Mason Jar fun--no paint needed!

With all the cute Mason jar crafts and décor ideas you’ve seen on Pinterest, you are likely to have quite a few canning jars sitting around. But have you ever actually used them for their original purpose? We understand that just thinking about preserving you own food sounds a little scary and overwhelming. However, we are here to tell you: it’s really pretty easy! You’ll need some time and patience, but if you have those two things you can do it! Here are a few things to remember:

1. Don't use jars with any chips or cracks-You want to protect your food by keeping air and other things out. A cracked jar just won’t do that, so keep it for décor, but don’t use it for your food.
2. Clean your jars well-Wash the jars, lids, and rings in hot, soapy water, making sure to rinse well. Then place the jars upright in a large pot, your water bath canner will work well. Fill the pot with hot water until the jars are submerged then bring the water to a boil for 10 minutes. Also, don’t forget to sterilize your lids according to the directions on the box.
3. Be selective with your fruit-Do not use overripe fruit. Canning doesn't improve the quality of food, so if you start out with low quality, it will only get worse in storage.
4. Use the correct canner- There are two ways of canning food 1) the boiling method and 2) the pressure-canning method. The boiling-water method should be used for acidic foods, such as fruit jams and jellies, salsas, tomatoes, and vegetables which are made more acidic by adding vinegar, lemon juice, or citric acid. A pressure canner should be used for low-acid foods, which includes most vegetables and meats. These need to be heated to a higher temperature in a special pressure-canning pot.
5. Make it fun- Recruit some friends and have a party canning your food together. It’s an excuse to get together and remember your mother was right “many hands make light work”.

Right now we have fresh local peaches.  Pick up a 22 lb. case for just $14.99!*

Click here for the recipe to can your own local peaches.

*Valid Monday, August 24, 2015 through Monday, August 31, 2015. Except for Tooele, Richfield, Price and Overton valid Wednesday, August 26, 2015 through Wednesday, September 2, 2015.