Canning Supplies Q & A – Which Jars are Recommended for Home Canning?

Q - Which Jars are Recommended for Home Canning and which ones should I avoid?

A. You will want to use jars that are specifically made for canning.

Jars made from the Jarden Company such as name brands of Ball, Kerr, and Mason are excellent canning jars. These jars have been specially made for home canning and will give you the best results when using the correct bands and brand new lids.

Before you use a canning jar you will want to wash it with hot, soapy water. Then, you will to inspect the rim of the jar to ensure it has no cracks or chips.

One of the main reasons that a jar does not seal after it has gone through the home canning process are that non-canning jars were used . Many people think that if a band fits on the top of a glass jar that it can be used for canning but this is incorrect. It may appear to fit on the threads but it may not really fit properly.

You want to avoid using glass jars that are designed for one-time only use. These are commercial jars that you may purchase food in from the grocery store such as mayonnaise, jelly, spaghetti sauce, or any other food that is sold in glass jars.

The correct canning supplies are very important when home canning. You will want to buy jars that are specifically designed for home canning. There is no sense spending all your time and energy canning only to have the seal fail due to using non-canning jars.