Home canning continues to be a practical method of food preservation. Canned food doesn’t require refrigeration, so there isn’t the risk of loss that comes with electricity reliant storage. With that in mind, it makes sense to use canning to preserve and store some of the foods you manage to grow or make. Canning jars are an essential part of the equipment required for safe and successful home canning. While reusing jars is perfectly acceptable, they must be in excellent condition, no crack or chips. Chips on the rim can prevent a proper seal. Rings in good condition can also be reused, but lids should always be brand new. For home canning safety and success, be sure to use the correct canning jars for the preserving task at hand.

Common Canning Jars and Sizes

Home canning jars are available in a variety of standard sizes. The most commonly used sizes are the half pint, pint and quart jars. The half-gallon jars have very limited use in modern, safe home canning practices. The only officially approved use for the half-gallon sized canning jars is the canning of acidic fruit juices, such as apple or grape juice. Canning jars come in two mouth, or jar opening, sizes, regular and wide mouth. The regular mouth measures 2 3/8 inches across, with the wide mouth jar measuring three inches.

The classic canning jar brands are made of special tempered glass allowing them to hold up under the extended high temperatures of pressure canning. Hot water bath canning, typically used for fruit jams and jellies, doesn’t subject jars to the same degree of heat and pressure as pressure canning does. Before using an unfamiliar brand of canning jar to pressure can, make sure that the manufacturer states that their jars are approved for pressure canning.

Best Foods To Put in Canning Jars

Provided they are processed with careful attention to officially recommended canning instructions, fruits, vegetables and meats are the best foods to put in canning jars. However, mashed or pureed vegetables, like pumpkin or butternut squash, should not be home canned. That’s because they are too dense for the heat to evenly pass through for proper preservation. Foods with mixed ingredients, like stews, soups and salsas need to be canned with care. The processing needs of each ingredient must be considered, so always use only approved canning recipes. When foods aren’t canned properly, especially low acid foods, Bacteria can grow, causing serious infections if the food is eaten. This can potentially be deadly. 

Canning meat is fairly easy. Many people like canning meat because the process often tenderizes such meats as venison. Home canned meat is a great convenience food to have on hand for busy weekday dinner preparation. Canning some meat offers a hedge against a power outage that can result in frozen meats being lost. Green beans, corn and other vegetables work well in home canning jars, as do jams, jellies and pickles. Many types of vegetables can be pickled, yielding jars that are as appealing to the eye as they are to the taste buds.

Plan For Success And Safety

Choosing the right size jars is an important part of the process. Consider how the food will be used. Smaller households may prefer to can meats and vegetables in pint jars instead of quarts because that is the amount they’ll need for meals. Processing times typically will vary according to jar size, so always read and understand directions thoroughly for safe canning. Buy top quality jars and carefully inspect them before each use. Make sure they are scrupulously clean before starting to can. Never use damaged jars or jars not specifically meant for home canning.