Canning Equipment and Supplies - a guide to the proper equipment for canning food safely and resources on where to buy canning jars, lids and bands, pressure cookers, canners, etc..

Canning Equipment and Supplies

Putting by the season's harvest requires the proper canning equipment and accessories! What kind of equipment do you need for canning? Where can you buy good quality canning supplies at a reasonable price?

County Extension Office recommends:

Make sure you have the right equipment for home canning. To safely can low-acid foods, such as vegetables and meats, you must have a pressure canner. Various makes differ in size, pressure control, material, and operating instructions.

All canners must be kept in good repair. If yours has a dial pressure gauge, check it at least once a year for accuracy. An accurate pressure gauge is necessary to prevent food spoilage and possible food poisoning.

Use water bath canners for canning acid foods such as fruits, pickles and tomatoes. If you buy a water bath canner, make sure it is deep enough to hold water one inch above quart jars if that's what you plan to use. It should come with a rack to hold jars off the bottom, and a tight-fitting lid.

In addition to a pressure canner and/or a boiling water bath canner, you need standard canning jars and new two-piece lids. Discard any jars with cracks or chipped rims.

A few small utensils help speed canning. Small vegetable brushes and large pans or colanders to hold and wash food will help. Other tools that will help are a jar funnel for packing, tongs for lifting foods and lids, and a slender plastic spatula or a non-metal knife to work out air bubbles in the packed jar. A jar lifter is a must for safely lifting hot jars in and out of the canner.

Canning Supplies on sale!
Sometimes it can be hard to locate the canning equipment that you need. Canning Jars and Lids and larger canners are often in short supply. Here are a few things I have found on the web.

Click here to e-mail this canning equipment and canning jar supplies page to a friend.