10 Essential Water Bath Canning Supplies

1. Water Bath Canner

There are a lot of options for a water bath canner, and most are pretty budget-friendly. A basic water bath canner is typically Granite Ware, comes with a liftable canning rack, and is generally very affordable. You can even buy a canning kit, which comes with many of the other items featured in this list.

I have both a water bath canner and a pressure canner, and most often I use my pressure canner for water bath canning just because it is easier to keep one in rotation throughout the growing season.

If you're just getting started with canning, I recommend sticking with water bath canning until you master the basics, and then move on.

If you're on a super tight budget, you can use a large stockpot filled with water, as long as you keep the jars from touching the bottom. This can be done by purchasing a separate canning rack or using a stainless trivet to keep the jars elevated.

2. Jars, Lids, and Rings

It's important to only use jars that are manufactured for canning (like Ball, Kerr, Bernardin, etc). While it was a common practice in years past to reuse jars from commercial foods, that's not considered a safe modern practice.

Canning jars are made to withstand the heat of both a boiling water bath and pressuring canning, and you risk jar breakage (among other things) if you don't use dedicated jars. That being said, you can re-use your canning jars as many times as they continue to be in great shape - this is often for decades if you take good care of them.

Most foods are canned in either pint jars (500ml) or quart jars (1L), but depending on the recipe you may need other sizes (half-pint or 250ml, 4 ounces or 125ml). Jars are also available in regular-mouth or wide-mouth. I keep a variety on hand so I have whatever I need.

Lids and Rings

You will also need canning rings (which can be reused as long as they are in good condition), and canning lids (which cannot be reused - unless you use something like Tattler reusable lids). These come in either regular-mouth or wide-mouth and can be used across all jar sizes as long as they fit the mouth opening.

3. Jar Lifter

Removing the jars from the boiling water of your canner is easily one of the most difficult jobs. Even though your water bath canner is fitted with a rack, for most jars you will need a jar lifter to safely remove the jars.

I have used an oven mitt in the past, but it's very easy to accidentally dip it in hot water and hurt yourself. The ones that come with canning kits definitely get the job done, but I have dropped my fair share of jars. I upgraded to the Progressive Jar Lifter and I've been in love ever since.

4. Headspace Checker

For safe canning, it's important to observe headspace recommendations based on the recipe you're making. The best way to do this is to use a headspace tool, which has markings for the various measurements required in canning recipes.

Most headspace tools also have a "debubbler" on the end, which can be used to remove air bubbles in the jar. A clean butter knife or chopstick also works great for this.

If you don't have a headspace tool, you can use a very clean ruler to check the spacing guidelines.

5. Saucepans and Stock Pots

Most canning recipes are done in large batches to fill multiple pint or quart jars, so you will need a stock pot large enough to handle large quantities of foods like applesauce, pie filling, etc.

I recommend one small saucepan (for simmering lids and rings), one large saucepan or Dutch oven (for medium-large quantities), and one large stockpot (for canning broth, applesauce, and other large volume foods).

These can be the same ones you use in your regular cooking, so long as they are kept very clean and free from debris. My one stipulation is to avoid aluminum at all costs. Instead, opt for heavy-bottomed stainless steel (or enameled cast iron). Aluminum reacts with low acid foods, and it also is very thin and can cause foods to scorch easily.

6. Magnetic Lid Lifter

Adding a lid to your canning jar without touching the bottom can be tricky business. Using a magnetic lid lifter is the easiest way to complete this task, and is often included in canning kits (if you choose to go that route).

If you've assembled your canning supplies over time, you can purchase a lid lifter for just a few bucks.

7. Wide Mouth Canning Funnel

One of my favorite tools that I've invested in is my stainless wide-mouth canning funnel. This makes transferring jams, pie fillings, and fruits into narrow jar openings a total breeze. It also helps to keep the rim of the jar clean from most debris - which saves time in the long run.

It's not a must-have, but it's definitely a nice-to-have.

8. Ladle, Whisk, etc.

If you have a well equipped kitchen, you probably don't need to invest into many utensils to round out your water bath canning supplies. You probably already have the basics on hand!

I recommend a stainless ladle, whisk, slotted spoon, spoon (stainless and wood), and strainer.

9. Kitchen Towels

You will need some thick kitchen towels at the ready during the canning process. I use these mostly for protecting the counter from hot jars, as well as for wiping the lids clean from debris (paper towel works too).

Once your jars are processed they will need to rest for 24 hours without being jostled around. I use a folded kitchen towel and it works great.

10. Permanent Marker or Labels

One of the most important things to remember when canning food at home is to always label your food. This includes the contents of the jar (ex. low sugar strawberry jam), as well as the date preserved. This ensures you're able to rotate your canned foods and use them up in a timely manner.

I recommend using a sharpie to label the lid of the jar, but some folks like to use dissolvable labels instead. The choice is yours!