Jars, canners and the tools behind a well-stocked pantry shelf.
Photo: Ryan Snyder, CC BY 2.0
Harvest & Kitchen
Safe canning starts with a tested recipe and the right equipment for it. A sturdy canner, good jars and a few small tools make preserving easier, safer and far more enjoyable.
Our picks
Gear we're weighing for this shelf, from good value to buy-once quality. Nothing here is linked yet: a pick earns a link only once we've used it or finished researching it with sources we can show you.
Ball
The standard jar for pickles, salsa and muscadine jelly.
Price and rating as listed at Lehman's, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
Ball
Quarts for tomatoes, beans and stock.
Price and rating as listed at Lehman's, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
Superb
USA-made lids with a strong base of reviews.
Price and rating as listed at Lehman's, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
ForJars
A popular alternative lid brand. The maker says seals hold up to 18 months.
Price and rating as listed at ForJars, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
Lehman's
21.5-qt water-bath canner with essential tools, a whole beginner setup.
Price as listed at Lehman's, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
Presto
Affordable pressure canner for low-acid foods; doubles as a water-bath canner.
Price and rating as listed at Lehman's, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
All American
Gasket-free metal-to-metal seal, made in USA, the heirloom canner.
Price and rating as listed at Lehman's, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
What we look for
From the Journal
A plain-language guide to acid and low-acid foods, why green beans need a pressure canner and jam doesn't, and the methods USDA and NCHFP say to skip.
Read the post: Water-bath vs. pressure canning: which foods need whichWhy chicken wire keeps hens in but not predators out, what mesh size to use where, and how to stop diggers, climbers and reachers, drawn from Extension guidance.
Read the post: Hardware cloth vs. chicken wire: predator-proofing a coop
.jpg){kind=link}