one time to fill cooker. Set jars apart so steam can circulate freely during pressure canning.
4. Fasten lid securely on canner.
5. Leave vent open until steam has been flowing steadily 10 minutes. Close vent. Start counting processing time given with individual recipes when required pressure is reached. Keep pressure uniform throughout processing time.
6. When the pressure canning processing time is finished, remove canner from heat. Let cooker sit until gauge returns to zero. Then slowly open vent and remove cover.
7. Set jars on folded towel, out of draft, to cool.
8. When jars have cooled, test for seal.
9. Remove bands from Ball canning jars that are sealed. Label and store.
Home Canning Supplies
Other handy supplies for stocking up your Ball home canning kitchen include: a jar lifter, a timer, food funnel, ladle, slotted spoon, colander, and a wire basket.For a family of four, try the Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry All American Pressure Canner in the 15.5 Quart size. See the carousel below. Happy Canning!
