I Was Legitimately Terrified to Can My Own Food, but I Just Learned How — And You Can Too

As a former test kitchen chef and avid home cook, this is honestly embarrassing to admit, but I have always been really, truly afraid of canning. Or "putting up" food, whatever you call it — I don't do it, plain and simple. I guess it's not exactly the process that's always scared me. I mean, I LOVE nerdy, multi-step, challenging culinary processes. (And in truth, the actual process of canning isn't even all that difficult.) What I'm generally scared of is simply that it won't work. I'm afraid that in six months, I'll go to open up a jar of something that should not, in any way, be green and fuzzy, and yet...you get the picture. What could be worse? That possibility of disappointment torments me. Well, that and the idea that I might inadvertently poison loved ones.

But you know what? I finally decided that it was time, once and for all, to face my fears. I'm not getting any younger and if I was ever going to attempt canning, now was my moment. It was time to "put up" or shut up, if you will. Thus, I consulted with friends who preserve summer produce and other goods annually, and I took a deep dive into the craft myself.

What follows is what I — an entirely inexperienced and rather nervous canning novice — learned this summer. The step-by-step process I've detailed is simple enough for anyone to follow and find success with. And if you're anywhere close to my level of canning experience, I can assure you of this: By the time you've reached the final step of this process, you're going to be mighty proud of the jars spread out before you

What Is Canning?

In simplest terms, canning is a way to preserve food. Essentially, you place food items in an environment that is sterile enough that pathogens cannot cause the food to spoil.This requires heat, a lack of oxygen, and some way to seal the container so it remains completely airtight. And, if properly executed, these canned items can remain unrefrigerated and unspoiled for great lengths of time.

The best place to start is to first determine what food items you want to put up, and decide on a recipe.

How to Can Food

Step 1: Prepare Your Equipment

So the first step to canning is assembling the necessary hardware. You'll need jars (Ball Mason jars are great) and coordinating two-part lids (the flat top with a ring of rubber on the underside plus the screw-on portion that affixes the lid to the jar). These are readily available in most grocery stores, homeware stores, and certainly online. You'll also need a large, fairly deep pot (think a stock pot), and a tool to remove filled, hot jars from the boiling water; there are specialty jar lifters designed just for this purpose, and trust me — they are worth it. Alternatively, you can wrap a few rubber bands around the two "clamps" on a set of sturdy kitchen tongs to turn them into fairly grippy lifters if you don't want to buy the specialty tool. Additionally, you need either a dishwasher or some hot, soapy water to thoroughly clean the jars and lids (even if they're straight out of the package). And if you wash them by hand, you'll want a clean towel or two to use as a drying space for the clean jars and lids.