Gear Up For Canning Season

March is a wonderful time of year for most of us. It is a time that usually starts me thinking about food preservation. I take some time, in between finding the paperwork for taxes and squeezing in transportation, to check out my area of food preservation items.

A quick check of my storage area helps me to see some of the things that I need to do to make sure that when I start canning I don’t need to take a step back and fix, buy, or throw something out.

 

Here are a few things that I try to do to get ready for the upcoming canning year:

  1. I take my canner gauge to the office and have it tested for accuracy of pressure. (Contact your local Extension Office to see if this service is available.)
  2. I check my canner rings for any rusting, warping, or deterioration.
  3. I make sure that all the previous canner lids have been used. (If I have any leftover from the previous year I mark them with a current date and use them when I freeze food in mason jars.)
  4. I sort through my canning jars. I usually arrange them in order of size and width of mouth. That way I know what I have available and what I may need to shop for in the beginning of the season. It also makes shopping for canner lids easier, as I know if they are wide mouth or standard. I can also tell if I need to look for particular jar sizes, as I don’t always get back the jars that I use for gift giving.
  5. And, last but not least, I take the time to go through my canned items. I check for any change in the canned items, and when the item was processed. I try to use all the items canned from the previous year before my next season starts. So if I have items that I have not used from the previous year, I know that I need to plan some menus that will include those canned goods before I start canning again.

IMG_0562So as the snow starts to melt and you start to plan your garden, take a few minutes and organize your food preservation equipment so you can spend more time outdoors tending your crops. And when the retailers start to advertise canning equipment; you will know what you need and can get the best price on it.

 

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