I am looking for information on how to can. Can anyone help me out?
By Carol from Beachcreek
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I looked up Ball Company which sold canning jars, etc. They no longer own canning supplies, it has been sold over to Jarden Company. Here is a link to their website. I didn't look it over, but it says "how to can" on the front page, I hope it helps.
Any good old vintage cookbook will have that information also. I don't know about the newer ones at the moment.
www.freshpreserving.com
You need to find a Ball Blue Book. You can get them at Amazon. I did a search and found many www.amazon.com/
My mother uses this one www.amazon.com/
My mom has been canning for at least 51 years and she refers to the book religiously (I think she actually wore one book out). She also keeps track of what her yield is each year in the back of the book. She started out on the back cover and has since added a sheet of paper.
Now is a good time to hit yard sales and pick up canning supplies. People emptying out their garage or basement and getting rid of jars collected and reused over the years. And jars can be used over and over and over. Basically until they crack or chip. It is the lid centers that have to be purchased every year. You keep the rings as best you can (like the jars) and reuse them forever.
Get either a Ball or Kerr Canning book. It will give you complete directions on canning as to how, what to use, etc. Especially during canning season which is just about here these books are readily available. You can generally get them where canning supplies are sold. I get mine from Walmart or grocers have them too so they are not hard to find.
Depending on what you are canning, you will need a canning kettle, a pressure cooker, jars, lids, and rings. The book will also give you ideas on other items you might find useful to have. And, finally, it will give you recipes too. Good Luck.
There are online canning groups, one being canning2 on yahoo. If you join that they will help you, plus they have lots of recipes.
I just thought of something my mom uses to can that may not get mentioned in a book. You have to boil the lids before you put them on the jars and secure them with a ring. My mother removes them from the boiling water with one of those telescoping magnets they sell in car shops for reaching bolts that fall into hard to reach places.
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