Canning Season Will Soon Be Here

With canning season looming around the corner, it's time for many of us to dig out our pressure canners, dust them off and make sure they are working properly. If you haven't had yours tested lately, you should look up your local extension office and see if they offer free pressure canner gauge testing.

Check your canner's gasket to be sure that it is good to go, you don't want to be caught in the middle of a canning session with a bad gasket. It is a good idea to have one on hand just in case. We carry gaskets and other pressure canner parts if you find yourself in need of them for your canning projects.

If this is your first year canning you may need to assess what you will need and have it on hand before you get started. Here is a list of some basic tools that will help you during your canning endeavors.

Pressure Canner and/or waterbath canner (your pressure canner can double as a waterbath if you plan on doing both methods of canning)
Canning Jars
Jar Lids & Bands
Labels (so you know what is in each jar and when it was canned)
Bubble Remover & Headspace Tool
Jar Funnel
Jar Lifter
Lid Wand
Canning Salts, Pectin, Canning Mixes
Other basic kitchen tools from measuring cups to dishtowels, spoons to pots and pans.

Be sure to view all of our home canning supplies to get an idea of what tools are out there to help you.

Another thing to be thinking about right now is a preserve swap. Know someone who is able to can something that you have trouble with? See if they are willing to swap some of their jars with yours, you can make a big event of this with several of your local canners, but to do this you will want to start planning and inviting everyone now. This is a great way to get several people with canning knowledge in one place, utilize this and ask questions, there's no better place to learn canning than from the people in your own backyard.