All regular canning jars are made by the same company. Ball, Kerr and Golden Harvest. The lids and rings are all interchangeable on them.

Be sure you get your info from reliable resources. The CanningUSA.com has some unsafe recipes and methods.
There are some videos on the National Center For Home Food Preservation site. You can order a dvd set from them that you may find helpful.
They are the leading authority on safe food preserving.

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP

Do their lids and rims fit other glass jars made from different companies?

---

It depends, but generally yes. There used to be 4 standard mason jar sizes in north america until Jarden bought up several canning jar companies and killed the competition. Narrow, Regular, Gem, and Wide. Now there are 2 standard sizes: Regular and Wide. It is nearly impossible to get Narrow and Gem snap lids anymore, except occasionally at some warehouses, etc. selling new old stock.

Presto, Ball, Kerr, and Crown also used to make glass jar lids for mason jars, and Ball made the rubbers. Soon after Jarden bought Ball, they stopped making the rubbers for them, the glass lids went off the market, and I don't know of any other manufacturer for the rubbers. Too bad, as there are literally millions of glass jar lids taking up space in people's attics and basements.

Ball mason jars are decent quality. Golden Harvest are not, so if using new Golden Harvest jars, test them first by canning water. An average of one bad jar per dozen is common. If they sell Durkee Fluff in your area (regionally sold mostly in New England), their 2-1/2 cup jars are extremely good quality regular mouth mason jars, plus they come with a reusable plastic mason jar lid. Fluff jars are prized by the home canners around here. They hardly ever fail.

Also, if ordering jars in bulk from warehouses, "Regular" mouth mason jars are trade-size "70/450".

Linda lou Thank you for your information I will order NCHFP products and hope they are easy to understand. I am not dense but sometimes they expect you to just know something rather trival I need CANNING FOR DUMMIES And some of the people I know that have canned for years might not follow the guide lines for proper canning methods and since no one one has gotten sick presume that their methods are safe. When I buy canned goods from the supermarket I make absolutely sure they have no dings and dents in the cans.
warren 4321 I am sorry but your last post went right over my head [trade-size 70/450] what does that mean?
I have also ran accross the one piece lids that are pop tops that you would find in the grocery stores how does everyone feel about them?
:o)Deanna

Deanna - when you lean toward the "pretty" you deviate from the approved norm and so may begin to compromise safety. The exceptions are that Ball makes crystal patterned jars in jam/jelly sizes and Weck jars - which are pretty but substantially more expensive and can be a bit more difficult to use for the inexperienced.

Same goes for lids - only the 2 piece Ball type lids and the Weck lids with rubber rings are tested and approved (not in the USA but are in Europe), the one piece ones are sometimes used by experienced canners who sell their products but they are not officially approved.

So as someone new to learning canning I strongly advise you to stick with the approved norm for now and wait to expand into the pretty until after you gain some experience. ;)

So for canning the pears (you'll need to know which kind they are), tomatoes and peppers Ball/Golden Harvest will meet all your needs and are readily available at local stores in both pints and quart sizes so you won't need to worry about the various codes for bulk ordering (Warrens post).

Dave

PS: NCHFP isn't a source for products but for all the guidelines and how-tos. They will explain which products to buy - like the 2 piece lids - and then you can decide where to buy them. Browse the canning supplies available at your local stores and the odds are you'll find everything you need. At the same time, pick up a current cope of the Ball Blue Book as it is the bible of home canning.

Thanks digdirt I think I am on the right track, I may get the items I need and the Ball Blue Book and do a trial run buying something from the supermarket and getting my feet wet so when harvest does get here I will have a clue.
Thanks all for your input. Now on to the orchard forum to see if anyone knows how to get your pears sweet.
Expect me to be bugging everyone here when I start, you guys are my only support :o)Deanna

The Ball books and nchfp are great sources and come highly recomended
I haven't had any trouble with golden harvest I'm not super experienced but put up 200 jars last year some new golden harvest some 40 year old ball and atlas without a single breakage

You will soon be hooked and feel free to ask away

Nothing much to add as you've already gotten great advice.
I think it is a great idea to can something from the store.
Maybe try some jam from frozen berries (BWB or Boiling Water Bath).
And maybe some beans or carrots if you plan to get into Pressure Canning (pressure canner required).

Mostly, just want to say welcome and HI from the "other Deanna" here!

They do have the DVD series and their So Easy To Preserve book to order from the Univ. of Georgia/NCHFP. I think she meant the DVD series.
The one piece lids wind up being too expensive in my opinion. Cheaper to by the lids and rings. The rings are used over and over, so you just buy new flat lids. You can decorate the lids with all kinds of things. I used to put stickers and labels on the glass but find them so hard to remove.
I am not sure if the one piece lids are Ok for pressure canning or just in the boiling water bath canner. You would need to check that out if you decide to order them. We really just recommend you stick with the two piece lid and rings.

It is fine to ask all the questions you want to. We have all had to start from the beginning, just like you.

Thanks for the support and kind words, Linda lou even so I wanted to start out with the one piece lids I will stick to the lids and rings, I can buy those without having them shipped and I prefer to buy and have right away I am not patient lol. Hey Deanna aka dgkritch Hi back to you, our name isn`t so common. Thanks for the welcome you might regret it once I get started and I keep postin HELP ME!
:o)Deanna aka eyesofthewolf

Really, the 2 piece are best anyway. You remove the rings and wash them after the jars have sealed and cooled anyway. That is done so they don't rust on the jars, plus you can use them over and over. You would be surprised at the food and sticky residue under the rings. If you have a one piece lid I can imagine that stickiness and all will be trapped under there.
You wash both the jars with the rings off and the rings in warm soapy water before storing. The ring only is meant to hold the flat lid on during processing. After that it has no purpose.

Hey Deanna aka dgkritch Hi back to you, our name isn`t so common. Thanks for the welcome you might regret it once I get started and I keep postin HELP ME!

Nah, I'm kind of a "yak-mouth" myself and have posted plenty of my own "Help Me" requests. This is a great place for it! Everyone is very helpful and have great ideas. It's somewhat slow right now, but come harvest time, this is one busy site!

You have good advice above. I like the 2 piece lids because I can print my own 'cutesy' labels that fit only on the flat part. They get thrown away so no trying to get the gummy adhesive off the jar. You can also put a piece of calico fabric on top, then screw the ring back on for gift giving. Lots of decorating options. I have a pretty reasonable source for 2" and 2 1/2" labels as well. Let me know if you're interested. These fit the standard and wide mouth lids respectively.

Deanna

eyesofthewolf -

Hi - you mentioned "how to make pears sweet" - and I'm wondering if you are growing a type of pear that is somewhat bland and firm.

The Ball Blue Book has instructions for canning different types of fruit - and the desired sweetness - depending on how much sugar is added to the syrup that the pears are cooked in prior to canning.

I like to add lemon juice to any fruit also, to help bring out more flavor, especially if it is bland to begin with.

Welcome to the forum. You will find the folks here most helpful when you need it.

Bejay

Thanks Deanna I have some old fashion cloth that I will use if I give for gifts that I know will work well. I know this site will be hoppen in the next few months maybe I will be able to contribute.
Bejay yes the pear tree has bland and crispy fruit not table eatting at all like we get in the store so I guess that is the cultivar it is either bartlet or anjou but since I have been researching I have just taken from the tree and not let them get ripe after picking so that might have been my down fall, last year the squirrels ate the fruit so it might have been tasty I will never know. But this fall I will put a fight for my pears and we shall see who wins. They can have the top branches and Ill take the lower, can you reason with a tree rat? :o)Deanna

deanna,

welcome to the forum!

You've gotten some great advice so I'll just say hi and add a few things.

I have used the one-piece lids from Kitchen Krafts (ordered them on the Internet). They looked great and sealed well and you could tell when they were sealed (which is important for safety), so I would recommend them if you want something with an extra classy look. BUT they can't necessarily be used more than once, so, as Linda Lou says, they are much more expenseive over time than the lids and rings, since you can re-use the rings.

And they didn't look THAT much better.

If you want something beautiful, you can order Weck jars with rubber gaskets---they are GORGEOUS but cose a fortune.

Maybe as a compromise, look for the Ball "Elite" jars in the stores---these are a little more expensive but not crazy so, and I think they're lovely. You could use them for nice gifts.

And as others have said, you can fancy them up by making nice labels or tying a bit of cloth around the top.

But you know, the thing that makes a jar look best is what's inside it! You might find that a shelf full of plain Ball mason jars with plain lids all full of gleaming fresh peaches or jewel-coloured jams looks plenty gorgeous enough! I sure love mine. Take a look in the thread called "what have you put up" where some folks have posted photos of their canning (including some Weck jars from our buddy in the Netherlands) and you'll see how appealing it can look!

Good luck with those peaches! I LOVE home=canned peaches. Try a drop of vanilla extract in each jar (or a little piece of vanilla bean) to really bring out the flavour.

Keep us posted on your adventures. Have fun!

Zabby
P.S. My other advice: be sure to get a jar lifter. Other than a big pot and jars & lids, you don't need any other equipment to get started (a funnel is nice but not necessary). But a jar lifter is a HUGE help --- I tried at first getting the jars out of the hot water with tongs, oven mitts, etc. and I regretted it! The jar lifter only costs about $5 and is well worth it.

Here is a link that might be useful: elite jars

Zabby you have a wonderful point that the food inside makes for a lovely jar. Do you guys see the really fancy jars at the supermarket that have the food like asparagus straight up in the jar and everything is so pretty but costs like 10$ per jar. With things like orange marmalade can you cut circles of orange lay flat on the inside and then put the marmalade inside then process? Is it hard to get the air out? I know this sounds like alot of trouble but last year I did`t give Christmas gifts so 2010 I want to be able to give some of the canned products to my friends, so thats why I want to fancy up the jars, for my use and the family fancy isn`t important. Zabby I do see the importance of the jar lifters
so I won`t skimp on that point. I am all fired up now and want to get started. I also want to try the fruit in liquor I need to research that cuz I think you just pour the liquor in the fruit but I will look that up right now. Thanks so much everyone here is just a sweet as pie. :o) Deanna

Deanna,
You can make the pickled asparagus just like that ! It is really good, too.
Here is how to do it. It is a safe recipe. :
Pickled Asparagus

8 pints asparagus spears
6 cups water
6 cups white vinegar 5% acidity
6 T. canning or pickling salt
2 tsp. pickling spices, cloves removed
garlic, 1 clove per jar

Wash aspargus, cut into jar length spears.
Combing water, vinegar, salt, and pickling spices, tied in a cloth bag. Heat to boiling, Remove spice bag.
Pack asparagus into jars, add garlic clove. Cover with boiling brine. Leave 1/2 inch headspace.Process 10 minutes in water bath canner.

I suppose if you "candy" the orange slices first you could do that, but it won't work with them from a raw state as they will become watery in the jars.

Another great things is pie fillings. The strawberry and raspberry are so nice. I make mine on the thin side and use for icecream topping. You will find them in the Ball Complete book of Home canning, I think, not in the regular ball book or the USDA/extension sites. They have apple, peach, blueberry, etc.

deanna,

Sure, you can do straight-up-standing pickled asparagus like Linda Lou says, or put in a whole slice of orange (small pear or peach halves are just lovely, too, with maybe a little piece of vanilla bean in the jar).

Another good-looking trick is to have pieces "suspended" in a jelly--search here for "habanero gold" or "hot 'n sweet confetti jelly"---you put in bits of chopped pepper or whatever, then pour in the jelly; as it cools you turn the jars gently upside down a few times and the pieces end up floating in the jelly. It looks very professional! (And any that end up not nicely distributed you just keep and eat yourself, as you say. You give away the best-looking ones and say modestly, "oh, it's just a little something I made up." ;-)

Add a ribbon, a bit of fabric, and a label that you decorate and put several into a basket, with a home-baked bread to spread 'em on, and your Christmas gifts will be VERY appreciated!!!

Z

Ok I am ready to go I just bought all the things I need to make a batch of strawberry perserves, there are 2 things missing the Ball book for canning and the wire insert for my pot I think I will need to get creative in making something. I found the elite ball canning jars 1/2 pint little squat ones and the pint for later use. Everything including the ingredients were a cost of 64$ so this first batch will be pretty pricey per jar but later when I harvest my own fruits and veggies the cost will go way down. I will post on the out come of my first canning adventure. I do remebember all the safety precations. Sterilize everything. :o)Deanna

Done all 8 1/2 pints sealed and cooling I had about 1/2 pint left over but we will eat that now, the batch turned out a bit tart, I like it sweeter but hey I did it and it was not to hard. :o)Deanna

Good job, Deanna. I bet it is wonderful. It is good on icecream and waffles, too. I like jam stirred into cottage cheese.
I have to make sugar free for myself, but I still like it.
Hmmm, may have to go get some cottage cheese now.

Hey, Deanna, congratulations! You are now officially a canner!

What did you put in the bottom of your pot? I found a cake cooling rack at the dollar store that fits mine pretty well. (But it isn't stainless steel so I have to remember to take it out of the water right after I finish canning or it starts to rust.) One day I'll splurge on a lovely stainless steel one from Kitchen Krafts!

You'll be so happy to have those jars of homemade jam, especially in the dead of winter!

Zabby

Welcome to the forum, Eyesofthewolf! Canning pears is dead easy and they taste so much better than store bought. One main reason I can pears is to doll them up, maybe with spices or pears in port, which are both recipes in the Ball Blue Book of Canning, or at least similar recipes, like for maybe Plums in port, or whatever. I think filled jars look VERY pretty, and you can easily make fancy labels for them using computer labels. I want my jars back so I can reuse them, and most of my friend that I gift my stuff to are happy to oblige, since they want the bounty to keep coming.

Hey Zabby, I am abit embarassed at what I used for the canner, Ummmmm dishclothes on bottom and inbetween, I am sure someone will say I can`t do that, but I made sure the water was boiling rapidly before I started timing the process and believe me it wasn`t an easy thing to do to get the cloth to stay put until I got the jar in lol. I owe uncle sam money this year and my water heater just sprung a leak so I have to put off buying a nice pressure pot until things settle down.
Yes I am excited about being able to can and have the produce to last into the winter.
lpinkmountain Thank you for the warm welcome. Do you mind sharing your recipes with me on your pears, I really want to add cinnamon but have not ran accross a recipe that includes it. And I have been searching all over the internet, I would think it would be ok but but altering recipes has been warned against and I have not enough knowledge to know how things are affected by the process.
:o)Deanna

Deanna,
The cloths are just fine. We use that as one suggestion for people to use. I have used a folded kitchen handtowel before. It does float a bit before you get the jars on, for sure.
Sorry about your hot water heater.
With pears or apples I like to add those little red hot cinnamon candies. So pretty and the taste is good. They look really nice on a table when you have company.
I have the amounts I add someplace but you don't need it, just add to your syrup, then taste and see if you like it or want more flavor.
For a cinnamon stick, just put one in each jar.
Have you checked this out ? Should keep you happy for reading for a bit. The whole site is the main one I suggest for people to use. You can take their free online course, too !

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP

Yeah, I don't have a recipe, I just throw a cinnamon stick in each jar before I add the syrup. I do them in light syrup if I'm doing with cinn. Now that I found a good source of candied ginger slices locally, I would use a hunk of that instead of cinnamon--pears and ginger=yum!

Here's the "Pears in Port" recipe I made. Actually it is "Plums in Port" recipe from the Ball Blue Book of Canning. People usually do brandied pears since brandy is closer to the color of pears, but anyway, boozy fruit is great to have on hand for elegant desserts at the last minute. Put in cakes or just serve warmed over poundcake topped with whipped cream.

8 lbs. plums (or pears, but be forwarned, they'll turn maroon)
3 cups sugar
3 cups water
3 TBLSP slivered orange peel
2 sticks cinnamon
2 cups tawny port

Prick plums with sterlized needle to prevent bursting. (Or halve or quarter, core and peel pears). Combine sugar and water, orange peel and cinnamon sticks in a large saucepot to make a syrup. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer a frew minutes. Add plums a layer at a time to heat through about 2 min. Remove plums from syrup and peel skins if desired. Pack hot plums (or pears) into sterilized jars (I use quart jars for this or pint jars if I quarter the pears). Leave 1/2 inch headspace. Reheat syrup to boiling. Discard spices and stir in port. Pour over plums, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Put caps on and adjust rings. Process 20 min. in a boiling water bath. Yield, about 3 quarts.

Note: I don't boil the cinnamon and peel with the syrup, I break them up and add them directly to the jars with the pears, makes the jars look even more "gourmet." But to make this work you have to let them set and age a while for the spices to infuse the syrup, like maybe a month.

I think you could sub brandy or sherry in this recipe if you liked that better. And probably use cherries instead of pears or plums, but those I would do in pint jars, not quarts.