Instructions: A sure sign of the harvest are the cases of Ball and Kerr jars on supermarket shelves this time of year. They beckon shoppers to put food by for winter. Home canning is a great way to save money and to capture summers bounty.

For all the reasons that move people into preserving at home, Ballistra, the jar seller, says the major factor is the weather. "If we get the right combination of sun and rain at the right time, gardens flourish. When that happens, people tend to do more canning," said the company.

So if your garden has exploded, there are tools to make preserving tasks less of a chore. What youll need depends on which foods youre preserving and what methods you plan to use.

For canning:
High-acid foods such as jams can be processed in a regular canner, a large pot with a wire insert rack to hold jars. It can be put up in a boiling water canner, which can cost as little as $20. The canner should be deep enough so that at least one inch of a boiling water will be over the jar tops during processing.

Any food with a ph value higher than 4.5 must be processed in temperatures than can be achieved and sustained in a pressure canner. They typically cost anywhere from $100 to $150, depending on how many pint or quart jars fit into them. A pressure canner will process the food at a higher temperature.

The chief danger here is botulism, a potentially fatal disease caused by a microorganism that can survive the mere 212 F of boiling water. The botulism organism cant grow in acidic foods such as fruits or anything in vinegar. For guidance, go to the leading expert on the issue, the USDA. Complete Guide to Home Canning.

Its best not to pinch pennies too tightly, though. Old canning equipment may not be reliable. Because it is so important that steam gauges be accurate, for example, food safety experts advise they be checked every year. An error of one pound of pressure can mean a temperature error of three to four degrees. The older the gauge, the less accurate it will be.

Grandmas old canner likely wont have the steam venting safety features that a modern canner does and is more likely to be warped. And if you have to replace the pressure gauge, it might not be manufactured any longer. Dont try to use a standard pressure cooker as a canner since it heats and cools too quickly to process food safely.

Jars and lids: Glass screw-top canning jars - Mason jars - with a seal and screw-band lid are the most widely available. They typically come in two sizes: a regular mouth and wide-mouth. The lids and jars can be used again, while the seals should be used only once.

Even though its tempting to use old jars, be advised that the older they are, the more likely they are to crack or seal improperly, spoiling the food. A Mason jar has a reliable life of 12 to 13 years. Lids are meant for likewise use.

Drying food

Although its possible to sun-dry food, the method requires sustained sunny days with outdoor temperatures of more than 98 F (37 C), so naturally, dehydrators are fairly popular. They range in price from $80 to several hundred dollars, depending largely on their capacity. They are great for fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes and have the added benefit of taking up little space.

Freezing food

Of course freezing food is an option thats easy, but not quite as simple as one might hope. Its safe, because the botulism organism stops growing at 0 F. And for equipment, all you need is freezer bags and ordinary pots and pans for blanching. The freezer, actually, is the hard part. You need a freezer that maintains a temperature of 0 F (-18 C), a low temperature that most freezer compartments within refrigerators cannot maintain.

Its best if you have a stand-alone freezer, and its contents must be managed, so the old food doesnt stay on the bottom too long and develop a taste like cardboard. For freezer management tips, the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offers the "So Easy to Preserve Guide to Home Freezing."

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