Canning Equipment
Proper equipment is your first step to a safe product.
A cottage food operation is a business where the creation of products is home-based, rather than factory-based. Homemade food products created by cottage food operations are often unique and distinctive. Depending on your product, you may need these items:
- Boiling Water Bath Canner: A water bath canner is a large pot with a canning rack and lid. The canner must be deep enough to fit jars, plus 1 to 2-inches boiling water above the tops of jars
- Liquid measuring cups, dry measuring cups and measuring spoons
- Potholders, towels, etc.
- Colander
- Large heavy, non-reactive metal pot such as stainless steel
- Ladle
- Jar lifter
- Lid lifter or lid wand
- Wide mouth jar funnel
- Canning jars with two-piece lids (half-pint, pint, quart)
- Boiling water canner and rack
- Scales
- Sieve, food mill, or fruit press (potato masher works, too)
- Jelly bag
- Thermometer - jelly or candy
- Timer
- Food processor
- Cutting board
- Knives
- Long handle spoons
- So Easy to Preserve, 6th Edition or reliable recipes from another source
Canning Jars
- Use only standard, threaded home-canning jars
- Use wide-mouth or regular
- For jams and jellies; use ½ pint or pint jars
- Some jars are no longer recommended; do not use recycled commercial jars, bail-type jars, or jelly glasses
Sterilizing Jars
- All products processed less than 10 minutes must be filled into pre-sterilized jars
- To pre-sterilize; place jars in water bath canner, cover with hot water and boil for 10 minutes
- Jars can be left in canner until ready to fill
Canning Lids
- Use two piece self-sealing lids . Lids must be new; rings or screw bands can be reused if not rusted or damaged
- Lids no longer recommended: Zinc/ceramic lids, bail-type closures, plastic lids, glass lids, paraffin wax