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What Canning Supplies Do You Need
to Make Jam?

Here is a list of the canning supplies you'll need to start making delicious jams and jellies. If you're missing any of these items, visit our canning equipment store by clicking on the image below or click here.

Water Bath Canner - a large covered container generally made from steel-covered enamel or stainless steel. A rack fits inside to hold the jars, keeping them from touching one another and elevating them from the bottom of the canner to allow water to circulate freely around them.

Any large cooking pot can be used for a canner as long as it has a tight-fitting lid and is large enough to hold the jars. It is also essential to have a rack for adequate circulation of water around the jars. You can use a round cake rack for this purpose.

Jelly Glasses, Jars and Lids - Canning jars are made to withstand the temperatures of boiling-water canning. They are available in a variety of shapes and sizes from small half-cup to large two- quart. Most jams and jellies would use the half-pint size.

The lids for these jars are made in two pieces, a lid and a screwband to keep the lid in place. You can reuse the screw band, but the lid should only be used one time to ensure a proper jar seal.

Kettle - For cooking the jams and jellies in. It can be any large, deep, heavy-bottomed pot.

Food Mill - is a sieve with interchangeable screens, each perforated with holes of a different size. A blade turned by hand pushes soft food through.

Jelly Bag - A muslin or nylon mesh bag for straining the solids out of juice, usually in preparation for jelly making. You'll also need a stand or colander to set the bag on. An alternative is to lay a piece of damp muslin or four layers of cheesecloth in a colander set over a bowl or pot.

Other Canning Supplies for Making Jam

• Jar-Lifter for lifting jars out of the canner
• Funnel for filling jars
• Magnetic wand for lifting the lids from the hot water
• Food Thermometer
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons
• Dishes for holding fruit
• Vegetable brush for washing hard fruits
• Colander for draining
• Potato or other masher
• Paring knife
• Wooden spoons for stirring
• Timer to measure exactly 1 minute when adding pectin
• Damp cloth for wiping jar rims
• Plenty of clean, dry pot holders, dish cloths, and towels
• Perforated ladle, skimmer, or long-handled slotted spoon, for removing food from the precooked kettle.
• Rack or towel to cool hot jars on

Do you have all of the canning supplies you need?

Visit our canning equipment store to get the items you need.

Resources for Making Jam:

How to Make Jam. Refer to the How to Make Jam section to learn about the different types of jams and what fruits can be used to make jam. You'll also find some tips for successful canning.

Delicious Jam Recipes. Choose a recipe from our collection of jam recipes. You'll find step-by-step instructions in the bread-baking blog.

Canning Equipment and Supplies. Make sure you have all the canning equipment and canning supplies you need. To find out what equipment you need, refer to the Canning Supplies section. To purchase any necessary supplies, please visit our Canning Equipment section.

For additional canning instruction and recipes, you might enjoy a canning cookbook. We have a variety of Canning Cookbooks for making jam, pickles and other canned products.

Sources:
Chioffi, Nancy and Mead, Gretchen. Keeping the Harvest. 2002 Storey Publishing.
Greene, Janet, Hertzberg, Ruth & Vaughan, Beatrice. Putting Food By. 2010 Penguin Group (USA).
Topp, Ellie & Howard, Margaret. The Complete Book of Small-Batch Canning. 2007 Firefly Books.
Ziedrich, Linda. The Joy of Jams, Jellies, and Other Sweet Preserves. 2009 Harvard Common Press.