If you are a relatively new reader, you may not know that I recently took up canning. In my strive to eat both locally and seasonally, I have been buying produce in bulk when it is at its cheapest, and transforming it to enjoy through the winter. U-Pick cherries have been made into frozen cherries and cherry butter. $2/lb blueberries are now pints of blueberry butter and quarts of spirited blueberries. Just yesterday, I turned excess sungold tomatoes from the Savvy Garden into a pint of preserves (if you haven’t tried tomato preserves on a grilled cheese sandwich, you must remedy that situation ASAP).
Why do I can?
Because it allows me to eat locally all year long. Because it means I will be able to bring back the flavor and feeling of summer on a snowy December day. Because it gives me full control over the amount of sugar added to the preserves. Because I can season my preserves however I want , giving me more flavor options than I would find at the co-op.
Want to do some canning yourself? You will need:
Canning jars (necessary). Use jars specifically made for canning to ensure you can get a proper seal. You will be able to reuse the jars once you’ve eaten up the preserves. I use our jars for bulk foods, refrigerating leftovers, or more canning. Just be sure to get a new lid if you reuse a jar for canning — the seals along the edges of the flat lids only work once!
A deep stockpot (necessary). For your jars to be shelf-stable (ie: the unopened jars will last a few months in your pantry), you need to use the boiling water canning method. Older recipes suggest inverting the jars to create a seal, but the USDA no longer regards this as safe: DON’T DO IT! The Ball preserving site has a great tutorial!
Note: If you are canning vegetables or other low-acid foods, including pumpkins, you MUST use a pressure cooker and an approved recipe. The boiling water method will not be sufficient to knock out all the potentially dangerous microbes!
A rack to keep the jars off the bottom of the stockpot (necessary). Boiling water needs to be able to surround the jars from all sides, including the bottom, in order for your preserves to be safe. Special canning pots come with a rack, but you can also rig something up yourself.
Jar lifter or tongs (necessary). You need something to lift the jars out of boiling water, right? A jar lifter will only set you back about $8, and is better suited for the size of the jars, but regular tongs with rubber bands on the end (to keep the metal from scratching the glass jars) will work as well.
Wide-mouth funnel (optional). You could fill the jars without one, but this makes the process much easier and saves you on clean-up time.
Magnetic lid lifter (optional). I still don’t have one of these, but I wish I did! I use tongs to get the lids out of the boiling water, but the magnet would be a lot more convenient.
What to Can
Use USDA-approved recipes or Ball Preserving tested recipes. This is by far the safest, and best, way to start out canning. The water activity (the “free” water in the product), acidity, oxygen level, and processing temperature/time all factor into the safety of preserves, and it can be difficult to determine whether or not your recipe will be safe or how long they will be good for. With my food science background, I feel pretty confident in the adjustments I make to recipes. However, in general, you should follow these rules:
- DO NOT substitute vinegar or fresh lemon juice for bottled lemon juice…the acidity levels are not the same!
- Adjust your processing time based on your altitude, as suggested by published tables.
- In general, you can slightly adjust the types and amount of spices in a recipe.
- You can decrease the amount of low-acid foods, such as peppers or onions, but NEVER increase them.
Tomorrow, I’ll be posting my recipe for peach butter, which is currently bubbling away in the crock pot. It takes little effort to make and a lot of hours cooking at low temperatures. In the meantime, your kitchen will smell fantastic and if you live in an area experiencing a cold snap (like Ithaca!), it will keep your kitchen warm. 
Do you can? Are you interested in canning?
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
I LOVE canning! In fact I have a 1/2 a bushel each of apples and peaches on the stove right now becoming Peach-Applesauce! I’ve been doing it for about 3 years now and I’ve become a total canning addict. Tomatoes, peaches, apples, pickles, you name it, I can put it in a jar!
I can’t wait for the peach butter recipe. I see another trip to the market in the near future!
I am indeed interested in canning. I feel like I have no idea how to even start!
Come over sometime after marathon training, and I will teach you!
I love to can – it’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it!
Last fall my husband and I canned a ton of small jars of applebutter – homemade wedding favors! It was so much fun, we had a blast and are looking forward to making more this fall!
Wow, doing a ton of wedding favors is ambitious. And awesome!
This is great info, Julie! I’m going to share this post with some of my girlfriends who I know would learn a lot from reading it.
Thanks for the tutorial! I’ve been wanting to buy blueberries in bulk and try my hand at canning. Thanks for the info!
I am very interested in canning, but alas I live in a very very small place where storage is at a premium. Something has to be extra worth it for me to give up shelf real estate and the thought of peach butter might just be the thing! Looking forward to that recipe!!!
After reading your blog and working with my friend Chelle I’m going to do some canning after this last work trip. They may not be as local since I didn’t start early but at least they will be fresh and last.
There is still plenty of time for fall raspberries and apples, at least!
Thank you for the informative post! I plan to start canning next year when I have my own garden! Bookmarking this post until then……
What a great post! In order to fully get my use out of canning products, and not have them hanging around the kitchen all winter, I think I’ll start canning at the beginning of the season next year. I’d LOVE to have local blueberries in December!!
I’ve never canned, but I want to! I signed up for a jam exchange and am looking for good recipes – this blueberry one might be the winner!
I did go over to my neighbor’s house a few weeks ago to watch them/help/learn how they can their tomatoes. It was so much fun.
My grandmother is the best at canning, I need to learn more from her. She cans everything!
I’m actually really intimidated by the idea of canning. I would love to try it sometime though. I think I’m going to start bookmarking your canning posts to reference when (if!) I decided to give it a try!
I’m SOOOO jealous of those goods but am way too lazy to can myself. Next year can you can like crazy and then sell the goods??? PLEASE!! I will rob you of your cherry butter.
Absolutely adore this post!! My grandparents always can EVERYTHING and I’m always enjoying their canned goods year round. This post, however, has inspired me to look in to actually doing some canning myself for a change.
Thanks for all the info!! Oh, and blueberry butter?? YUM!
Linds
I love the idea of canning and wish I had more space for supplies and a pantry to store the finished product in. I would even love to give homemade jam etc as gifts during the holidays.
I need to try canning! I would love to, but am so afraid of giving everyone botulism or something lol I used to can with my g’ma. The currant jelly was amazing!
I haven’t tried canning yet but definitely want to. Thanks for the info!!
You should definitely try it.
And come summer, there will be even more info and recipes posted.
I am looking forward to my garden next year and getting to start canning for me and my future husband. We’re definitely excited to start the adventure of gardening and self sufficiency together.