Many people may wonder what canning supplies they will need to start canning at home. Here are the most important canning supplies.
1. Canning Jars – Make sure you get jars that are specially designed for canning. This will ensure that the bands and caps fit correctly to give you a proper seal and that they won’t break under the heat and pressure of a pressure cooker.
2. Boiling Water Canner – If you are canning acidic foods like jams, jellies, fruits, and pickled foods, you will need a boiling water canner. Make sure it has a canning rack inside along with a lid.
3. Pressure Canner – All low-acid foods, such as meats and most vegetables, should be canned in a pressure canner to ensure safe canning. If you plan to can these types of foods, a pressure canner is a must.
4. New Caps and Bands – Before you begin packaging, always make sure you have plenty of new caps on hand. You don’t want to reuse the old lids because they won’t seal properly. However, you can use bands from year to year. Just inspect the bands to make sure they are threading properly onto the jars and are not bent or corroded.
5. Jar Lifter – A jar lifter is just about the most important piece of canning equipment. It’s hard to replace a jar lifter to lift canning jars out of hot water.
6. Magnetic Lid Lifter – A magnetic lid lifter makes it easy to remove lids and bands from hot water when canning.
7. Wide Mouth Funnel: You may already have a regular funnel at home, but a wide mouth funnel is irreplaceable. It sits on top of the jar and makes it easy to pour hot foods and liquids into the jar. It also helps keep food off the rim of the jar.
So, as you can see, it’s very important to have these seven canning supplies before you start home canning. They will ensure safe and easy canning.