You can get free information from the National Center for Home Food Preservation and the publication "So Easy To Preserve" which has the latest tested recipes from the U.S.D.A. The Ball Blue Book of Preserving is the only commercial publication that uses the U.S.D.A. recommendations.

You can also take a free self-study coarse if you are new to canning, or need a refresher class, at the NCHFP site (link below). Check your County Extension Office for free up-to-date canning information and recipes. -Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: National Center for Home Food Preservation

Thanks so much Grainlady.

Ditto on the recommendation of the Ball Blue Book; it'll walk you through all the steps.

Do note that a water bath canning setup is only good for high acid foods (tomatoes, many fruits). Low acid foods like meats and green beans HAVE to be processed in a pressure canner, and don't listen to anyone who says otherwise.

Thanks Arley....sounds like I need a pressure canner too. Can you recommend a few to look at? What should I look for? Can I use my current pressure cooker? Mine is very small though....probably no more than 4 jars would fit.

Thanks again.

Honestly you can freeze most of the vegetables you would pressure can, with better results in most cases. A pressure canner is great if you plan to put up soups, beans, spaghetti sauce with meat, etc., but if you're just doing small batch canning probably not needed for most items. However, it is an energy saver so worth the investment if you're really going to get into canning, and doing a lot of stuff. Get a big pressure canner--no use fussing with it for just a few jars of stuff. I have a 6 quart and it is good for me since I only do small batches at a time, but it is really not efficient if I ever wanted to get into canning in a big way.
I freeze most of my veggies, or pickle. Canned ones are too much mush.

The standard for a pressure canner as opposed to pressure cooker is that it has to be able to accomodate 4 quart-size jars.

The best value for the money is generally the Presto, which is still in production and for which parts are easily available. Of those, the 23-quart is usually the most for the money (example at the link below). Also, consider buying the pressure regulator part #50332 which has a 5-10-15 psi weight combined and is more reliable than the gauge.

The NCHFP site has excellent up-to-date information on using a pressure canner. Ignore the canner manual's instructions regarding processing times and canning procedures as they're almost never updated.

Honestly, though, for a beginner, following lpinkmountain's advice is what I would do. High-acid canning requires a minimum of equipment and generally doesn't present the safety challenges of pressure canning. There's a lot to coordinate and figure out when you're just starting, including managing space on the stovetop, organizing your kitchen and developing routines. I wouldn't jump in both feet first at once. Just start with some basic items and move on from there.

Also keep in mind that canning can continue in the winter with things like cranberry preserves, delicious chutneys, ice cream toppings, even mustards, all of which make wonderful gourmet-style gifts. They also provide additional chances to practice your skills in small batches with less pressure.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Presto 23-quart Canner

Bought a pressure cooker/canner (Presto, I think) after sister told me I'd end up making myself SICK if I processed things like chili and veggie soup (both with meat) like I do tomatoes and pickles... in water bath. It's NOT a "high tech" item... one with one of those wobbling thingies that goes on top. It'll only hold 4-5 pint jars at a time, but works well when I make something that I have yet to make SMALL... like chili or soups.

A while ago, went to a community center that distributed free food... lots of day-old bakery items, slightly dented canned goods, and veggies. They had a BIG box of fresh beets... nothing wrong with them that I could see. I was told take them all... nobody wants them?? Quantity was WAY more than I could handle but probably came home with 5+ lbs. I roasted some up to eat right away. Boiled the rest and made a messa pickled beets that went into jars.

Used to have a supermarket that had a produce section for "rejects". EX: 5 lb bag of "organic" apples... looked like maybe ONE was a bit bruised... VERY cheap... made a messa apple sauce. One time brought home easily 10 lbs of assorted tomatoes... could only see 1-2 in 2 BIG bags that looked a bit squished. I peeled (short dunk in boiling water), chunked and canned... and didn't have to buy any from supermarket for a LONG time. Tomatoes and pickles are probably some of the easiest things to work with... high acid.
Not phobic about foods, but definitely recommend you go to REPUTABLE canning sites (Kerr or Ball) to get the straight poop on what to do and not do in canning.

If you do get a pressure canner, get the type with the jiggle weight. Dials can lose their accuracy over time, and you may end up processing the food at insufficient pressure to kill all the baddies.

They recommend that you get the pressure dial checked yearly for accuracy by your agricultural extension agent, but I don't know how easy that is to do.

If you want the cadillac of pressure canners, consider a WAFCO All-American. They're huge, built like a tank. Your great grandchildren will be arguing over who inherits it. I got the model 930 because it can process 14 quart jars at once.

Here is a link that might be useful: All American pressure canners

as Arley mentioned, the All-American is the Cadillac of canners, I always drool over them, but I don't have one. They are big, heavy and expensive, but they'll hold a lot of canning jars!

Definitely get a canner with the "jiggle" weight, either instead of or in addition to the dial gauge. Yes, the gauges do become inaccurate and need to be checked and I'll bet your extension service won't do it any more. Mine did it for me, only because I was friends with the director, but she got promoted and they don't do it any more. Sigh. "The liability is too great". Yeah, that's what I was told.

Definitely get a Ball Blue Book, for $5 it's a great resource. As has been mentioned, most things can be frozen more easily than they can be pressure canned but if you are somewhere like me, you'll lose power and then everything in the freezer will be lost but jars in the basement will be fine. In addition, my freezer is full of homegrown beef and freshly caught salmon, locally picked blueberries and cherries and a few items that really don't can well. There is no room for green beans or whatever. They have to be canned.

No matter what you decide, have fun. Canning is a favorite hobby of mine, there's no better sound than the "ping" of a sealing jar!

Annie

Just for clarification, tomatoes are not high acid. They're right on the margin for acidity as far as boiling water bath is concerned and some are definitely less acid. It's not a matter of taste as a tomato may seem to be lower acid yet merely have more sugar.

Weights are machined and will always be more precise and reliable than the gauge, which is basically the cheapest part of the canner (also true of the All-American). Buying the three-piece Presto regulator allows you to emulate the All-American design and turns the gauge into a back-up. That way it's not necessary to have the gauge checked every season.

The reason for the four one-quart jar size limitation is that the tested processing times are predicated on a certain volume. A smaller pressure cooker will come up to pressure and cool down more quickly. The result may be a total processing time which is shorter than needed for guaranteed safety. That's the last thing you want with green beans or beef.

Carol

Thanks so much for all of the responses. Will pick up the Ball Book today. The NCFHP site is a wealth of information as well. I already printed out a few of the guides. Now to research pressure canners. I would love the All American but might start with a lower priced unit. Mister got a great deal on the Squeezo and it is in like new condition - doesn't look like it was used.

Last year, I did freeze various varieties of beans - wax, green, roman and purple but they were not so good. I'd like to be able to preserve the bounty of beets we get from the CSA - seems like we get more beets than anything else. For sure tomatoes as we get so many and different varieties. I'd also like to make big batches of sauce and have them ready on the shelf when I need it.

The strawberries are so good right now that I am going to try a batch of jelly or jam which Mister loves.

Really appreciate all of the help.

I also highly recommend the Harvest Forum on the Garden forums. Those folks know more about food preservation than you can imagine. And I've posted a link to a book I like from Ball.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ball Complete Guide to Canning

I have loads of tiny golden cherry tomatoes coming as well as perhaps 100 lbs of raw honey by end of July.

I fantasize about canning whole cherry tomatoes in honey. Prep for a tapanade? An odd dessert? A beautiful jar for a gift. Very useful combination for BBQ and tapas.

Anyone ever canned whole (tiny) tomatoes packed in honey for pantry shelf? I know I'm just asking for a haz-mat situation, but it MUST be possible!