10 Things I Learned About Canning from Sherri Brooks Vinton

This morning at the Mother Earth News Fair, home food preservation expert Sherri Brooks Vinton, author of Put ‘Em Up!, made canning look easy. I picked up the following tips from Sherry’s great workshop, sponsored by Ball Jar.

1. Proper canning tongs are essential. You can cut corners with other aspects of the canning process, but the right tools are essential for pulling heavy, hot jars from boiling water.
2. You don’t have to buy a special pot for canning. A stock pot with a tight lid (so the water will get hot fairly quickly) works fine.
3. If you don’t have a canning rack, you can put a cake cooling rack or a layer of extra lid rings from the canning jars in the bottom of the pot. You want to raise the jars up a bit so water can circulate all around them.
4. Prepare your jars before you start making the recipe. You never want your recipe to have to wait for your jars.