For many years I made do with canning supplies I could find used or tools I already had in my kitchen. This works perfectly fine and I actually highly recommend it for those who are just starting out! It’s always best to try and minimize startup costs when trying a new skill.

That being said, over the last few seasons I have found a couple of things that make the process much easier and therefore save a lot of time while home canning, whether water bath or pressure canning. I absolutely love these products and want to share them here with you! I am not sponsored or compensated to share these recommendations at all, so you can rest assured they will serve you well after being honestly and practically tested in the homestead kitchen.

Jar lifter

Most basic canning kits come with a jar lifter, however after buying most of my supplies at yard and estate sales I needed to find one for my collection. My favorite jar lifter actually came with a set of Weck jars my mom got me for Christmas last year. It’s a little different from other styles because it can hold jars with the lifter above the lid, OR coming from the side. I couldn’t live without this feature anymore because I use my oven to keep my jars hot while canning and it works perfectly for fishing them out with ease!

Head space gauge

This is a pretty common tool but I’m not sure how many people use them. I know for sure that I didn’t for quite a while! However now that I’ve branched out into preserving more than just jams and jellies I love to have one around. Its also handy for popping any pesky air bubbles before you process your jars.

Immersion blender

Have I mentioned that I come from a long line of foodies? Our whole family has quite a discerning palate when it comes to homemade food and canned goods are no exception. To get the most perfect puree of fruit in my jams, and the smoothest sauces in the West, I use my handy dandy immersion blender. I have the KitchenAid model which was a gift from my husband and it’s my absolute favorite. It has circulating holes in the blade shroud so that even when you have it against the bottom of the pan it’s still blending and mixing. It’s a tool I use constantly!

Lid grabber

This is a silly little gadget that makes snatching lids from a scalding pot a much easier process. I used to use tongs but that was a much less accurate tool than this little magnet on a stick. Seriously, that’s all it is.

Commercial ladle

Whether you’re ladling from a stockpot or a saucepan a large ladle with a hook on the end of the handle will make your life much easier. The generous scoop means less ladles per jar, it has handy spouts for pouring on either side, and you can hook it on the edge of a giant pot to keep it from slipping down into your soup. Once you get one you won’t know how you lived without it!

Stainless Canning Funnel

The canning funnel I had previously was a cheap plastic one from Walmart. I still use it for other applications but I find the stainless ones to be much better quality and on top of that, effortless to sterilize. You can leave them in a hot oven or boiling water bath with the rest of your supplies and not worry about melting or warping it, which is what happened to my poor little plastic one. I love this set I got from Amazon and I imagine it will serve me well for many years to come.

Cooling racks

This is an odd one but I love to use cooling racks on my counter to cool fully processed jars after I pull them from the canner. I have been doing this from the very beginning because it makes sense to me that adequately cooled jars seal better. This way they’re able to get air circulation on all sides and won’t hold heat on the bottom like they would on a countertop. I seldom have a jar that fails to seal and I can only think of one jar one time that I had an issue with. Coincidence? Maybe, but don’t spoil my fun!

Reusable canning and storage lids

While I feel like most people have discovered the reusable screw-top mason jar lids I had to give them a mention here. We use them mainly for canned goods (especially jams and jellies) which have been opened and are stored in the fridge for reuse. When you use a canning lid and ring (which is supposed to be removed after processing anyway) it can be a hassle. We have even had the rings start to shed tiny pieces of metal after a lot of use.

Another reusable lid that probably doesn’t have as much publicity is the reusable canning lid. I like to use the Tattler brand lids, which are plastic and use a rubber gasket to seal. They are processed much like regular lids and use a traditional ring to hold them in place during cooking, but they’re fully reusable and much more economical than the disposable type. Remember, standard canning lids are only meant to be used once, no matter what Aunt Judy tells you!

I invested in a case of Tattler lids when the pandemic hit and the standard lids were either impossible to find or being sold at a horrendous premium. While they do take some getting used to I am always so pleased to be using a 100% renewable process in my food preservation. Nothing goes to waste or gets thrown away with these lids! I do still use conventional lids and rings for goods that I will gift away but for any that we keep in the family I like to use the Tattlers.

BONUS: in case you don’t have a dishwasher, you can use your oven!

In previous homes I had used a dishwasher to sterilize all of my canning supplies and keep them hot and ready during processing. It’s a wonderful tool to utilize for home canning if you have one. However, our kitchen at the homestead lacks this now-standard appliance and I am relegated to using the oven as a makeshift sterilizer. While I still scald my supplies before processing, I set my oven to 200° and place a couple of oven safe containers with water inside to hold my jars, lids, and rings to keep them nice and hot while working in batches.

On another note….

One thing I would still like to purchase is Tattler’s lid-safe jar opener. Since the lids are plastic and reusable you don’t want to use a metal can opener on them, so I would like to pick up the product they make specifically for these lids. Maybe I’ll add it to this list later on!

Do you have any favorite canning supplies? I hope you enjoyed reading about mine!