Just a basic water bath type with accessories for $5 at a garage sale. In the past I've only frozen veggies with good results but I've had an interest in canning for a long time and frozen jalapenos are just a little too "raw" for my tastes. It's not the heat, I just prefer the pickled varieties from the grocery. Definitely my preference for pizza, huge difference in the flavor.
Looks pretty easy, so I picked up some jars at Tractor Supply. Obviously I'm going to want to try some tomatoes and salsa. Ball's website had an interesting recipe for pickled cherry tomatoes ("Dilly tomatoes"). I'd like to try a few things once the harvest begins.
One thing I've found via Google is conflicting information and lots of it. For instance one of my first hits on spaghetti sauce explains why you can't can your own. It gets deep fast regarding acid levels for safe canning and in comments gets into Ph and more. Interesting reading but I'm sure I can at least can a good start to a good sauce. Adding ingredients is part of the fun in cooking for me.
Are there any definitive, trustworthy sites or particular books those of you who can use? I realize for a lot of you it's just a learned skill that you acquired growing up but I'm sure there are some novices that might point me in the right direction. My mom still has the basics but with that said she hasn't canned since she married away from her parents farm a few years back, lol.
Any leads/assistance much appreciated!
