Interested in canning for food preservation?

One of the things that every vegetable gardener experiences is dealing with an abundance of produce that generally matures all at the same time. Canning is one of the preferred methods of storing the crop production that cannot all be eaten fresh. The following ten websites are popular ones for those that already do it or want to learn how to can either the produce that they grow themselves or that which they purchase as farmers markets or when they are at a great price at the supermarket because they are in season. You can also can more than just produce as many of the sites will show you. The sites are listed in order of their Alexa traffic count rating.

1. National Center for Home Food Preservation: http://nchfp.uga.edu/

Global Alexa Rating: 12,616

The National Center for Home Food Preservation is your source for current research-based recommendations for most methods of home food preservation. Besides canning, it offers tutorials on freezing, drying, curing & smoking, fermenting, pickling, making jam & jelly and more. The canning section includes general information, canning fruits, tomatoes, salsa, nuts, vegetables and canning poultry, red meats and seafoods. You will learn how to use both boiling water canners and pressure canners, as well as the rules for choosing which one to use for the task at hand.

2. Pick Your Own: http://www.pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htm

Global Alexa Rating: 24,502

This site is about locating a pick-your-own farm near you and then taking your produce home and canning or freezing it. A nice feature on the site is the ability to download label templates for labelling your jars. There are plenty of options that will look great on your jam, jelly, applesauce, apple butter or just about anything else you preserve. The site is full of directions and recipes. There are also links to ordering supplies.

3. Ball: http://www.freshpreserving.com/

Global Alexa Rating: 77,833

Ball has long been a trusted company for canning supplies including jars and lids, so it is not surprising that they would have a great site for learning more and looking through some amazing recipes. One thing you may not have known about Ball is that they now have a Freshtech Automatic Home Canning System – there is a video on the site showing you this incredible product.

4. Simply Canning: http://www.simplycanning.com/

Global Alexa Rating: 100,138

This website is full of information about food preservation, not just canning. It includes the following topics: equipment, safety, vegetables, fruit, jam or jelly, canning tomatoes, meat, dehydrating, freezing food, food storage, pickling/condiments, recipes and their veggie garden. You can also sign up for their free newsletter. They also offer reviews of various products and equipment.

5. Food in Jars: http://foodinjars.com/

Global Alexa Rating: 132,095

Food in Jars is a delightful collection of blogs, articles, recipes, giveaways and information. The site was launched in 2009 by Marisa McClellan, a full-time food writer and canning teacher. She has written two books and her writing appears on The Food Network, Table Matters and Small Batch Series. If you sign up for her email list you get her Beginner’s Canning Guide which is a one-page very basic document. The site includes Canning 101 and a recipe index.

6. Old World Garden Farms: http://oldworldgardenfarms.com/

Global Alexa Rating: 197,505

This site is dedicated to the love and art of all things gardening, DIY, cooking, canning and more. There are a number of great recipes on the site that you might just not have thought about, such as candied jalapeno, also called cowboy candy. You could be making some things that you normally always buy at the store, such as chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Lots of great stuff on this site that go beyond.

7. Growing a Greener World: http://www.growingagreenerworld.com/canning/

Global Alexa Rating: 296,358

The link given is for the section of this website that is devoted to canning. You’ll find home canning 101, safety, how-to can articles, recipes, jam cocktails and videos. There are some unique topics on Theresa’s blog including canning fruit in grape juice, slow cooker applesauce, wine salt (yes, it is a real thing!), and a discussion about BPA in canning lids. When you’ve finished with the all the info, stick around for other topics and episodes of the Growing a Greener World show that appears on national Public Television.

8. Canning Homemade!: http://www.sbcanning.com/

Global Alexa Rating: 303,479

You will find lots of reading and education on this website with canning recipes, other recipes, dehydrating recipes, tips and questions, glossary, pressure canning safety, water bath canning basics, canning swaps and much more. A couple popular posts include canning citrus and a BBQ bean recipe that rivals Bush’s canned baked beans. There are dozens of recipes on this site that you’ll love to experiment with.

9. Well Preserved: http://wellpreserved.ca/

Global Alexa Rating: 691,839

This site offers quite a bit of information on various preserving techniques including alcohol-based preserving, canning, curing, dehydrating, fermenting, freezing, infusing and pressure canning. The canning section includes the fundamentals, cordial recipes, jam & jelly, marmalade, pickled recipes, tomatoes and whole fruit. The pressure canning section includes fundamentals and recipes. If you sign up for their newsletter they will send you a file to print their specially designed labels.

10. Canning Pantry: http://www.canningpantry.com/

Global Alexa Rating: 731,546

Every canner knows that they need a source for purchasing equipment and supplies. This company offers a huge supply of equipment, supplies and pickling supplies along with other kitchen tools. The website is more than just a place to shop, however, as it includes articles about canning and pickling techniques, recipes and more.

With these sites you should now be ready to jump into canning as a way to preserve either your own harvest or your produce and food purchases. Always be sure to follow the safety guidelines so your food lasts and is safe for consumption. You can get really ill from food canned improperly, so be sure you know what you are doing which is what these sites are all about.