That would depend on what you want to preserve, you can use the water bath method for high acid foods, or jams/jellies. If you want to can meats, green beans, etc. you would need a pressure cooker that can hold pints or quarts to process. If I was going to start for the first time, I would go with tomatoes or jams/jellies. It is less expensive and you can determine if you like the process. So a large stock pot that would hold your jars with the tomatoes or jams/jellies and enough water to cover 2 inches, jars to hold your fruit and the lids. I would check out several canning sites: www.freshpreserving.com or www.simplycanning.com. My husband has a few sites that he loves, and I will get him to add them later.

Hope this helps, it is very satisfying to see your shelf filled with beautiful jars you have preserved for your family.

Just a word on purchasing new jars, stay with Kerr or Ball, I found them at Fleet Farm, be wary of the Wal-Mart jars, they are made in China and the word from the canning community is they are not American made and they are not the best. The Kerr/Ball jars will last 10-15 years, there is no history on the Wal-Mart jars.

Hello Lisa, there are many great recipes from the Ball Blue Book. This is readily available alongside canning supplies at Menards, Fleet Farm or Kmart.

This is my favorite recipe, and the one I get constant requests from friends, Spicey Dilled Green Beans!

http://www.simplycanning.com/dilly-beans.html

I am requested to bring them to my quilting get-togethers anytime food is served, I was just told to bring them for my Christmas exchange every December!

Try them, even if you don't process them, start with a small batch and keep them in the refrigerator!!! Adjust the spices to your liking regarding the spiciness of the bean.

Well, Hey, Dr. Berg!!

Yep, George is an avid canner and is having to build additional shelves in our kitchen to accomodate his "stash". We have processed over 200 jars this summer - so far. I am enjoying it, though it takes time from quilting and piecing.

GREAT tip! never thought of that, and you are so right!!

Hi Chris, great subject...thank YOU! And, thanks to the folks writing in with tips. Jay, I've been canning for years and always end up with the mineral deposits on the outsides of jars. It would be quite a bonus for me to rid myself of that. Such an excellent tip, thanks!
I make raspberry jam, apple butter and crab apple jelly. Don't feel like a real woman until I've made dozens and dozens of jars (...perhaps guilt - not wanting to let the fruit rot). My problem is making grape jelly. I never have mastered it. I sowed grapes about 16 years ago from bare-root. One was an Edelweiss grape (a Uof MN variety - hardy,vigorous growers) & I cannot recall the second variety. Both have grown & produced grapes for years. One green, one red. I began picking when they were slightly under-ripe, otherwise they are gone ...it is a battle between me and the birds! They are out picking before me. My jelly has been so bad I wondered if I had varieties that were not suitable for jelly making - perhaps I need to begin making wine instead?! Or, leave them for the birds as poison is all I can produce so far. Would anyone have any insight on my grape woes.

Margaret, I have ruined a lot of wine. Keep trying the jelly. Always let your juice sit in the fridge for a minnimum of a day (two days better). The tartate crystals will coagulate in the bottom of the piture. You should then filter the the juice through a cloth. Then make your jelly. Gritty jelly = no good. I use wild Minnesota Fox grapes for the best jelly ever.

Hello Paul, it is recommended that canned items be used by 1 year of the processing date. This ensures the flavor and quality to be retained.

This helps a lot. Thanks!

Never use tap water. Use distilled water or spring water for pickles or other canned vegetables.

Jay, my mom, grandma used tap water, one was town and one was well and never had a problem. The canning books do not say that you can't use tap water...it is assumed. I ended up asking canning experts -- from one of the blogs and one from an extension agency. They both said tap is good to use as long as the water isn't treated with softening salts. It would be cost prohibitive to buy distilled and spring water.

I would avoid tap water if you can. I have found that my pickled items turn a bit mushy using it. Maybe it is just my city water. I don't have softened water. I may be just spreading an old wives-tale, but I swear by it and have a box of blue ribons to think I'm doing it right.

Jesse, you are giving me an idea. I have 6 crab apple trees and never can and will never be able to keep up the fruit. Much of it falls to the ground and rot. (Even though some summers, I will make up to 60 small pots). Next year, I'll leave bushels of crab apples out the side of the road, with a printed recipes and see if anyone cares to take them. With huge producers of apples, it is a shame to waste.

Janitta, you can purchase canning supplies at most hardware stores, I haven't seen the stickers for quite some time. The wax is sold in grocery stores - the same wax used when making candies.

Hope this helps.

It's a food safety issue for why they do not to use parafin wax in canning anymore and should avoid it in candymaking as well. Parafin isn't actually edible! With it being super easy to use the canning lids and just put the jars into a water bath for a few minutes (whatever time the recipe/directions call for), there's no reason to risk it. As for canning supplies, Walmart and Fleet Farm are where we typically end up going...

Janitta, you might want to try a craft supply store for stickers to decorate your jars. The scrapbook sections at JoAnn's and Michaels have a ton of stickers.

Anita, I usually process my pickled corn relish for 10/15 minutes in the water bath, if in doubt go with the longer time. Jay may have more information on this, I always go for the longer processing time when canning/preserving a mixture of ingredients, just to be safe.