If you have wondered about canning, thought maybe you’d like to try it out, but didn’t know how to start, this post, and free canning basics course is for you.

I have created and updated a rad little course that teaches a beginner the basics of canning and it is completely free.

There are three main areas that cause a newbie trouble when learning about canning and this course addresses all three.

The Free Canning Basics Course teaches the canning process which is essentially what happens when, and for how long.

When I started canning, this was the part that caused me the most grief. A good cookbook is a helpful start, but there’s no way for it to SHOW you what happens when. There’s no shame in admitting that, hey, you don’t really cook all that often and having 3 pots going on the stove at once is kind of overwhelming. Really, no shame from this girl. I am here to tell you (and explain, in detail in the course) that canning is WAY LESS COMPLICATED than cooking a big family dinner.

I always say that I’d rather can every single day than cook Thanksgiving dinner once. The basics course teaches you what is supposed to happen when and how to be efficient with your time at the stove.

The Free Canning Basics Course teaches a beginner about safety. This is one reason that lots of people don’t decide to learn more about canning; they are afraid of making themselves sick. For good reason, too: You could make yourself sick if you just made up a recipe in your head, poured it into some canning jars and stuck in on a shelf. In this course, I explain the 3 amazing elements that are indeed a science, not an art, that are actually really comforting for a beginner to understand, that make canning work. Canning requires high temperatures, high acid foods (like strawberries, tomatoes, vinegar, etc), and the absence of oxygen (created by the submersion in the boiling water bath) to create an other-planetary-like environment inside the jars where no germs can grow. This trifecta is proven and tested by the USDA and you and I will ONLY be using safe recipes and procedures.

The Free Canning Basics Course will detail (in a helpful video with pictures 🙂 the equipment you’d need to get started. This is a valid concern many newbies have; they think they won’t have all the gear you need to get going. I really love this module for two reasons. I have a couple savvy little tips that save you from buying the gear you don’t need AND I think it leaves most people feeling like they already have most of what they need…because they do. You don’t need 25 different pots and pans to start canning…you just need 2 pots and a saucepan. The course will explain exactly what you can use, what you can skip, and smart ways of avoiding space-hogging equipment.

It also will teach you which items you need to order from Amazon or grab at your local grocer to have on your shelf for when you are ready to can your first…second….and every batch thereafter. What the heck is canning salt? What kind of vinegar do you need?

I’ll tell you in The Free Canning Basics Course 🙂

Enroll Now!

Canning is preparing hot foods that are high in acid (either naturally or by the addition of high acid ingredients like vinegar…hello pickles!) and putting them into hot jars. You then put a lid on and submerge the hot jars into hot water and let them boil for a specific length of time. Then, a vacuum seal is created and no air can get in and no germs that that might have been inside are able to live.

What can you can? Well, it will be hard to rein in my enthusiasm as I list so bear with me.

You can preserve in jars things like…

jam | jelly | syrup – not just for pancakes- think in drinks, on ice cream… | conserves (fruit & nuts!) | fruit & alcohol (like cherries in wine!) | pickles | pickled pearl onions for garnishing a cocktail | applesauce | fruit butter | slices of peaches, pears, etc. | shrubs | marmalade | pickled mixed & spiced vegetables like escabeche | hot sauce | salsa | marinades for meat | tomato sauce and every incarnation of tomato you can think of | roasted bell peppers | bread & butter pickles | and MORE

Canning is NOT using a pressure COOKER like an instant pot (though I hear those are great for tough cuts of meat!), it is NOT just putting food into jars and sticking it in the fridge, and it is NOT fermenting sauerkraut on your counter in a jar (great idea though!).

There are countless advantages to canning your own produce but here is the short list of why I LOVE it and why I know you will too:

• Canning saves a ton of time.

• Canning saves money.

• Canning allows you to have wholesome produce ready to eat year round.

• Canning helps you eat sustainably.

• Canning eliminates the worry about mystery ingredients or allergens– canning jars are literally and metaphorically clear.

• Canning is easy. Hot food goes into hot jars, which goes into a hot water bath. Done.

• Canning helps you eat more produce, that tastes better, that you got to CHOOSE.

• Canning gives an enormous sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

I want to invite you all to join this super valuable, FREE online course now!

Enroll Now!

If you’re not sure about the whole “online course thing” I don’t blame you. Here’s a little walkthrough of what it will look like inside. There’s no homework, no deadlines, and you don’t have to enter your credit card information or anything like that.

Join me today and learn how to can your own jams, salsa, applesauce, pickles, roasted veggies, and more!

Enroll Now!

SaveSave

This post is featured on my favorite blog hop!

This post will share the new video workshop that will teach a brand new beginner how to can strawberries into jam, syrup, and butter quickly and easily, without stress or worry. 

Strawberry season is upon us, my friends! Strawberries kick off the start of canning season, in my mind at least, and I created a small, quick, affordable workshop that is perfect for a beginner who has never canned a thing in their life.

Strawberries are the perfect fruit for canning on your first few batches because they are high in acid.

Water bath canning relies on a trio of elements to “work” (preserve foods safely and effectively) and one of those is acid. Foods that are either naturally high in acid or ones that we acidify with the addition of foods like lemon juice or vinegar are safe for canning because germs or spoilers that might make us sick can’t live in an acidic environment. Canning basically makes the inside of a canning jar kind of like Mars…no oxygen, really hot (when we boil the jars of jam), too acidic (I have no idea if Mars the planet is actually acidic…just go with me on the metaphor 🙂 and inhospitable to living things.

Strawberries naturally are quite acidic which makes it next to impossible for you to make a mistake when canning them. Truly, the worst thing that could happen when canning strawberry jam is that it turns out a little thin and you use it as syrup. As far as worst case scenarios go, that’s not that bad of a situation!

Strawberries can be canned in small batches or large, can be spruced up with the addition of citrus or rhubarb, and are pretty for gifting.

The Canning Strawberries Video Workshop shows a brand new canner EVERYTHING they need to know.

It teaches the equipment, pantry items, jars, process, safety, and there are in depth videos of me canning strawberry jam, strawberry & rhubarb jam (using a pretty nifty technique), and strawberry syrup AND strawberry jam at the same time- same stovetop, two different pots, & two different recipes.

I am ALL about teaching you how to make the most of your time at the stove canning, and this video is devoted specifically to that.

The workshop is designed to feel like I have invited you over to my kitchen to watch me can. You could buy a stack of canning cookbooks but none of them are going to show you exactly what to do when. This workshop will show you what to do, every single step of the way.

This video workshop shows you every tip and trick to ensure you get it right. Once you work your way through the lessons, you’ll be a steady canner ready for summer canning season. It truly teaches you all the canning process and tons of applicable techniques; once you make strawberry jam, you will be ready to try plum jam next.

Strawberries are also ideal for a beginner because they cook up quickly and a whole batch can be done in about an hour, if not less!

Imagine how PROUD you’d feel serving your loved ones homemade jam.

Think about how amazing it would be to not have to agonize over the labels of foods you buy at the grocery store…or at least beat yourself up for NOT agonizing about it (so me!).

Canning makes it easy to know what you are feeding your family. I like to say that the jars are clear both literally and metaphorically; there’s no mystery ingredients in canning.

I am in LOVE with canning because it is so satisfying, useful, efficient, and healthy. It makes it so much easier for me to feed my kids foods I am happy about rather than stressed about.

I want you to feel this amazing sense of accomplishment and learn to can your own foods this season!

Not sure about an online “course”? Does that sound like homework? I made a little video to walk you through what it looks like inside the course. There’s definitely no homework 🙂

Here’s some screenshots of inside the course of the curriculum.

This is THE workshop for a newbie. Truly, beginners can’t go wrong with strawberries. And, I wanted to be sure it was affordable to everyone so you can grab it now for either one payment $39 or 2 payments of $21.

Yes! Get Instant Access!

Enroll in the course now and enjoy forever access of video lessons, download the ebooks, print off the stove diagrams and cheat sheets, and be ready to can this season!

Think about how satisfying it will be to preserve your own jam, syrup, and fruit butter.

Imagine bringing THAT to brunch instead of something store bought.

Think how awesome it will be to know EXACTLY what’s inside your food. That is such a powerful feeling, my friend!

I can’t wait to see you inside the course!  

Enroll Now!

PS- Interested in canning but not a strawberry fan? Stay tuned because I have another workshop I’m releasing very soon!
Happy Canning, Wildflowers! Do you know someone who should learn canning too? Share this post with them via Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or by emailing them the link.

If you love strawberries, you’ll love my Canning Strawberries Recipe Book!

Spiced pear butter is easy, grown up in taste, and flavored with maple syrup, whiskey if you please, and spices. It’s delicious in your lunch box, in between the layers of a cake (instead of frosting!), and more. Read on for this simple spiced pear butter recipe!

This post contains affiliate links.

First, if you clicked on to this recipe and are worried about the canning part, don’t worry. I’m a pro at teaching beginners (that’s actually a important part of my blog) and if you want to see if you have the gear to start canning (which I bet you do!) download the Free Equipment Checklist here!

Second, you are going to want to eat this the same way you eat applesauce, except is is more grown-up tasting, and you’ll be getting a serving of fruit in these little shelf-stable jars. It’s fantastic.

How to Make Spiced Pear Butter: Canning Recipe

You Will Need:

6 cups pear juice/pulp which comes from 10 cups chopped ripe pears + 10 cups water simmered together until soft and then pureed together using a food mill (read this post to learn more about these kitchen work horses!)

Then:

Return puree to the preserving pan and

add 1 cup sugar

1 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup whiskey (optional)

1/4 cup good homemade vanilla extract  OR  good quality store bought vanilla extract

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Simmer together on medium high heat, stirring often for 10-20 minutes depending on the desired consistency.

Ladle carefully into hot half pint jars, maintaining 1/2 inch head space. Add lids and rings and return to water bath or steam canner (What’s a steam canner you ask? Only the fastest way to can. Read more here).

Process 20 minutes in half pint jars at sea level, remembering to at 5 minutes for every 1000 feet you live above sea level (more about that important step here). Yields about 8 cups spiced pear sauce.

Want more details about how canning works? You’ll love my Free Canning Basics Course. Sign up to get a handful of super clear email lessons right in your inbox to get STEP BY STEP instruction and address the most common pitfalls beginners experience. Canning is way more fun and way easier than you think, I promise!

Hungry for more maple-y goodness? You might love this post about 8 Unexpected Uses for Maple Syrup– it’s so much more than a pancake topping, Wildflowers.

Want to make that homemade vanilla extract that I mentioned above? Get the recipe here– it’s so easy and amazingly better than store-bought.

Now that you’ve made this spiced pear sauce, you could use it in these tender, delicious muffins– just swap out the applesauce for the pear sauce 🙂 Get the applesauce muffins recipe here!

This post will share the most common mistakes that beginners make when they start canning and tips for avoiding them when you are learning to can.

I know learning to can may seem SUPER daunting, and you are reading this post because of you 1. Are interested in learning to can and 2. Have no idea how to start, and  3. are sure you’ll make some of the mistakes I’ll list below in the post. You can also watch the video version of the post here:

Sign up for the free Canning Basics Course and you’ll be learning to can with confidence and step-by-step instruction!

Here are the most common mistakes beginners make when learning how to can!

1. 1. They think it is too hard. Newbies often think that canning is crazy complicated, far beyond the difficulty of normal cooking tasks. I always say that canning is easier than cooking a big holiday dinner. If you’ve ever cooked for many more than your family, had to put an extra leaf in your table, had to figure out how to put said leaf in the table, then you know what I’m talking about. Canning is WAY easier than cooking a big dinner and I’ll tell you why. There are never more than 4 pots on at once, you rarely have to use the oven, and all the action is in one place. Usually you have 2 pots boiling, 1 at a gentle simmer, and with a cold drink and a trusted cookbook, you can take it easy. With Thanksgiving dinner you have rolls to cook, pies to bake, a bird to stuff and roast and baste and truss…No. Thank. You. I’d can every day for a month to avoid that kind of stress. Canning is not too complicated.
   2. Beginners think they will make themselves sick. Canning has been around since Napoleon needed a way to preserve food so his soldiers afield could be fed and thus kept alive. Canning has come a long way since wartime spurred that innovation and now the USDA has vetted all the procedures, equipment, and techniques that are recommended by me and any preserver worth their salt. It is a science, not an art, and you don’t have to understand any of the science to do it safely and correctly. You just have to follow the recipe and I know you can do that!
   3. Newbies think they don’t have all the gear to can. Canning does take a few pots and pans, to be sure, but I have a little trick for avoiding the big, black and white speckled enamel pot. You can use a regular stock pot (or a pot that is taller than the tallest jar you want to process by about 3 inches) and a silicone trivet. Here’s the affiliate photo link for my favorite kind.
      
      That trivet keeps the jars from rattling around on the bottom of the pot and breaking and lets you avoid using a giant pot that you don’t already own. Get the complete equipment list here! The other items you need are things you probably already have in your kitchen and they are useful beyond canning. Download the free equipment list here! 

4. Some beginners think that all food in glass jars is canned food. It is not. If I made some spaghetti for supper and put the leftovers in a mason jar, that’s just using a smart container. It isn’t canning. If I made jerky in the oven at about 200 degrees allllllll day long and put it in a glass jar, that is not canning. If I used a pressure canner (a metal pot with a metal lid that LOCKS ON) then I am absolutely canning but that kind of canning procedure is for low acid foods (dairy, meat, vegetables…think cream of broccoli soup and ocean-fresh fish) and is a great way to preserve those lower acid food types. It is canning, but not water bath canning. Water bath canning is where you preserve high acid (4.6 or lower number on the acid and pH scale) foods like fruit (strawberries are about a 2 on the scale, for example) or veggies that are being made into pickles (vinegar is very acidic and thus makes the veggies very acid) in a water bath. To can, you take this higher acid food (jam, salsa, pickles), and put the hot food into hot jars. You’d put the lid and ring on and put the hot food back into the boiling water pot. The time the jars full of jam are submerged depends on how long it takes for the center of the food in the jar to get over 212 degrees F, which kills all spoilers. You take the jars out when the time is up and THAT is water bath canning. The critical piece of that puzzle is that you follow a recipe for water bath canning. Follow a recipe from a trusted source published in the last 25 years or so, and you’re golden.

5. Another mistake beginners make is they think canning is a mystery. It isn’t a mystery at all. It is really amazing indeed but it is no mystery. Water bath canning makes the food inside the jars shelf stable because of a few processes that happen. When the hot food in the hot jars is in the boiling water bath, the temperature gets hot enough to kill lots of spoilers or germs that would give a person a tummy ache or other ills. All the oxygen (read: food for germs or spoilers) is forced from the jar (you’ll see little bubbles rising from the jars) and when the jars are pulled from the water bath, a vacuum is created (magic! science!) and the lid is sucked down tight and a super strong seal is created so no germs or oxygen can get in. A seal is so tight that you can and should remove the rings when the jars are cool and you should be able to pick the jar up by the lid only. I cannot open the jar without a metal jar opener; it is a very tight seal indeed. The third element in this very scientific thing is the food in the jars is high acid. It is at a 4.6 acid level or lower number and that means that the things that might make you sick can’t live in a high acid environment. It is like the inside of the jars becomes like the surface of another planet; no oxygen, lots of acids, and it got so hot that anything in the jar other than delicious salsa was killed. Canning creates an environment inside the jar that makes it inhospitable to things that might make you sick.

6. They use a super old recipe. You know, because old = super cool. I’m with you all there; usually the older the better but with recipes you need to check your great aunt’s pickle recipe against one that was published more recently. One specific difference that I have seen that directly relates to safety is that in books that were published in the ‘60s, the recommendation is to increase the processing time by only 1 minute for every thousand feet you are canning above sea level. Now, we know to process for 5 minutes for every thousand feet. I’m not saying you can’t use an old recipe but you do need to check it against a new recipe and check processing time (the time the jars in submerged in boiling water) and the ratio of sugar/fruit or vinegar/vegetable.

7. Some novices think you can cut corners. Let me first say that I am the penultimate corner cutter in about 80% of my life. I’ll skip any step that I don’t see as NECESSARY and not think twice. I’m a big picture girl, and I love the idea that done is better than perfect. It drives my sister and husband crazy that I’ll rush around, forgetting all about details, but that’s me. That said, hear me loud and clear, Wildflowers: You cannot cut corners in canning. Fermenting on a countertop is an easy breezy counterpoint to canning. Sauerkraut is done in about 7-10 days after sitting on any old countertop at about any temperature. With canning, you use a timer, you follow the recipe closely, and you pay attention. There’s no “whatever” attitude allowed. You can’t wing it, or use some canning rings twist-tied together instead of getting a legit rack (I tried that) or a bbq meat fork and a regular pair of tongs as a jar lifter (also tried that). It truly is a pretty simple thing to learn but you can’t cut corners in canning.

8. Some newbies think that if the jar is sealed, you are good to go. Hold on a second. If I put hot LOW ACID food in a mason jar and processed it for a few minutes using only the recipe in my imagination, the lid would seal. Yep, that little magic vacuum would be created and the lid would seal tight. BUT the other parts of the process would be missing. The LOW ACID food – yummy fresh corn, plain ol’ green beans, something delicious like bacon jam which is LOW ACID- isn’t other-planetary enough to prevent germs from growing. It would look pretty, the jar would be sealed but the inside of the jar would be like any other container in the back of your refrigerator growing fuzzy mold. It would be a little world where bugs could grow, and you don’t want that.

9. They try to learn alone. Aside from the obvious that learning a new thing is fun with a friend, canning with an expert friend is way easier. I want to see you all enroll in the completely free canning basics course that will show you where to learn more about canning safety (there’s a video walk-through of the USDA site!), all about the equipment you need and what you can skip, and it will teach you the foundations of canning. Think of it like step zero. Sign up here!

The Canning Basics Course

Addresses the three most common misunderstandings beginners have if they’ve never canned before. Those three areas are

• Safety (so easy to follow simple steps to perfectly sealed jars!)

• Process (what to do when)

• Equipment (you probably have everything you need already!)

In the free course, I include a video walkthrough of the USDA canning database where I explain the rather large and sort of difficult to follow final word on canning safety. I show you the sections you can bookmark to read at a later time if you desire, and I explain in a “Reader’s Digest” way what it all means.

This little course is really valuable also if you haven’t started canning because you are worried about having to get a ton of equipment. I explain the essentials, substitutes for many of them, and I also explain what you do NOT need. That way, you won’t end up with a space-hogging overabundance of kitchen gadgets.

I teach finally what to do when which is the part that also trips newbies up. People often remember watching mom or grandma can when they were kids, and their memories are of looking up at a cookstove full of boiling pots. That memory isn’t enough to get you started, and is sure to only cause you stress when you try it yourself.

I can’t wait to see you on the course! (Did I mention it is free?)

Yes! Get Instant Access!

What can you can? Well, it will be hard to rein in my enthusiasm as I list so bear with me.

You can preserve in jars things like…

jam | jelly | syrup – not just for pancakes- think in drinks, on ice cream… | conserves (fruit & nuts!) | fruit & alcohol (like cherries in wine!) | pickles | pickled pearl onions for garnishing a cocktail | applesauce | fruit butter | slices of peaches, pears, etc. | shrubs | marmalade | pickled mixed & spiced vegetables like escabeche | hot sauce | salsa | marinades for meat | tomato sauce and every incarnation of tomato you can think of | roasted bell peppers | bread & butter pickles | and MORE

Canning is NOT using a pressure COOKER like an instant pot (though I hear those are great for tough cuts of meat!), it is NOT just putting food into jars and sticking it in the fridge, and it is NOT fermenting sauerkraut on your counter in a jar (great idea though!).

There are countless advantages to canning your own produce but here is the short list of why I LOVE it and why I know you will too:

• Canning saves a ton of time.

• Canning saves money.

• Canning allows you to have wholesome produce ready to eat year round.

• Canning helps you eat sustainably.

• Canning eliminates the worry about mystery ingredients or allergens- canning jars are literally and metaphorically clear.

• Canning is easy. Hot food goes into hot jars, which goes into a hot water bath. Done.

• Canning helps you eat more produce, that tastes better, that you got to CHOOSE.

• Canning gives an enormous sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

I want to invite you all to join this super valuable online course now!

Yes! Get Instant Access!

If you’re not sure about the whole “online course thing” I don’t blame you. Here’s a little walkthrough of what it will look like inside. There’s no homework, no deadlines, and you don’t have to enter your credit card information or anything like that.

Join me today and learn how to can your own jams, salsa, applesauce, pickles, roasted veggies, and more!