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How to can:
Select jars and lids
Use mason-type jars, which come in a variety of sizes. Pints and quarts are common and suitable for most canning. Choose from easy-to-fill widemouthed jars or traditional-looking narrow-mouthed jars. You can either start with new jars (they cost less than 75 cents each) or recycle previously used but still perfect (no cracks or chips) canning jars. Avoid mayo jars and other kinds of glass containers because they may not hold up to processing.

The lids used for canning consist of two pieces—a flat metal disk (rimmed with a rubber gasket) that covers the jar opening, and a screw-on band that holds the disk in place. Always use new flat metal disks because the gasket around each rim can begin to deteriorate after sitting in storage for 5 or more years; consequently, it may fail to seal. You can reuse screw-on bands, though, as long as they look good and have no rust.

Sterilize
Wash lids and jars in hot, soapy water—either by hand or in the dishwasher. Then sterilize the lids by submerging them in hot water and boiling them for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat but leave the tops in hot water until you're ready to use them. Do the same for jars that will be processed for less than 10 minutes. Use jar lifters to handle the hot jars.

Slice and dice
Start with top-quality fruits and vegetables, and avoid any that are overripe or blemished. For maximum vitamin retention, process produce immediately after it's harvested. Wash well and cut into pieces as specified in each given recipe. To prevent browning of fruits such as peaches and pears, keep them in an ascorbic- acid solution where you buy canning supplies after you slice them. To keep produce from discoloring once it is canned, during preparation do not use any bowls, cookware, or utensils made of aluminum, copper, iron, or chipped enamel. And if your water is hard, use soft bottled water to prepare the food and to fill jars of produce.

Fill and cap
Using a large spoon or ladle, put the produce (raw or cooked, depending on the crop) loosely into jars. Then fill the jars with either boiling water, pickling solution (for pickles), or sweet syrup or white grape juice (for fruit). Because produce will expand during the canning process, don't fill the jars all the way; instead, leave some headspace—or space between the contents and the top of the jar. (The problem with food being forced out of the jar because of insufficient headspace is more than just the mess it makes in the canner. Food that winds up outside on the jar's rim or around the lid can harbor mold, which can break a seal and cause the canned food to spoil.) Most vegetables and fruits—either in pint or quart jars—need about a half-inch of headspace, but don't assume that is always true. Headspace requirements change with the density, shape and cooking characteristics of individual foods. Always follow headspace requirements in a recipe. And be sure to measure the space carefully—too much headspace can make it more difficult to seal jars.

With a soft plastic spatula, push down on the produce in each jar to submerge it under the liquid; then run the spatula along the inside of the jar to eliminate air bubbles. Next, use a damp paper towel to clean off the jar rims. Close each jar with a sterilized two-piece lid, checking the manufacturer's instructions to be sure it is not too tight or too loose.

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