Where can I buy canning supplies?

So, I decided to make some strawberry jam. And then I thought, if I’m going to do that, it would be nice to put it in jars and include it in Xmas gifts this year. I’ve got instructions and recipes, I’m all set. Except where do I find the jar rack, ladle, magnetized lid grabber, and such? I always see the jars and lids in the grocery store, but I have no clue where to find the other hardware. I called Target, and they don’t have it. Is it a department store kind of thing?

Hardware store. Usually in the housewares section.

Well, I hate to recommend it, but have you tried Wal-Mart? I’ve seen canning supplies there.

Well, your location field is empty, so that makes it harder to answer; if you’re anywhere near a rural area, see if there’s a Southern States near you. They sell all that kind of stuff. In fact, around here, Wal-Mart sells it. But I don’t know if it’s standard Wal-Mart stock, or only near more rural locations (there’s a good bit of farmland withing 20 miles of here).

Or Amazon.com - I got this last year and it’s just great.

Must be a regional thing, as my Target sells them. I know so as that’s where I bought mine. Otherwise, just check the local department stores or specialty areas of supermarkets.

Thanks for the help! The local hardware stores don’t have anything but jars & lids, unfortunately. So (though I hate them so) I called Wal-Mart, and they said they had everything but the jar grabber. So I packed the kid in the car and went over - and they only had jars & lids! AAAAAAAH! How I hate Wal-Mart and the Wal-Martians!

norinew, thanks for the tip. I’m in Cary, NC, but I do shop in Fuquay occasionally, so maybe I’ll check out Southern States there!

Either that, or I’ll just order from Amazon. My rewards card makes that sooo tempting!

Meanwhile, these here strawberries are destined for freezer jam, I guess, since they won’t last through tomorrow.

You don’t need any special canning supplies to can jam. I have jam canned in a normal pint-sized Ball jar. I also pack my tomatoes, sauces, etc., in them, and they last over a year without spoiling. Just make sure they’re sanitized (boiled) and so are your jams. I haven’t had any issues with spoilage yet, and I don’t use any types of preservatives, either.

Jam is generally easy to can, mostly because you don’t have to worry too much about things like botulism. You don’t have to boil the jars after filling them, and you don’t even need special jars: my wife just reuses old jars (olives, jelly, etc.).

Get your jars and boil them for a few minutes to sterilize. Just before filling, take them out of the water and put them top down to drain. Flip them over and start to fill (a pair of tongs will help keep you from burning your fingers).

You’ll also need some paraffin; it’s usually available where you get jars. Put a coffee can in a pan of water and melt it down (don’t melt the paraffin alone – it can catch fire).

Once you’ve cooked the jam according to your favorite recipe, just use a metal ladle and a funnel (from any housewares department) to put it into the jars, leaving about a quarter inch of space at the top. Avoid getting anything on the rims. Pick up the coffee can of paraffin and pour it on top of the jam.

Use a toothpick to remove any bubbles, then let everything cool. If you have lids, put them on once the paraffin has turned completely white – a day or so. But the paraffin will protect the jam for a long time.

My technique is similar to yours, Reality, but I don’t even bother with the parrafin. I don’t see any need for it.

Here my method:

  1. Boil or otherwise sanitize canning jars. They can be the ones with the two-part lids (like a Ball jar) or recycle any spaghetti sauce/pickle/etc jars you may have around.

  2. Make your jam or sauce. Make sure you bring it to a boil. Fill your jars while the jam/sauce is piping hot.

  3. Tighly screw on the lids. I then wrap my jars in thick blankets and put them aside for a day or two. (I’m not exactly sure what this does. This is simply the technique as I’ve been taught it by some Hungarians.) If you’re using a one-piece lid, you’ll notice the pop-up part in the center of it should be down. (You know, the part that pops up when you open the jar.) You’re now all set.

Just a note…

University of Maine Cooperative Extension & the USDA sez

You don’t need any special supplies to make freezer jam, other than the jars and lids.

I found a handy canning funnel a couple of years ago at Cost Plus World Market - it has a bigger opening in the middle to let chunks of fruit fall through. Regular tongs also worked just fine.

Be careful with the tomato sauce - the sources I’m reading say that tomatoes may not be below a 4.6 pH, and therefore are subject to botulism, which is not killed at 212 degrees, and which is so dangerous, a single taste of contaminated food can kill you.

And yeah, I’m just going to make the jam, toss it in some containers, and chuck it in the deep freeze. It’d be a shame to waste those berries!

Well, it hasn’t killed me or my Hungarian friends yet, but I will keep it in mind. Apparently (from my research), you can add citric acid (which I have on hand) or lemon juice to decrease the pH to safe levels. Seems that newer varieties of tomatoes are not as acidic as their ancestors. Thanks for the tip; wouldn’t want to die from something that stupid.