Basic Tools You Need for Canning

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Every canner needs a tool box that has the basic supplies that you will need no matter what you are canning. These are the EXACT tools I use and most I have had for decades. I hope this list helps you build your own Canning Tool Box.

A jar lifter helps you remove jars from boiling water. You will use these to sanitize and heat your jars before you fill them, to lift the sealed jars into the canner, to lift the jars out of the canner and to a location to cool down. Only a jar lifter built for canning jar will work, DO NOT try to use tongs.

I had a more basic version that did me well for years. A few years ago, I upgraded to the Ball® Secure Grip Jar Lifter. I decided to do so because of the amount I preserve each week. Standard jar lifters work well but they can put strain on my hand, when I am marathon canning. There is less strain on the hand muscles and if you have arthritis, this might be the lifter for you.

This one may be controversial, but I swear by it. A wooden chopstick makes the BEST de-bubbler. I prefer it because silicone spatulas can be too large, metal can create small cracks in the glass and this gives you problems over time, and I do not like using the same tool I use for de-bubbling. A wooden chopstick works perfectly, the blunt tip does not skewer the food inside and the bamboo gives you a bit of a bend to press the air out. You don’t have to purchase one, just grab a packet the next time you eat out! You may even have one lurking in your utensil drawer.

I have seen people use the side of the jar as an eye-ball for the headspace. In America’s Test Kitchen’s Foolproof Preserving, they even use a ruler. In my opinion a headspace measuring tool is the way to go. You do not have to be eye level to test your headspace. It can help you go over many jars quickly and also you can see the height of the liquid if you need to add more liquid to a jar, a spooonful at a time. This is the one I prefer.

This is just a basic soup ladle. It has a deep scoop, allowing me to gather pickled vegetables to pour into a jar while also scooping up the hot liquids and pour easily into my canning jars. I prefer stainless steel because it cleans up easy, does not carry odors and is sturdy. I believe this one photographed is a hand-me-down. I do not use silicone utensils so I can not speak about how well they work. I want you to use one that YOU love. Begin with the one you have, or someone in your family has. I am sure someone will gladly give you one.

I will tell you to NOT use plastic. There has been talk about plastics leaching into our food. Will it happen in the short time it takes you to ladle your hot food in jars, maybe not. It may not be happening during your first few batches, but over time, plastic degrades, breakdowns and might be doing so on your hundredth jar of jam. As a basic rule in my own kitchen, I try to use as little plastic as possible, it is not completely avoidable in real life, but we can take small steps into removing it from our daily lives and the lives of our familes. In the past, I have also melted the handle of plastic utensils by leaving them on or near a hot pan. Just avoid if you can. You can watch America’s Test Kitchen break-down the best ladles and what to look for by watching the video here.

I have a few different canning jar funnels I have collected over the years. I began with one my mum purchased for me in a beginner canning kit. It is made of plastic and it serves me well. I was gifted the stainless steel one and I use it all the time. I use it more than any other funnel before it. I also want to note that you don’t need to purchsase a wide-mouth and regular-mouth sizes, one size of funnel will serve you well. I have this one and I only use it with my hot foods.

Yes, permanent marker. Why? Because you will always find a need for one. You will need one to label your jars, one of the most forgotten steps in canning. After your jars are cooled off, you must write the date and product inside the jar. Just go ahead, purchase a pack of them, black will be just fine, and keep some in your kitchen and canning toolbox.

This is one of the most under discussed tools in your canning toolbox: a canning journal. A simple journal will do. I prefer using a Moleskine, I have a collection of them and have been using them for decades. Moleskines can be pricey, so here is a generic one that I have used that is just as good, but at a fraction of the price.

In a canning journal, I write down my recipe, the source of the recipe, how much it yeilded for me, the size of the jars I used, and most importantly, the processing time for my altitude. After I open a jar and taste it, I write simple tasting notes, what people thought of it and if I gifted it to anyone. This information helps me next time I want to make the recipe again, and helps me decide how much I may or may not make the next time around.

Yes, a kitchen towel. Do not forget the importance of kitchen towels. You will use some paper towels but old school kitchen towels will be handy as well. When you take jars out of the water bath canner, to heat the jars, it helps to place them on a flat kitchen towel laid on the counter. You will need one laid out on the counter or table you use to take the hot jars out of the canners after processing. This will help protect the tops of your counters and tables from hot wet jars. If any messes are made on the towel, just wash them in the laundry as you would anything else. Here are some gingham ones similar to the ones I have in the photo.