Are you a first-time home gardener, trying to figure out what to do with your over-abundant tomato harvest? 

Did you accidentally buy too many on-sale cucumbers at the grocery store last week, and you’re now stuck wondering how you could possibly eat them all before they go bad?

Does your mother-in-law send you a giant crate of farm-fresh peaches each summer, and you find yourself dreading the thought of overindulging in peach cobbler this year?

If you’ve found yourself in any of these situations, we may have a solution for you – canning! Canning can feel like an intimidating process to many people, but we’re here to tell you that it’s not as scary as it may seem – and, what’s more, it’s highly rewarding.  

Canning is the time-honored way of processing many soft fruits, vegetables and other ingredients to use throughout the whole year – it’s an easy process that turns fresh food into delicious preserves that can be safely stored for months. 

Canning is thrifty, fun, and straightforward – that is, if you have the right supplies. Ace Hardware of Fort Collins carries the canning essentials you need to tackle even the most ambitious canning projects. See our list below of canning jars, lids, rings, and accessories – we have everything you need to get started with this hobby, or to top off your canning kit so you’re ready for the new preserving season. 

Jars (of all shapes and sizes!):

Ball Quilted Crystal Regular Mouth Jelly Jar 4 oz 12 pk

Ball regular mouth (4 oz) Quilted Crystal jelly jars are ideal for fresh preserving recipes such as jams, jellies, sauces, mustards and flavored vinegars. The Quilted Crystal design adds a decorative touch to these multi-purpose jars – also use them for serving, creative decor and gift-giving.

Ball Regular Mouth Mason Jar 8 oz 12 pk

Ball Regular Mouth 8 oz glass preserving jars are ideal for fresh preserving recipes such as jams, jellies, conserves and preserves. Our famous glass jars and closures go beyond fresh preservation and also help you with serving.

Anchor Hocking Anchorglass Regular Mouth Mason Jar 8 oz 12 pk

Experience the versatility of the Anchor Hocking pint canning jar set. You’ll find virtually endless applications for these multi-purpose items in your home.

Pur Wide Mouth Mason Jar 64 oz 6 pk

Each mason jar is made from flawless clear glass to ensure the highest possible visibility, allowing you to easily view the contents of the jelly jar and determine if it is spoiled. Ideal for canning, storage, fermenting, meal prep and craft projects.

Canning accessories & supplies:

Presto 7-Function Canning Kit

This handy kit includes all of the most needed canning accessories. The 7 function accessory set includes a digital timer, canning funnel, combination bubble remover/lid lifter, jar lifter, kitchen tongs and jar wrench. Battery included. Canning funnel assures neat and easy filling of regular- or wide-mouth canning jars. The flat end of the combination bubble remover/lid lifter gently releases trapped air bubbles from liquid in jars. Use the magnetic end to assist in lifting canning lids from hot water. A jar lifter helps to easily and safely place hot jars in the canner before processing and then helps remove hot jars after processing.

Granite Ware Canner with lid & Jar Rack 21.5 qt 3 pc

Enjoy your favorite fruits and vegetables throughout the year. This canner includes a 21.5 quart. Canner with side handles, a lid and jar rack. Porcelain surface with durable steel core provides excellent heat distribution, reducing heat-up time and saving energy. Stain and odor resistant surface. Canner is suitable for gas or electric stovetops.

Fox Run Wide Mouth Ball Jar Lifter

This handy jar lifter does the job safely and easily for you. Its rubber grip safely grabs the bottle while keeping your hands and fingers away from the hot jars.

Norpro Wide Mouth Canning Funnel

The Norpro 607 plastic canning funnel helps you eliminate spills. It has an extra wide mouth to make it easier to pour a liquid or solid inside. The vented plastic funnel produces a fast flow into the container and is available in green. Plastic green canning funnel is suitable for canning and preserving many foods and ingredients. This canning funnel is made from durable plastic for long-lasting quality and can be used with both large and small jars.

Fox Run Jelly and Jam Strainer Set 3 pk

Filter out seeds when making your favorite homemade jams and jellies with this strainer set. Separate unwanted food particles from your culinary creations. The stand features hooked feet that bend to fit different size pans, pots, or bowls for convenient straining. Fox Run replacement bags available (Item No. 5259). Disassembles for space-saving storage. Perfect for canning, sieving good stocks and broths, ridding fresh squash from its excess water and more.

Shortcuts to foolproof canning:

Ball RealFruit Classic Pectin 4.7 oz

This flexible container is perfect for multiple uses. It replaces 3-4 traditional boxes of pectin – a great value. With a little fruit, make fresh jam. Ball brand real fruit classic flex batch pectin is perfect for making great-tasting traditional jams, now with reduced-sugar recipe included.

Ball Citric Acid 7.5 oz

Tomatoes need a lower pH so that they may be water bath canned. Citric acid naturally lowers the pH without changing the tomato flavor like lemon juice does. This product provides a pantry-ready alternative to lemon juice when canning tomatoes. Citric acid keeps your tomatoes tasting like tomatoes!

Ball Kosher Dill Pickle Mix 13.4 oz

Homemade crunchy pickles have never been easier. No need to waste time with pickling lime and hassle with soaking cucumbers to make crisp pickles.

What fruits and vegetables do you have on hand that could be canned? Take a look at the recipes below before you get started – we’re confident that you’ll be a canning whiz in no time with a little practice!

Tried-and-true recipes to get you started:

Canning 101 – A Beginner’s Guide To Preserving Food

These expert tips will help you create shelf-stable food to stock your pantry with these two preserving methods. Learn which one you should be using for different kinds of foods.

Homemade Peach Jam

Nothing says “summer” like biting into a fresh, sweet, juicy peach at the perfect stage of ripeness. This jam manages to capture all that spectacular warm weather flavor in a jar for eating any time of the year.

Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles

Fresh garlic, homemade pickling spice, and chili peppers give these easy, traditional homemade dill pickles a seriously delicious, spicy kick.

The Best Homemade Salsa for Canning

With hundreds of 5-Star reviews, this is the BEST homemade salsa. Delicious as soon as you make it, or can to enjoy all year long.

Don’t let the thought of canning intimidate you – once you get the hang of it, you won’t be able to stop whipping up homemade jams, jellies, marmalades and pickles. If you have questions about the canning process – or if you’re wondering what you might need to get started – stop by Ace Hardware of Fort Collins today! Our team of experts can point you in the right direction, so that you can get started with this delicious hobby right away (before your fruit goes bad!).