Canning Tools for the Jam/Jelly Maker

Knowing what kind of starter equipment you need for your canning toolkit is essential for those interested in becoming a jam and jelly maker. While you may think that it would be quite expensive to acquire the required items to start canning, there are only a few items that you absolutely must have to get started.

For your convenience, I have included Amazon links to my recommended products throughout the article. I only include items I have used or would be willing to use myself.

Required equipment to make Ja m or Jelly:

• Canning jars with lids and rings (Mason jars)
• Dutch oven or large pot (It cannot be aluminum.)
• Funnel (Preferably large necked)
• Large spoon (I use wooden or stainless steel.)
• Measuring cup (It is best to use the same cup for all ingredients for exact measuring.)
• Straining cloth (Normally a cheesecloth or white cotton fabric)
• Scale (Precise measurements required)

The great thing is that you will typically not have to go to a great expense to start making jams and jellies. Most items you need can be found in any well-stocked kitchen.

To make jam or jelly, you will need jars, lids, and rings, measuring cups, a large spoon, various pots, pans, and utensils.

While you probably have most of the minimum required supplies in your kitchen, let’s check and make sure. The rest of the article will go into detail on the items you must have as well as the optional “luxury” items.

Jam & Jelly Making Tool Kit List

I have compiled a six-part list of the tools needed to make jams and jellies. It may seem overwhelming, but remember that almost everything you need is probably already in your kitchen.

I recommend starting with only the basics. Once you try making a batch or two of homemade jelly and become hooked on the process, you may find that you simply must become the best jam and jelly maker possible. At that point, you can upgrade your stock of kitchen equipment.

I have seldom purchased anything specific to use in making jam and jelly except for the jars, lids, and rings. However, recently I finally went out and got a kit containing tongs/jar lifter, a jar funnel, a lid lifter, and a speckled enamel canning pot. These few items have made the process much more manageable.

1. Jars

The most crucial thing you need in canning or jelly making is good canning jars (Amazon affiliate link) to preserve the food. They must be made for canning so that they will not break when boiled or cooked under pressure. Canning jars can be reused, no matter how old they are. As long as they are not chipped, cracked, or otherwise damaged, you can keep recycling them year after year.

Interesting Fact: Even though the jars are most often called “Mason” jars, most are labeled as Mason, Ball, or Kerr. The molded glass jars that we use for food storage were invented by John Landis Mason in 1858. They are made of soda-lime glass and are designed with a screw thread on the jar’s mouth that allows a threaded metal ring or band to be screwed down tightly to hold a lid in place until sealed.

Canning jars are made in 6 different sizes:

• Half-Gallon – This size is made for canning fruits, vegetables, and meat, but not for jam or jelly, as that amount probably would not set properly.
• Quarts—Quart jars are also used for canning fruit, vegetables, and meat, but not jam or jelly. If you put jam or jelly into a quart jar, it will likely not gel.
• Pints – A general-purpose size jar that is good for anything.
• 12-ounce – Can be used for anything, but primarily for jam and jelly.
• 8-ounce—The primary purpose of the 8-ounce jar is for jam, jelly, sauces, and pickles, and they are made in many different shapes.
• 4-ounce – Used almost exclusively for jam and jelly and made in several shapes.

Types of jars:

• Regular Mouth
  The mouth of these jars is 2-3/8 inches for inner diameter and 2-3/4 inches for outer.
• Large Mouth
  The mouth of these jars is 3 inches inner and 3-3/8 inches outer diameter. These are great for making pickles and canning fruits and vegetables as they are easier to fill.

2. Measuring Cups and Spoons

I recommend using measuring cups that measure all the way to the rim, as it is difficult to get an exact measure with cups using hash marks. Also, you may want to use the same cup or cups to measure the fruit or juice and the sugar so there are no discrepancies in those measurements that could cause your jam or jelly not to set properly.

You will also want to have measuring spoons on hand to measure any lemon juice, spices, or flavorings you use.

3. Pots & Pans

1. A large stockpot is needed to cook the berries or other fruit to obtain the juice. Here is a good one that I recommend. A stockpot when fitted with a rack can also do double duty as a boiling water bath canner.
2. Stainless steel, copper, or coated cast iron Dutch oven (at least 5.5 or 6-quart size) for cooking jam and jelly. Never use aluminum pots or utensils for cooking jam, jelly, and other foods to be canned. You can buy a preserving pan with a thick bottom and a wide top made for making jam, but the Dutch oven will work just fine. Here is a great pot found on Amazon. And here is a budget version that will also do the job.
3. Pot of any kind for heating lids. I use a 3-quart saucepan.
4. Canner or large stockpot for boiling water bath. Be sure to use a canning rack like this one or some sort of rack in the canner so that jars are not set directly on the bottom of the pot. The water must be able to circulate under and around the jars during the boiling water bath process.
5. Dishpans or large mixing bowls that hold at least 3 gallons. Aluminum pans can be used when washing fruit and preparing juice, but never for cooking the jelly. Large plastic bowls can also be used for washing fruit and preparing juice.
6. Low oblong pans at least 13″ x 9″ x 2″ like these for sterilizing jars.

4. Rings and Lids

As with the jars, the rings can be reused many times unless they become damaged, but the lids are designed for a single use.

• Rings to fit the jars you are using, large or regular mouth
  The rings should be left on the jars of canned food until it is completely cool. However, when the food is completely cool and ready to be stored, remove the rings from the jars as they can rust over time. Rings can be reused indefinitely unless they become damaged or start to rust. If the jars of food are being gifted or shipped, leave the rings on as they will protect the seal of the jar lids.
• Lids to fit the jars being used, large or regular mouth
  Lids can be used only one time. If reused, the lids may or may not reseal. They can certainly be reused if you are only storing something in the jars and not trying to seal them.

Here are some replacement rings and lids found on Amazon

5. Utensils

1. Bubble Tool—This tool measures headspace in jars and removes air bubbles from your jam or jelly. It is not absolutely necessary, as you can just eyeball the headspace and use a wooden chopstick or skewer to remove the air bubbles, but it is a handy tool.
2. Canning Tongs – Regular kitchen tongs can be used, but they are unreliable, and it is easy to drop a jar either back into the water or onto a kitchen surface, which could result in the jar breaking or the jelly maker getting burned by splashing hot water.
3. Colander for straining fruit.
4. Funnels – Large-necked funnels are needed to pour jelly, jam, fruits, and vegetables into the jars. Regular funnels can be used for pouring juice and jelly.
5. Labels – Be sure to label your jars with contents and the date. Believe me, in a few weeks, you won’t remember just when you made that batch of jelly and whether it is blueberry or blackberry.
6. Ladel—A stainless steel long-handled ladle with a spout is handy for filling jars with hot jam or jelly.
7. Lid lifter – I used a fork to lift lids out of the hot water for many years, but a lid lifter works much better.
8. Scales – For measuring fruit or pectin, as some recipes call for weight measurements such as 2 pounds of fruit or 1.75 ounces of pectin.
9. Spoons – Large stainless steel or wooden spoons for stirring fruit, jam, and jelly.
10. Straining Cloth – Jelly bag, cheesecloth, or plain white fabric for straining fruit. 
11. Sugar or Candy Thermometer – Some jam and jelly recipes call for cooking to a specific temperature, so having a thermometer on hand is good.
12. Timer – Recipes must be followed precisely, and a timer can help ensure your canned food turns out right. Most stoves, microwaves, and other kitchen appliances now include a timer. If you don’t have one, though, inexpensive timers are available at many stores.

Do Not Use Aluminum or Untreated Cast Iron For Making Jam and Jelly

You may have heard you should never use aluminum or cast iron pots to make jam and jelly. But, do you know why? Well, I have heard this all my life from my mother, but I never actually understood the reason for this “rule.” I had to look it up.

Food with a high acid content is safe for boiling water bath canning. High-acid food has a pH of 4.6 or below; the lower the pH, the higher the acid content. The acid content of food like jam and pickles keeps the preserved food safe while stored.

Aluminum or cast iron cannot be used to make jams and jellies because they are “reactive.” These metals react with the food’s acid, allowing a metallic flavor to leach into the food. Copper is the only reactive metal that does not leech a metallic flavor into foods.

So, when cooking these high-acid foods, a precaution you must take is to make sure you cook them in a non-reactive pot.

To be safe, when doing any kind of canning, use a stainless steel, copper, or coated cast iron pot when cooking your food. You can use any aluminum pots or pans when cooking the fruit for the juice, heating the jars and lids, and boiling water bath, just not for cooking the jam, jelly, or other high-acid food.

Can Glass Mayonnaise or Salad Dressing Jars Be Used For Jam or Jelly?

Glass mayonnaise or salad dressing jars are not recommended for use in canning. However, if the jars are made to fit the 2-piece canning jar lid so that you can get a good seal, it would be alright to use them for jam or jelly or any product that doesn’t require further processing.

They could be used for processing in a boiling water bath but never used when processing in a pressure canner.

If you use these jars, expect more seal failures and jar breakage. I have used pint mayonnaise jars for jelly many times and haven’t had any problems.

Jelly or Jam-Making Tool Articles

• What Do I Need to Make Jam or Jelly? | Complete Checklist
• The Best Jars for Canning | Which Size to Use by Food Type
• Choosing the Best Pot For Making Jam or Jelly | 8 Key Features
• What Sugar Is Best For Jam? (And Which Types to Avoid)
• The 3 Best Pectin Brands for Canning Jelly, Jam, and Preserves
• Reusable Canning Lids | Should You Use Them?

Here is a video of me making my most popular type of jelly:

Final Thoughts

The only equipment you must have to make jam or jelly is good canning jars, rings, lids, a large stainless steel or wooden spoon, measuring cups, and a copper, stainless steel, or clad cast iron pot or Dutch oven. However, a canner, canning tongs, a lid lifter, and a couple of large necked funnels would be worth their weight in gold.

Just be sure you don’t use an aluminum or cast iron pot to cook your jam or jelly as an unpleasant metallic flavor could leach into your canned food.

I hope this article has been helpful to you.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jelly Grandma

For more, don’t miss Choosing the Best Pot For Making Jam or Jelly | 8 Key Features.

Also check out: What Do I Need to Make Jam or Jelly? | Complete Checklist.