Canning - want to learn, what's best method?

[Jennifer123]

Any knowledgeable canners here?

I want to learn how to can, but am starting from square one.

In fact, I am pretty clueless on the home-arts front all around.

Are there any good resources to begin learning about canning? Books, sites that one could recommend?

I also organize a bi-monthly womens bible study at my church and the ladies there said they’d like to learn canning. Would having someone take an hour or two showing us at the parish kitchen how its done be helpful?

I’m just wondering if it’s too much to tackle in an hour-long overview?

Thanks in advance for any replies! God Bless.

 

[lydia_coffman]

A good starting place is the how to book put out by Ball canning…they manufactor some of the jars…I think Kerr does also. Probably, an excellent idea is your own…have someone come talk to your group…maybe contact your county extension office, or someone who has canned before.

 

[noclevername]

You brought back wonderful memories of my grandmother. I can just picture her cellar with shelves and shelves full of veggies. I can remember being out in that hot southern sun for hours pulling okra and beans off the vines so she could can those wonderful veggies. She made a ton of stuff too because they had a huge garden; acres of land. We had greenbeans, okra, squash, tomatoes, etc. And she made best dill pickles you have ever tasted. It’s really hard to make a good homemade dill pickle but she did. I know there was more but I can’t remember all of them. And she ruined me with all of her fresh veggies. I am an adult and I cannot eat frozen dinners of any kind. If I go to a restaurant and a veggie is not fresh, I can tell. There are very few frozen veggies or canned veggies from the grocery store I will eat because they I can tell they aren’t fresh. I am one spoiled southern born and southern raised gal.

OK, back to the present. If my grandmother were still alive, I would tell you to go to her house. This is the time of year she would be canning and she loves to teach others how to do it. I wish I had learned how to do it but unfortunately I didn’t. I use to help her a little but I was the kind of kid who would rather be in the fields instead of in the house so I spent most of the time with my granddad on the tractor or outside picking veggies or chasing dogs or falling in the creek accidently on purpose.

But seriously, I would think the best way to learn canning is to learn it from someone. They can probably tell you all sorts of tips and tricks that books can’t tell ya.

and thanks for the memories. I miss my grandparents dearly.

 

[Brenda_V]

Yes learning from someone may be better than from books. That being said, I learned from books and letters from my mom and my mil.

I only water bath canned, never pressure cooker canned so that means I did not do any vegetables that weren’t high acid or were pickled. I wasn’t willing to spend money on the pressure cooker to do it.

If you want to have a “class” contact your local Extension office:

csrees.usda.gov/qlinks/partners/state_partners.html

They will be able to put you in contact with someone who can come teach everyone any homemaking skill you are interested in.

Brenda V.

 

[puzzleannie]

if there is a county extension office or an ag college near you they may have classes, that is how I learned years ago.

 

[Jennifer123]

Wow - great ideas. I would have never known about contacting the county extension, thanks!

 

[Jennifer123]

You brought back wonderful memories of my grandmother. I can just picture her cellar with shelves and shelves full of veggies. I can remember being out in that hot southern sun for hours pulling okra and beans off the vines so she could can those wonderful veggies. She made a ton of stuff too because they had a huge garden; acres of land. We had greenbeans, okra, squash, tomatoes, etc. And she made best dill pickles you have ever tasted. It’s really hard to make a good homemade dill pickle but she did. I know there was more but I can’t remember all of them. And she ruined me with all of her fresh veggies. I am an adult and I cannot eat frozen dinners of any kind. If I go to a restaurant and a veggie is not fresh, I can tell. There are very few frozen veggies or canned veggies from the grocery store I will eat because they I can tell they aren’t fresh. I am one spoiled southern born and southern raised gal.

OK, back to the present. If my grandmother were still alive, I would tell you to go to her house. This is the time of year she would be canning and she loves to teach others how to do it. I wish I had learned how to do it but unfortunately I didn’t. I use to help her a little but I was the kind of kid who would rather be in the fields instead of in the house so I spent most of the time with my granddad on the tractor or outside picking veggies or chasing dogs or falling in the creek accidently on purpose.

But seriously, I would think the best way to learn canning is to learn it from someone. They can probably tell you all sorts of tips and tricks that books can’t tell ya.

and thanks for the memories. I miss my grandparents dearly.

Wow - what a great post, I’m so sorry you miss your grandparents. :console: They sound wonderful. What lovely childhood experiences!

 

[puzzleannie]

I’m glad I took an actual class, because things my kind elderly neighbors showed me turned out to be unsafe practices.

 

[Jennifer123]

I’m glad I took an actual class, because things my kind elderly neighbors showed me turned out to be unsafe practices.

Yes - this is what scares me!! You’re right, I should go to the county extension.