This timeless gift guide for canners contains some of my most used and beloved canning books, tools, and helpers.
Here are a few of my favorite canning helpers, from cookbooks, to the best floursack towels, to my very favorite 2-quart measuring cup. Send a link to this post to a generous spouse, parent or best friend with a note that says, “I’d like number 2, please!”
Starting from the top left corner…
1. Putting Up: A Seasonal Guide to Canning in the Southern Tradition
This is one of the best canning books out there and is great for beginners, as it contains all the instruction you need to get started canning.
2. A Stainless Steel Jar Funnel. I like the metal ones better than plastic. Looks better and is sturdier in the long run.
3. Weck Canning Jars. These European jars are beautiful and functional. Extra thoughtful gift givers will also pick up a set of plastic snap-on lids, which turns these into the best leftover vessels I know.
4. A Set of Graduated Measuring Scoops. I prefer using a 1-cup measure like the one pictured when filling jars with hot jam. It gives greater control than a ladle does, and is the exact right amount for a half pint jar. The rest of the measuring cups are useful too.
5. Floursack Towels. Canning can be messy business so it’s always good to have a stack of clean towels on hand. I like these white floursack towels, as they are absorbent, fairly lintless and can be bleached clean when you’re all done cooking.
6. Ball Canning Starter Kit. This is an easy way to get a new canner started, or to help an experienced preserver refresh their collection of tools (that jar lifter takes a beating after years of use).
7. My Beloved 2-Quart Measuring Cup. Perfect for measuring fruit for jam. The lid just makes it.
8. A Good, Sharp Knife. I’m a big fan of my Global, but any sturdy, sharp knife will do. When you’re processing a bushel or two of fruit, you want to use the best tool for the job.
9. A Roomy Stock Pot. Instead of buying a pot designed expressly for canning, invest in a good stock pot. That way, it can also work as your pasta or soup pot. But slip a rack in the bottom and voila, it’s a canning pot.
10. Wide Mouth Half-Pint Jars. I adore these squat, easy to fill jars. For some reason, they’ve become impossible to find in stores (I often order a couple dozen and keep them stashed under my couch, for when they’re the only jar that will do).
You can also give the gift of one of my cookbooks!
oh wow, i could give any of those a good home! i’m especially fond of a good, sharp knife, and the wreck jars are beautiful!
I’m such a fool for weck jars, but I’m thinking a food mill might find itself under my tree. Thx for the list and the great posts that keep me coming back and canning more.
Great stuff, Marisa. Thank you! Can’t wait for the generator to spit out my number! 🙂
I would love the ‘Well Preserved’ book from Eugenia Bone, or an actual ‘real’ canner as opposed to the enamel pot I use.
While the give-away is tempting, what I really want to know is if that 12 qt stockpot is big enough to fit a rack that holds (wide mouth) quart jars? I wasn’t able to can quarts this year due to my pot not being tall enough for the needed water level.
I totally plan on buying some Weck jars soon!
oh, weck jars are so beautiful.
My favorite canning tool is an awful looking ladle that I got just after highschool… Plastic, the brittle kind, and mercilessly stained a strange yellow from turmeric. For some reason, I just can not get a new one. I also love a bent and beat up jar funnel that my Mom used forever. She gave it to me in my very early 20’s when I first had a go at canning tomatoes, along with a burlap Ball apron that said “Yes I Can!”.
You are the queen of giveaways- and always fun to read! Thank you for inspiring me to be a devoted canner for life!
I’m game for a chance at free goodies! I have been laxing on my canning lately, and I am down to bare-bones supplies now after moving… oh well.
I just recently bought two boxes of wide mouth half-pint jars. Apparently the company wanted to update their look or do something special for the holidays, as the lids are silver and have a decorative swirl/flourish printed on them. They’re quite cute.
I just started really jarring this year. I am in love and put up everything now, but I tend to be short on equipment, so a 2 qt measuring cup would be awesome
Oh! I need just about everything on that list!
Thanks for the give-a-way!!
M
I’ve been canning for about 3 years, but I’ve only found your blog in the past 2 months. Thank you! I love it! I just wish I’d been reading during this past summer. I’ll be passing this list along to some folks…
I am so in love with the weck jars, but have been too cheap to buy any yet. Maybe I can convince someone to give them to me for christmas.
I love it!!! Thanks so much for the great blogg!
What a great list you’ve assembled! That batter bowl looks really useful, and I wish I had gotten a stock pot instead of buying a canning pot.
Wow, fun list! I don’t have a 2-quart measuring cup, but it’s such a brilliant idea!
how beautiful! thanks for the opportunity.
Great list!
ohh, i’d love the book because i haven’t actually canned anything before and it’d be perfect to help me out 🙂
(as would the 2 qt cup..ahem.)
😉
The plastic lids are nice for when you pop the top off a canning jar. I agree that you can’t find the wide mouth half pints very well in the store. I think they are pretty. I go back and forth which half pints are prettier though when food is actually in them. I guess it depends on my mood that day. Everyone enjoy your holiday season.
Fantastic list. I wish my grandmother had email so I could just send her this link as my holiday wishlist. Well done!
I would LOVE to receive some Weck jars as a gift! They are so very very beautiful.
I’m new to canning, so I’d love to see one of those starter kits and a few beginner books under the tree.
I loooove those little widemouth half pint jars. I wish they sold them in stores! It annoys me to have to pay shipping for jars.
Thanks for the tips. I’d love to win the 2-qt measuring cup.
Just finished my canning for Christmas. Now I am bracing for the post-office bill when I send everything out! I definitely could have used such a great measuring cup.
I definitely need to get myself one of those large measuring glasses… I can already think of many reasons it would be handy, even outside of canning.
Ooh, I could really use a 2-qt. measuring cup. I have a 1-quart, but it’s just not big enough sometimes!
I love my old Mouli food mill for removing skins and seeds from tomatoes. I basically have it out all August and September to help me process my garden tomato harvest.
This is a great canner’s wish list!
Great list! Thanks 🙂
I love this list. Thanks for pulling it all together for us.
I’ve forwarded this post to anyone who asked me for a christmas list….hopefully they get the hint!
Would love any of those!
I’d love to try my hand at canning!
Such great ideas! I know exactly who to get some of these items for (besides myself of course)
I will happily put these items under my menorah!
Great ideas!! I love your blog so much. I enjoyed your raspberry jam on my yogurt this morning.
Great gift ideas – I’ll definitely be passing those on! 🙂
I came late to canning, learning as an adult, but it is a really important part of my kitchen life nowadays. I’d be hard put to choose my favorite canning tool, but my vintage jar lifter would probably be it. If I could choose just one canning gift it would be a good selection of Weck jars.
The OXO food mill is great for applesauce and tomato sauce.
Floursack towels are simply fantastic.
Those are some super gift ideas…I shall certainly pass them on to my special peeps – especially the book – Thanks for all the posts this year – been loving them!
I just started canning and these all look great!
Very nice selection.
I highly recommend: Ball’s plastic screw on lids (for once you pop the top), the metal funnel you mentioned, Ball’s Complete Book of Preserving (or something to that effect), a magnetic lid lifter (I was doing it by hand). And every kitchen needs a good knife. I am so much happier for having our set.
I’ve put the KitchenAid mixer attachment for purees/applesauce/tomato sauce on my list for Santa. We’ll see if he comes through. If not, I’ll probably just get it for myself.
I love the Weck jars, they look so awesome! I’m planning on getting myself some of those for next year!
Oooh! I want some of those Weck jars!
AHHHHH. No way! It looks like Santa has come early this year.
Perfect timing – my 2 quart cup just chipped!
OOH I want that utensil kit!