The Canning Shelf

Practical, safety-first guides to home canning, fermenting and preserving gear.

Latest guides

• Canning Jar Sizes and Mouth Widths: A Plain Guide — Regular vs. wide-mouth jars, common sizes, which lids fit, and why your tested recipe decides the jar size.
• Water-Bath vs. Pressure Canning: Which Do You Need? — Which home canning method fits which foods, per USDA-backed NCHFP guidance, and what gear each needs.
• Beginner Canning Equipment Checklist — Everything you need for water-bath and pressure canning, and what to skip.
• Fermentation Weights, Airlock Lids and Crocks, Explained — How fermentation gear keeps vegetables under brine, and how to choose.