How to Start Canning: a Simple Guide for Beginners

Why Try Canning? The Benefits for Beginners

I’ll assume you clicked on this post because you’re curious in some way about canning food at home.
Butttttttt to cover both sides, you can preserve food at home without special equipment.

Do I really need to go on & on about the benefits of canning?
Let’s not. Here’s the Spark Notes version.

• Preserve your favorite fresh flavors of in-season fruits and vegetables in shelf-stable ways
• Reduce food waste
• Take back some control over your ingredients. 
• Enhance the meals or snacks you love by using homemade pantry items
• Decrease dependence on pre-packaged items from stores/markets
• Connect with your food in a new/another way
• Make this kitchen life skill a family tradition, something everyone looks forward to each year
• Lavish your friends & fam with only the best, homemade gifts year-round or just at gatherings
• Enjoy food in a healthier way by eating it in a state pretty dang close to harvest
• Start a whole new family tradition of your own
• Feel a sense of pride opening your pantry to see your own handiwork on display

And I think that’s my fave – the one that got me so goo-goo ga-ga about canning in the first place. Rows on rows of beautiful glass jars filled with colorful homemade preserves or meals. 

The general concept of canning is actually simple & doesn’t require complex skills, even as a beginner. And I should know – I’m a self-taught canner! The first in so many generations that  no one can remember someone else in my family doing it now. 🙁 While that’s a sad, hard truth because I only came into canning in my 20’s, it can be the same for you if you start today.

Essential Canning Equipment and Setup

The first beginner canning tip I’ve got is about setup.
Now this post doesn’t cover the real cost of preserving your own food.
And before we get into the details, I just wanna say there’s actually 3 types of canning. Pressure canning, water-bath (or boiling water) canning & steam canning.

Regardless of the method you choose to start with, each has it’s own equipment & setup. You truly don’t need a lot to get started, but there are a few essentials that make the process smoother:

• Water Bath Canner: I call it this because you can actually buy these. But if you’re going to perform water-bath canning, you really just need a large pot deep enough to cover jars you’re using by at least an inch. Nothing fancy at all. 
• Pressure Canner: (ideal for low-acid foods, explained below) Now this is actually critical if you’re going to start with pressure canning. It’s specially designed to withstand pressure & any old pot won’t do here. They’re a $$$ investment but hold up for centuries (good ones anyway) so you’ll get your money’s worth as long as you keep canning. I love my Presto 23-Qt pressure canner but would trust an All American pressure canner too although these run 3-4x the price of a Presto. (When I come up on one, best believe I’ma snag it!)
• Steam Canner: I don’t have experience with this currently, but do know it requires it’s own piece of equipment known as a…wait for it…steam canner!
• Canning Jars and Lids: Canning jars & lids are rated to hold up under the conditions you subject them to. And yeah, you can reuse most glass jars that you get from the store but the lids need to have a pop button & seal underneath the rim. The sealing material is what will hold the vacuum as your lovely food sits on the shelf. The pop button is an indicator of whether you have a good seal or not. Canning lids are designed to handle high temperatures and you can even buy some that are reusable.
• Funnel & Jar Lifter: A funnel makes it easier to fill jars neatly to the right headspace (the distance between the top of the food & the rim of the jar). And a jar lifter helps safely handle hot jars because…in case you didn’t know, they will most certainly be hot after coming out of boiling water or pressurized steam, ok?

Having these tools (+ ya clean workspace) will make your canning experience smooth & safe, even if it’s your first. Besides that, here’s a few more tips on how to decrease the time commitment for preserving food at home.

Easiest Beginner Canning Tip: 

Start with easy recipes & high-acid foods.

If you didn’t know that food ranges from acidic to basic, it does. And acid is a factor in safe canning practices because the acidity level will prevent harmful bacteria from surviving/thriving in your canned food.

High-acid foods like fruits, tomatoes & pickles are perfect for beginner canners. They can be safely processed in a water bath canner without the need for pressure canning. And this not only means you can start preserving without special equipment but it also  has a lower learning curve than pressure canning. While you can’t can up convenience meals, simple recipes like strawberry jam, peach preserves, or classic dill pickles will get your feet wet.

Another of my beginner canning tips is to start building a trusted library as a resource center. And one of my favorite canning-related cookbooks is Preserving with Pomona’s Pectin because 1) it’s packed full of easy recipes with simple-to-follow instructions.
2) the recipes are all based on low sugar additions. A stark contrast to the sugar-laden recipes of something like the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving (which I recommend for it’s other recipes & authoritative nature).

Related Blog Post: 50 Exciting Books about Food Preservation for the Beginner

On the other hand, low-acid foods (like green beans or meats/seafood, broths) require a pressure canner for safe preservation. Because those foods lack the acidity to neutralize bacteria, we use pressure & high temperatures for prolonged periods of time to do this instead. (For reference, most pressure canned foods take 60-90min, or more. Water bath canned foods usually require much less time…like 20min).

So, get a few wins under your belt by planning to turn some fruits into a nice jam for Wakey Wakey Waffles on Saturday morning.

Step-by-Step Beginner Canning Tips

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to help you start with water bath canning:

1. Prepare the Jars: Wash your jars & lids in hot, soapy water, then keep them warm by leaving them in your water bath canner or a sink filled with hot water til you need them. If your canning recipe requires processing less than 10 min, you’ll need to sterilize your jars also. Simply boil them (fully submerged) for at least 10 minutes before using. (Or run through the dishwasher sanitizing cycle).
2. Prep Your Food: Follow your recipe to prepare fruits, syrups, or pickling solutions, ensuring they’re heated as needed. And always, always start with food that’s in like pristine condition. What you start with is what you preserve. So if you start with suspect food, you’ll have a suspect final product. Don’t do it. 🤨
3. Fill the Jars: After prepping food, you’ll carefully pour it into each jar, leaving headspace as the recipe calls for. The food will expand into this space during processing so it’s actually important to follow it & not test the limits. Overfilling can result in failed seals.
4. Seal the Jars: Wipe the jar rims to remove any residue from filling & place the lids on being sure to only screw on until finger-tight. That means you don’t need to be crankin’ down on the lid. Your wrist shouldn’t turn, just your fingers.
5. Process the Jars: Place jars in the water bath canner, ensuring they’re all covered with at least an inch or two of water. Once you hear a strong, solid boil, let that continue for the amount of time in your recipe.
6. Cool & Store: Remove jars carefully (hopefully with that jar lifter you got), allowing them to cool. Check seals after 24 hours. Properly sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place.

Safety Tips for Beginner Canners

Safety is crucial in canning & I get that most people are afraid of exploding jars or canners in the kitchen. Or worse – botulism & other types of food poisoning. So let’s round off this one with some beginner canning tips on safety.

• Inspect Jars and Lids: Always check for cracks or chips in jars & lids because damaged jars can lead to spoilage. Same with lids.
• Listen for the “Pop”: Properly sealed jars will make a popping sound as they cool, indicating a good seal. It’s a nice sound & all, but nothing beats the swish of opening a can of homemade, home canned food. You might not catch hearing the pop on all your jars every batch, but it’s not unlikely that you’ll hear some as you pull them out the canner. Or as they sit resting.
• Label & Date: Clearly label your jars with the date, so you know how long they’ve been stored. Properly canned & fully-sealed, canned food can last years & years. But to cover their butts, most manufacturers will state a shelf-life of 12-18months. Nutrient profiles diminish over time, especially after 12months, but food would still be edible after 2 years or more.

Keeping these beginner canning tips in mind will ensure that your canned goods stay safe and delicious for months.

Key Take-Aways

Being a girl on the brink of canning may feel a little intimidating. But once you’ve tried it, you’ll see how simple it can be. Gather a few basic tools, couple of easy recipes & pair it with these beginner canning tips like optimizing your setup even if your kitchen is tiny. You’ll soon enjoy the satisfaction of homemade, preserved foods.

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