Home Canning - Starting Small

If you have never canned before you may want to consider starting out small. Don't remove sod off acres of ground to plant a garden. Don't run out and buy bushels of tomatoes or pick gallons of strawberries. Think about how much you can get done in an afternoon or a couple of hours of work. Starting small and being successful builds confidence to tackle even more! Discover how less is better...

If you want canning to become a habitual occurrence in your life, you must be able to incorporate it easily into your already busy schedule. The first experience should be enjoyable and successful so don't put unneeded stress on yourself by trying to accomplish too much. Preserving food is great fun and not at all difficult if you approach it with the right attitude and correct equipment.

To be successful, two important things must happen in the canning process. First, all micro-organisms such as bacteria, molds and yeasts naturally present in food must be destroyed to prevent them from spoiling the preserved product. Second, your preserving containers must seal properly so that organisms cannot enter, otherwise they will cause your prepared food to spoil. These important issues can be obtained through strict adherence to proper processing and detailed recipes.

When you're a novice canner - smaller batches can help you be successful. If you misstep in the process and your lids don't seal - it's less produce to reprocess. Also if somehow, the recipe isn't exactly what you had hoped for - it's less waste because you didn't make as much. Or maybe you want to try 2 different recipes with one bushel of produce. This way you can process half with one recipe, and follow-up with the second - all still in one afternoon.

Also, smaller batches means smaller pots, fewer jars, less time, and less work! Using a smaller pot means heating less water, peeling less fruit, blanching fewer tomatoes and less sweat!

For smaller batches, check out our stainless steel mini canning set or our steam canner. With these types of tools, you save time, energy, and a messy kitchen! A book that might be helpful is "The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving". It will help you get started and has many fun recipes for those little extras that add more to your meal - like chutneys, relishes, mustards, flavored oils, and syrups.