For jams and jellies, you don't even need a big canner; a boiling water bath works very well.
The only way you'd be able to reuse the baby food jars is for freezer jam, I'm afraid - and then it's in the freezer where you can't look at it.
There are LOTS of different size canning jars available out there, and there are both half-pint and 6 oz (or so) jars available. I've gotten mine at Big Lots or (when they have 'em) WalMart. In this area, at this time of year, all the grocery stores are carrying canning supplies as well.
And a good place to get recipes (to at least give you a starting point) would be the Ball Blue Book of Preserving. There also is a USDA pamphlet on home canning safety, which is available online in PDF format at http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html
You can also find some basic recipes on/in packages of Sure-Jel at the store.
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Home canning is easy ...
Date: 2006-06-06 02:43 pm (UTC)The only way you'd be able to reuse the baby food jars is for freezer jam, I'm afraid - and then it's in the freezer where you can't look at it.
There are LOTS of different size canning jars available out there, and there are both half-pint and 6 oz (or so) jars available. I've gotten mine at Big Lots or (when they have 'em) WalMart. In this area, at this time of year, all the grocery stores are carrying canning supplies as well.
And a good place to get recipes (to at least give you a starting point) would be the Ball Blue Book of Preserving. There also is a USDA pamphlet on home canning safety, which is available online in PDF format at http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html
You can also find some basic recipes on/in packages of Sure-Jel at the store.