Essential Canning Tools
Canning doesn’t require a ton of equipment, but using the right tools makes the process safer, faster, and a lot less frustrating. These are the canning tools I actually use, broken down by method, so you can skip the clutter and focus on what matters.
The Essentials
Water Bath Canning Pot – Choose a pot with a lid and a canning rack that keeps jars off the bottom. It must be deep enough for water to cover the jars by at least 1 inch during processing, or 2 inches for processing times over 30 minutes. Check the NCHFP water-bath canner directions before choosing a pot.
Half Pint Mason Jars– For small batch jams and jellies
Pint Mason Jars– For Pickling, jams and jellies
Jar lids and bands – Use a new flat lid for each batch with standard two-piece lids. Bands can be reused if they are clean, rust-free, and undamaged. Match the lids and bands to the jar opening and follow the lid maker’s preparation instructions.
Ladle– For filling jars with hot foods.
Canning Tool Set– Look for a set with a jar lifter, a wide-mouth funnel, and a nonmetallic bubble remover with headspace markings. A magnetic lid lifter is optional; check which pieces are included before buying.
Timer– Use a timer for the processing time in the tested recipe. For water-bath canning, start timing when the water returns to a full boil. Pressure canning requires separate venting and processing steps.
Pot Holders– These are imperative. Canning pots get super hot.
Pressure Canning
Pressure Canner– Use a pressure canner for low-acid foods such as meat, broth, beans, and unpickled vegetables. A small pressure cooker or electric multicooker is not a substitute. Follow a tested recipe and the NCHFP pressure-canner directions, including elevation adjustments. Check the gasket, vent, and gauge as directed by the manufacturer; have dial gauges checked for accuracy each year.
You also need the jars, lids, bands, ladle and tool set above.
Steam Canning
Steam Canner – An atmospheric steam canner can be used for suitable high-acid foods with a tested boiling-water recipe. The total processing time, including elevation adjustments, must be 45 minutes or less. Follow the canner’s operating directions and Extension steam-canning guidance; it does not replace a pressure canner for low-acid foods.
You also need the jars, lids, bands, ladle and tool set above.
Optional
Food Mill– A food mill separates skins and seeds from cooked fruit and vegetables. It is useful for applesauce and tomato sauce; choose a size that fits the batches being made.
Immersion Blender– Useful for recipes that call for a smooth purée. Do not purée a canning recipe that calls for chunks or change its thickness unless the tested directions allow it.
Jelly Bag Strainer– Strains juice from cooked fruit for clear jelly. Let the juice drip without squeezing the bag if clear jelly is the goal.
Thermometer– A candy thermometer can help check the gel point of cooked jelly when the recipe uses a temperature test. Follow the recipe and adjust the gel-point temperature for elevation; pectin-added recipes may use different directions.
A pH meter is not a beginner canning essential. A home reading does not establish a safe processing method or time. Use research-tested recipes and the exact acidification directions they give. The National Center for Home Food Preservation explains the limits of home pH testing.
