I want to start canning, do you have any advice?

I am moving to a farm and I will have about every vegetable and already have some fruit trees, peach, pear, apricot, apple. Do you have any advice for a first time canner?I want to start canning, do you have any advice?
Be organized and make sure you have everything you need before you even start. Read through all the recipes your going to use and make sure you have enough ingredients. Make sure your jars are sterilized along with the lids and rings. Have your water tested if your making anything pickled, soft water will make them mushy and give a nasty looking color. Having enough counter/work space is very important. When your jars come out of the canner place them away from any cool drafts as they can and will shatter if you put them directly in front of an a/c vent {yes it happened to me, what a damn mess plum jelly no less} Have fruits and veggies ripe but not over or under ripe that will also make a big diff in the quality of the finished product. If you want to do allot of canning stagger your planting so your not overwhelmed because everything will come ripe at the same time. In other words plant 2 rows of peas then 1 week later plant 2 more, this goes for anything you really like. And if you get overwhelmed with your harvest don`t be afraid to give it away, but be forewarned your friends might start locking there cars and hiding if you try and pawn too much off on them, LOL. Good luck with your venture.I want to start canning, do you have any advice?
Get an updated book on canning. Follow the directions to the letter. Canning is a lot of work and it is time consuming but the results are worth the effort. Again, it is vital that you read, understand and follow the directions. Some foods that contain a lot of acid or are canned with vinegar are pretty safe but low acid foods and meat are dangerous unless it is done exactly right. You will find by reading the canning book that some things have to be pressure canned and some can be water bath canned. There is a big difference. Each type of food will have different instructions as to how to pack them and how much time they have to spend in the caner. Read up on it and enjoy.
Don't jump to conclusions about someone elses canning unless you've tried it. Some people don't always tell the truth and some are just plain stupid.


Try all methods or at least try and figure them out. I wouldn't try anything that I didn't know for sure, you could waste a lot of time and expenses.
Go to the library and ask them what books they can recommend for you; You have to know what you are doing when you can something because if you do it wrong you could get very very sick from the bacteria or even mold getting in the food.
Start shopping thrift stores, garage sales, wherever, now for supplies. Jars can be found for $.10- $.50 at garage sales, etc. I bought my canner at St Vincents for $5.00. You will save oodles of money if you start now, before everybody else does.
Ball Corp. has a very good book on canning. Not so detailed but informative. I bought one at Wal mart two years ago( In the canning supply dept)
you should look around at diffrent websites to help you out in what you need for supplies.


http://www.homecanning.com/
grum and renpen are on the mark.





enjoy the your efforts.