Allrighty all, this will be our thread for canning lessons and questions. The first essential thing you HAVE to have is a copy of the paperback Ball Blue Book - The Guide To Home Canning and Freezing. This book is about $7.00-$8.00. You can get it at most Wal-Marts, next to the canning jars, or you may order it online. Ebay has alot of them used, just don't get a super old edition, like before 1991 because the info is too outdated.
The second thing you must have is a Pressure Canner. Not to be confused with a pressure cooker. However, the Pressure canner may actually be used for both anyway. The cheapest route to a good canner is the Presto 16 quart pressure canner at most WalMarts for $62.00 and under, your store may vary. Here they are around $56.00. Check around and ask family or friends if they have a pressure canner you may use for awhile. They are usually easy to find at garage sales, thrift stores, and sometimes Freecycle, but it is a bad time of year to find them there because it is harvest season now and everyone wants one.
We can begin our lessons with Boiling Water Bath canning, which can be done in any big pot that will hold the jars, plus water 1-2 inches above the jar lids if you'd like. You don't need anything special, but the only things we can can in those are tomatoes and jellies. Let me know what you'll all be interested in trying for our first project. Ask away! I'll monitor this thread daily and answer any questions you might have :) Love, Karen
