Christmas Wreath made by my late mother-in-law
These are my top picks for Christmas gifts this year for the home canners in your life. I'd like any or all of them and think your special canners would also. With the cost of everything in the stores, this is one gift that helps anyone who cans food to save money. If they garden or buy from a local farmer, they will always need more canning supplies. Believe me, I KNOW! Enjoy!
This is the exact canner I bought a couple of years ago. I love it! It comes in handy having two pressure canners to use at the same time. I do not like to stack the jars, because I did have some burst by doing so even though they were on a rack. If you are comfortable stacking jars, you can do that with this canner. It is much easier for me using two. This canner can be cooked in like a pressure cooker and it can also be used as a water bath canner. Wonderful gift for anyone on your list who likes to can or wants to learn how.
Ball Mouth Lids
67000 Ball Qt Mason Jar WM 12-pack
Canning Jar Lifter
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
A gift that all canners would welcome would be MORE canning lids! I know, we are always on the look out for good prices. I always buy a package or two at the store every time I go. It is a constant need for a homesteader (or anyone really) who is canning her/his food. This is a gift that even a child can afford to buy for the canner in their life. I find I never have enough on hand. Always have a need for them!
Another good choice would be a package or two of the lids with the bands. The bands are used when you are in the process of canning to secure the lid to the jar. After the jars are taken out of the canner, and have been sitting for 24 hours without being disturbed, you remove the bands. If they are left on, they may rust to the jar. Or if the lid did not seal for some reason, you may not know until you go to use that jar, which could be years. Bands are a very important item in a canner's kitchen.
A box of new canning jars is a welcome gift to all canners. If you are canning food regularly, you may be limited by how much you can do due to not having enough jars. I bought most of my jars used, but nowadays, they are hard to come by. I have seen them selling used for $3.00 a jar! That is very high, but when people think you want something bad enough........they raise the price! So buying new would be much cheaper. A box of jars under the Christmas tree would be awesome, don't you think?
Then there is the equally important jar lifter. It is a must for putting the jars into the canner as well as taking those hot, newly canned jars out of the canner. They hold up pretty well and this is the only one I have ever owned. I would be lost without it.
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
Last, but not least, is the most important thing to start home canning with..........a canning book! Every now and then it is a good thing to buy a new one to keep up with the updates made from year to year. Canning practices change and what was safe may not be considered safe this year. I like the Ball books and those are the ones I rely on. I am planning on purchasing the newest one this coming year.
Even though I am an Amazon affiliate, the items on this post are products that I have purchased myself and used. In no way is my post made up about these products. Amazon did not ask me write this post about their products. I buy from them and use the products and post my honest opinion to help my readers.
Copyright © 2012 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2012 Kathleen G. Lupole
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