Just a little tip if you’re thinking of pickling anything this summer be it cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, eggs… you name it… NOW is the time to purchase your canning herbs and spices for pickling supplies whether it is the canning herbs and spices you’ll use or canning lids to seal the jars.

If you’re going to do a lot of canning, I have found this common canning pickles spices option to have the best price per ounce when compared to purchasing dry canning spices / seasonings in the grocery store or elsewhere. (If you find a better deal, please let me know in the comments below so we can all be helped as inflation continues to rise.) Another good resource sometimes is a Mexican Supermarket if you have one nearby. You can often find dried seasonings for sell for less at these wonderful Mexican grocery stores.

Buying bulk is the way to go, so you won’t run out of what you need. Remember, you can store any extra seasonings in an air-tight glass jar or vacuum-sealed container and place in the freezer to extend the life of your seasonings, even to the next growing season.

Don’t forget to grab pectin as well. You can purchase by the box or as a ready-to-go liquid (I prefer the later) that can be used to make jams and homemade jelly recipes.

And don’t forget that you will need oxygen absorbers for any items where you simply dehydrate and store in a glass jar! Those will be needed for any type of preservation whether you are putting into vacuum packed bags or storing dry goods in a glass Mason jar in the pantry.

If you’re wanting to learn more about canning, there are some great resources that you can utilize. A good place to start is your local extension office. Every state has an extension program through the Universities and have Web sites. You can call your local extension office with any food preservation question. In addition, they can offer water and well-water testing, radon testing, and even testing your dial gauge pressure canner for accuracy to make sure your canner is safe ahead of canning season. This can especially be helpful with older pressure canners.

The following preservation information resources were established with funding from the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Here are a few quick links to information you can find if you want to deep dive on learning more:

• USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning
• USDA Publications and USDA Canning Guide and USDA’s Guide to Canning Seafood
• National Center for Home Food Preservation

• Clemson University Extension Food Preservation Information
• Cornell University Extension Food Preservation Information
• Illinois Extension Food Preservation Information
• Iowa State University Extension Food Preservation Information
• Montana State University Extension Food Preservation Information
• New Hampshire Extension Food Preservation Information
• New Mexico State University Extension Food Preservation Info
• North Carolina Extension Food Preservation Information
• Oklahoma State University Extension Food Preservation Information
• Oregon State University Extension Food Preservation Information
• Penn State Extension Food Preservation Information
• South Dakota State Extension Food Preservation Information
• Texas A& M Extension Food Preservation Information
• UGA Extension Food Preservation Information & Classes
• University of Alaska Extension Food Preservation Information
  (Did you know you can even can or preserve seaweed, meat of all sorts, and uncommon berries?)
• University of Arizona Extension Food Preservation Information
• University of California Extension Food Preservation Information
• University of Connecticut Extension Food Preservation Info
• University of Idaho Extension Food Preservation and 4H Resources
• University of Florida Extension Food Preservation Information
• University of Maine Extension Food Preservation Information
• University of Nevada Extension Food Preservation Information
• University of Tennessee Extension Food Preservation Information
  (They also have some fantastic meat preserving resources available.)
• University of Vermont Extension Food Preservation Information
• University of Wisconsin Extension Food Preservation Information
• Utah State Extension Food Preservation Information
• Virginia Tech Extension Food Preservation Information
• Washington State University Extension Food Preservation Information
• West Virginia Extension Food Preservation Information

There’s so much more that could be said about canning and food preservation, but I’ll stop there for now as those are the essentials that come to mind. The key thing is that if you’re growing your own food, get your canning and preserving supplies now before the season starts as dry canning seasonings and spices, canning jars, canning lids, and such sell out when harvests are on!

Happy growing (and planning!)

Erin