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I can my own tomatoes -- the boiling and sealing bit is really not difficult. The Ball web site has a number of step-by-step instructions (http://www.freshpreserving.com/pages/preserve__fresh_preserving__home_canning_/33.php), as does the USDA (http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html) . They usually advise to put the sealed jars on a rack inside the pot, but I don't bother -- I just put them right into the pot in the boiling water. As long as the jar is covered over with an inch and a half of boiling water, and you leave it to boil long enough, that's most of the battle right there.

Different foods take different treatment -- some foods you have to add a little acid of some type, usually just by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice. The USDA site is good when it comes to how to treat specific foods.

@empresscallipygos, I was just about to say "Really, it's not that hard, check Ball's website" but you beat me to it. I make jam every year and the hardest part the first time was getting the jars out of the water! Do yourself a favor and get jar tongs. That's one unitasker I don't want to live without!

I've been doing applesauce for years and putting it up, along with pumpkin butter. Last year I tried jam, but something went wrong. I'm hoping to can tomatoes I'm growing this summer, plus more fruit, and jam. It's nice to see it's a growing trend!

canning asparagus pickles today!

You should NOT be learning about canning foods from an article in the NY Times!!! Or from your grandmotherl, for that matter! I'd be disappointed if they tried to teach how to do it in a short article. Improperly canned foods can KILL you. But don't let that scare you. Let it be a really good reason to get a good book on the matter.

There are a number of good books out there considered "Bibles" in home canning, and if you have not read one of them, you should not be canning. One of them is called "Putting Food By". And there is a good free one from the USDA if you google "USDA Canning Guide"

BTW, one of the major themes of my website http://www.urbanhippy.ca is urbanites putting down (or up if you prefer) their own food.

i learned the art of canning from my mother, who learned it from her mother, who learned it from hers... and so on.

we've been eating our own canned produce for generations--and i am really looking forward to a summer full of fresh produce to process. but i'm with you, tiamat--jar tongs are a MUST. SECRET FAMILY RECIPEhref>, a post that's complete with my grandmother's handwritten recipe.

thanks for the post. is it really bad that my fam and i only do the upsidedown canning method for berry jam? we've never used a stovetop canner - just filled sterilized jars with hot, processed liquid and turned upsidedown for five minutes with new (also boiled) lids. they almost always seal. if one doesn't seal, it goes in the fridge. do you think this could be dangerous or not sterile enough? thanks for any input!

I can throughout the year. I find it simpler than having to cook more often (meaning I make 6 quart batches of meat sauce and can it in the pressure canner; same w/ soups and stews) in addition to preserving produce while it's in season (even if I didn't grow it myself). Plus, I just think my jams taste better than the preservative laden stuff that's sold at the store.

@special...my boyfriend's mother cans datil pepper sauce, pepper jelly, and others fruits/veggies a lot. She advised me a few times that if the jars aren't sealed (if the lid "pops"), you would have to keep it in the fridge and use it asap (within a week) after canning.

If you stick to relishes/pickles and jams/jellies then you don't really have anything to worry about. The dangers in canning come with canning not-sufficiently-acidic things. If it's acidic (which relishes/pickles are due to added vinegar and jams/jellies are due to the fruit and/or added lemon juice), then you don't have to worry about the spore-forming nasties since they can't grow in an acidic environment.

If you're canning not-sufficiently-acidic things like tomato sauce, or other non-pickled vegetables, then you need a pressure canner, which will raise the temperature high enough to kill the spores. You can make plenty of delicious preserves without having a pressure canner, but do make sure you're using modern recipes (acid content of most fruit/veg has changed and the old ratios won't be accurate any more).

Does anyone know where to find canning jars in Manhattan?

thanks for the replies, angorian and dsoulin!