4Real Forums: Canning - without a lot of supplies!

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Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
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Topic: Canning - without a lot of supplies!

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MarilynW
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Posted: Nov 21 2013 at 10:51am \| IP Logged

I am hoping to make jellies, jams and chutneys for Christmas gifts. I bought pretty quilted canning jars. But I am trying to find a way to can without buying a lot of expensive supplies. I especially want to avoid a huge canning pot - because I simply have no place to store it! I am hoping to be able to use one of my big stainless steel stock pots.

I would love to hear from anyone who cans on a budget - what supplies do you consider absolutely necessary? Can you use an alternative to a canning rack?

Any other canning tips?

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JodieLyn
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Posted: Nov 21 2013 at 11:41am \| IP Logged

It is no longer *the* recommended method but at least just a couple of years ago it was "acceptable" for jams and jellies only.. called the inversion method.. pour the hot jelly into the jar, wipe the brim, put on the lid, tight but not really cranking it on, and then you flip it upside down for 5-6 minutes and then flip them back upright to cool and seal.

I started buying bulk pectin but like I said a couple of years ago these directions were still included in the boxes of commercial pectin.

Also you can waterbath can in any pot as long as it's deep enough to cover the jars according to directions. And you do want something in the base to keep the jars from direct contact with the bottom of the pan. It doesn't have to be a huge space.. I think the one in my canner is only like a quarter inch of space.

You will want a jar lifter because those jars are HOT and hard to get out of the water without one. But those aren't terribly expensive.

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Servant2theKing
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Posted: Nov 21 2013 at 12:26pm \| IP Logged

Marilyn, I've always used our biggest stainless steel stockpot whenever we make jelly. The jar lifter Jodie mentioned and a canning rack can be found pretty inexpensively at places like Walmart or most grocery and hardware stores.

If you can't find or afford a canning rack you might try some of the ideas in this post. I never use the canning rack for getting jars in or out of the pan, since jelly jars are too small to sit firmly in place in those. I consider canning racks (purchased or homemade) as simply serving the purpose of keeping the jars from hitting against one another while water bathing.

I've improvised getting lids out of a pan of boiling water by using a super strong handled Bingo magnet that we happened to have for homeschooling, in place of a lid lifter/magnet. I use regular kitchen tongs to fish canning jar rims out of the pan. We don't have a dishwasher, so we either sterilize jars in another stockpot/pan or this year we used our electric roaster, since things get mighty crowded on the stovetop between your pot for making jelly/jam/preserves and various pots/pans for water bathing and sterilizing!

Those quilted jars are really nice for gifting others with your homemade jellies and such! Good luck!

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MarilynW
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Posted: Nov 21 2013 at 12:47pm \| IP Logged

Thank you both so much! Servant - that site is neat - a good idea to use lids. I have heard of people using a dishtowel - though have to figure out how to do this.

I think a funnel and jar lifter/tongs would be useful to buy.

Now - I have a pectin question. Which to use? The recipes I have say liquid pectin - can you convert the powdered stuff? Does the low sugar pectin have ugly ingredients? Is there an organic alternative.

Thanks so much - I am so excited to start this. I still remember my childhood days with the wonderful smell of my mother's strawberry jam and other preserves filling the house...........I want my kids to remember the same smell....and it will cheer up dark, dingy and cold days

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JodieLyn
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Posted: Nov 21 2013 at 1:07pm \| IP Logged

You can buy liquid pectin. I prefer using the pwd pectin. The recipes are designed to function with a particular type of pectin though so I'm not sure I would substitute.

For low sugar (or any really) I would recommend Pomona Pectin. It's a different type of pectin than you buy in the stores. And depends on the interaction of calcium rather than the sugars.. which is why you can gel just about anything with it. So you could use a full sugar jam recipe even though their recipes are for low sugar or alternative sugars. It's the only pectin you can use with honey as the sweetener for instance.

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