Canning Equipment

There are two safe ways of processing food, the boiling water bath method and the pressure canner method. The type of canning equipment needed all depends on the type of food you are canning/processing. There are low acid food types and high acid food types.

There are some items that are handy to have regardless of the canning method used. These include clean towels (for wiping jars), a jar lifter, jar funnel, lid wand, narrow plastic or rubber spatula (for removing air from jars), hot pads, and a cutting board.

High Acid Foods

Tomatoes, Salsa’s, fruits jams, jellies, and other perserves are a few foods that fit this category.

Most high acid foods can be canned using the Water Bath method. This is simply covering filled jars with a couple of inches of water and slow boiling for a set amount of time. This basically requires a large stock pot with a cover, and a rack to place the jars on in the bottom of the pot. The rack will keep the jars off the bottom of the pot so that the jars from won’t crack from the excess heat from the burner.

Low Acid Foods

Meats, poultry, seafood, vegetables, and beans are a few foods that fit this category.

The only way to safely can low acid foods is the pressure canning method.


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