Do you want to learn your grandma’s canning recipe for homemade strawberry jam? If you are new to canning, it is important to have all of the right canning supplies before you begin. We, at Blain’s Farm & Fleet, want to help you get started with our handy guide to canning.
A canning funnel assures that the transfer of your preserves from the canner into the mason jar goes smoothly, because who wants to clean up more of a mess when things spill all over the jar and counter?
Use a canning funnel for neat and easy filling of regular or wide mouth canning jars.
Sauce makers allow you to quickly and easily purée your produce for homemade sauces, soups, jams, etc.
Sauce makers have a spiral conveyor that forces the food through a frustum-shaped screen, where as food mills have a rotating bent plate that forces the food through discs.
When puréeing food, food mills will be your best friend. It streamlines the process by peeling the skin and deseeding the produce.
Food mills are perfect for canning tomatoes. Throw in raw chunks of tomatoes and the food mill plates can peel and sift through tomatoes seeds, which would otherwise take hours to do.
A canning jar lifter might be one of the most important canning accessories you will need for your home canning project.
This handy canning tool helps to easily and safely place hot jars in the canner before processing and remove them afterward.
A jar wrench helps to remove screw bands from jars that have become stuck in place over time. This is a great canning tool that many beginners don’t think to purchase.
Once you’ve gotten the canning jar band loosened, you need to remove the lid. A lid lifter does this with ease. Most have a magnetic end that helps remove tightly-sealed mason jar lids, where prying with fingers may be difficult.
Removing air bubbles helps to prevent spoilage by leaving adequate room for food to expand as it heats up in the jar.
Failing to remove all the bubbles before processing may prevent your lid from getting a good seal.
A digital timer will help to accurately time your processing so you can be sure that each batch is processed to the time required for the recipe you are making.
Canning jar brushes make cleaning your jars simple. It will fit into all sizes of canning jars and works equally well on glasses or bottles.
The long handle makes it easy to reach the bottom of jars and clean the inside of canning jars or bottles.
Jelly strainers are ideal for anyone who loves to make jelly, sauces, or vinegar in their own homes.
They typically come with a polyester/cotton bag that efficiently filters the pulp, while the adjustable hook feet let you rest the strainer on the bowls and pans of different sizes.
For more tips and information on canning, as well as yummy recipes, check out Blain’s Farm & Fleet’s canning blog!
