Gather up jars, closures, canner and rack, jar lifter, funnel, spatula, recipe ingredients—everything you’ll need to concoct your recipe, bottle it up and process it. Doing so in advance saves you from last-minute scrambles, like when you desperately need your jar lifter and can’t find your spouse or roommate to ask where they stuck it. While you’re at it, go ahead and read through your recipe. Know what you’re getting into, how many jars it yields, and how much time you should be prepared to spend on the entire process. I apply this to everything, whether I’m canning, baking or cooking. That way, I know if something needs to be at room temperature, grated or minced in advance.

Give your gathered jars and their closures a good wash in hot, soapy water. Rinse them thoroughly and set aside. Whether you are using brand spanking new jars or those that are accomplished canning pros, inspect the rims for cracks, nicks or uneven edges. The easiest way to do this is by running your index finger around the circumference of the jar. Although it is unlikely that new jars will have faults, it is not entirely outside the realm of possibility, and weeding out the duds at this point will save you from leaks when canning or jars that fail to seal properly. Check your screw bands, too. If you’re reusing any, discard those that have rusted or show signs of wear, such as scratches or scuff marks.

Fill your canner with enough water to cover the filled jars by three inches. Depending on what sort of rack you are using, you can either put it into the canner at this point, which would be best if using a cake cooling rack, or fill it with jars and use the handles to lower it into the canner. Place whatever sized jars you will be using according to your recipe into the canner atop the rack and allow them to become filled with water. Cover and heat until almost boiling, around 180°F (82°C). Whatever you do, don’t put cooled jars into a boiling pot of water. By following my technique and warming up the canning water and jars at the same time, you eliminate the risk of the jars cracking on account of a rapid change in temperature. Keep the jars hot and the canner covered until ready to begin filling.Alternatively, you can sterilize your jars in the dishwasher, but only if your model has a sterilizing setting. Otherwise, stick with the stovetop method to ensure your jars are properly sterilized.

Note: If you will be processing your jars for less than 10 minutes, then you will need to boil the jars for 10 minutes to sterilize them. Otherwise, go ahead and just keep them warm with the lid on. It can be truly handy to have a teakettle with hot water ready, in the event that you find yourself needing extra water to cover the jars once they have been submerged into the boiling-water bath.

Fill a small pot with about four inches of water. Place lids into the pot, cover and heat until just simmering, around 180°F (82°C). I usually turn off the heat at this point and just keep the pot containing the lids covered, until I begin filling the jars. The screw bands don’t need to be warmed up, just cleaned as described above and set aside until it’s time to start filling the jars.

Work your magic on the stovetop, mixing up whatever your recipe indicates. If you have a recipe with an especially lengthy cooking and preparation time, it is wise to wait until you are finished or at least on the homestretch, before you start warming up your jars and lids. Otherwise, you’ll be using unnecessary energy keeping everything at just under boiling the entire time.

A) Using a jar lifter, carefully remove one jar at a time from the canner, taking care to tip out the water away from you to avoid splashing.

B) Place the empty jar on a kitchen towel or wood cutting board on the counter. Really, any heat-protected surface will work. What you’re looking to avoid is direct contact between a hot jar and a cold surface, such as a marble or granite countertop, which could cause the jar to crack.

C) I find it helpful to pour the recipe contents into a container with a pouring spout, such as a pitcher or a large glass-measuring cup. This way, you’re not pouring your precious concoction all over the place as you attempt to fill your jars.

D) Place a canning funnel over a jar and fill it until there is either ¼-inch (0.5 cm) or ½-inch (1 cm) headspace, depending on what your recipe indicates. Headspace is the space between the top of the food in the jar and underside of the lid. Generally, whole fruits and any pickled and acidified foods such as chutneys, relishes, pickles, condiments and tomatoes require a ½-inch (1 cm) headspace, while fruit spreads and juices need ¼-inch (0.5 cm) headspace. Changes in altitude in no way alter headspace amounts.

E) Using a nonmetallic spatula, bubble releasing tool or chopstick, release any trapped air bubbles inside the jar by running your tool of choice inside, between the food and the jar. Trapped air bubbles can prevent proper sealing, creating leaks and encouraging beasties to grow. After you have released any trapped air bubbles, check the headspace again. Too much space can prevent a proper vacuum seal from forming, while too little can cause the contents of the jar to boil out during processing. Adjust the headspace as needed.

Using a clean, dampened cloth (if your recipe was syrupy) or a dry paper towel (if your recipe was merely a wet one), wipe the rim and threads of each jar, removing any food debris that may have dripped when filling. This step is very important, since food left on this area can interfere with proper sealing.

Remove lids one at a time from their pot using either a magnetic jar lifter or tongs. Center the lids atop each jar and secure with a screw band. Turn each screw band until you feel a little bit of resistance, and then continue twisting on until it is fingertip-tight. Be sure you don’t overtighten the screw bands, since doing so can prevent the jars from venting properly during processing, which can in turn jeopardize a thorough seal from forming. In the case of home canning, it’s all about proper seal formation, really. An improperly sealed jar can causes messes, headaches, thoughts of torching your canning equipment or worse.

Using a jar lifter, place your filled jars one at a time into the canner. Be certain they are sitting on top of the rack and aren’t touching each other, since you want the boiling water to circulate underneath, over and in between each jar. Once all of your jars are in, adjust the water level in the canner as needed to ensure all jars are well-covered. Place the lid on top and bring the water to a rolling boil. Once a sustained boil is reached, you can begin timing. Processing times vary wildly and are based on what type of food item you are preserving. Recipes list processing times to remove the guesswork. The water must continue boiling rapidly for the entire duration of the processing. Remember to adjust processing times to account for adjustments in altitude. Check the water level periodically during processing and add more as needed.

After the processing time is complete, turn off the heat and take the lid off of the canner. Allow the jars to rest for 5 minutes and then remove them one at a time using a jar lifter. Try to avoid tilting the jars as you remove them from the canner. Place the jars on a towel and allow them to cool, untouched, for 24 hours. You might want to drape a kitchen towel over your jars to keep them from catching drafts.

Once your jars have had their “cooling off” period, you’ll want to ensure that they have sealed properly. If you heard lots of popping and pinging coming from your jars as they cooled, you’re pretty much guaranteed success, although you’ll still need to visibly determine whether each jar is sealed. Remove the screw bands from the jars, dry them thoroughly, and return them to the pantry. Screw bands serve no function after processing and should be removed to help prevent rusting caused by water drops wedged between the screw band and the jar threads. Think of screw bands as vestigial remnants of times long past once processing is complete.

Dry off your jars completely, including the lid, threads and body. Next, view your jars from the side, looking for a slight indention in the center of the lid. Press down on the lid with your fingertips and feel around for a downward curving dent. A properly sealed lid will remain in place once you remove your finger, refusing to yield. Still not fully convinced? Grasp your jar by the lid only, checking to see if it remains firmly attached. If your lid springs back when pushed on, slips off either partially or completely, shows no indentation, or displays a stream of tiny bubbles inside (an indication that air is getting into the jar), you will need to reprocess or refrigerate.

Should one of your jars fail to seal properly, you can either reprocess the jar and its contents, or store it in the refrigerator and use within several days. If you opt to reprocess, you will need to begin at the beginning, warming up the contents of your jar, cleaning and heating a jar, and using a new lid. Before you start, though, check the rim of the jar that failed to seal for nicks or cracks. If it’s fine, go ahead and use the same jar again. Otherwise, begin with a new jar. Next, fill the jar, check the headspace, remove air bubbles, and process again in the canner for the amount of time specified in the recipe. It’s good to know in advance, though, that reprocessing undoubtedly will compromise the quality of your finished product, as the contents have been subjected to high temperatures twice now. Alternatively, you could just simply put the jar, unsealed contents and all, in the refrigerator and eat it up within the week. If you’ve processed a large batch of jars and don’t have the time, energy or temperament to reprocess, simply empty the contents into freezer-proof containers and freeze until needed. One caveat: I wouldn’t suggest freezing pickles, though, as the amount of liquid they contain will alter their crunchiness when returned to room temperature.

Finally, label and date your jars. I promise you, you might think you’ll be able to remember which jars had the blackberry jam with jalapeños and which had the blackberry jam with mint, but you won’t. I speak from experience. Label your jars while their contents are fresh in your mind and spare the weak taste buds of your nearest and dearest. Dating the jars is equally as important. When you begin amassing an impressive arsenal of home-canned goods, it will be to know which need eating soon and which can be left to stew in their own juices for a bit longer. For the best flavor and texture, eat your homemade wares within one year. While items that have been canned more than one year might not have necessarily gone bad, their quality will begin to suffer. Many home canners use a permanent magic marker, writing directly on the lid for easy identification. It’s also possible to use labels and stickers, if you’d like your goods to stay pretty for quick gift giving.

Store your jars in a cool, dry, darkened location, such as a pantry or cabinet. If you’re lucky enough to have a basement, you’ve hit the storage jackpot. Home-canned goods need to be kept between 40°F to 70°F in an area free from high humidity. If you are storing your jars in a garage and think the temperature out there might approach freezing, wrap the jars in newspaper or cloth, put them into a cardboard box, and cover the box with a blanket, providing an added layer of insulation against the cold. As far as excessive heat or humidity is concerned, if your storage area reaches over 70°F, consider relocating your canned goods. Too much heat or humidity can cause seals to fail, resulting in spoilage.

You Will Need:

2 pounds okra (ideally, pods should be no longer than 4-inches long)
2½ cups white vinegar
2½ cups water
4 tablespoons pickling or kosher salt
5 garlic cloves, peeled (1 clove per jar)
Cinnamon sticks (1 stick per jar)
Coriander seeds (1 teaspoon per jar)
Cumin seeds (1 teaspoon per jar)
Fresh mint sprigs (2 sprigs per jar)

To Make:

1) Sterilize 5 pint-sized mason jars, lids and screw rings. Fill a canner or large stockpot with water and set over medium-high heat. Bring just to a boiling point.

2) Place the lids into a small saucepan, fill with water, bring to a boil, turn off heat, remove from stovetop and set aside.

3) Wash the okra and trim cut ends. Be careful not to pierce the pods. Set aside.

4) In a medium stainless-steel saucepan, combine the vinegar, water and salt. This is your pickling brine. Bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat.

5) Place the hot jars on top of a kitchen cloth on the counter. Into each jar, place: 1 peeled garlic clove, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and 2 sprigs fresh mint.

6) Pack okra upright in the jars; fill the jars snugly, but not too tightly. With the help of a canning funnel, ladle pickling brine over okra, reserving ½-inch headspace. Use a nonmetallic spatula to remove any trapped air bubbles and wipe rims clean with a damp cloth.

7) Place on the lids and screw bands, tightening only until fingertip-tight.

8) Using a jar lifter, place the jars into the canner. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath. Remember to adjust for altitude.

You Will Need:

2 pounds green beans
2½ cups white vinegar
2½ cups water
4 tablespoons pickling or kosher salt
5 garlic cloves, sliced (one clove per jar)
Red chili flakes (½ teaspoon per jar)
Brown mustard seeds (1 teaspoon per jar)
Smoked paprika (½ teaspoon per jar)

To Make:

1) Sterilize 5 pint-sized Mason jars, lids and screw rings. Fill a canner or large stockpot with water and set over medium-high heat. Bring just to boiling point.

2) Place the lids in a small saucepan, fill with water, bring to a boil, turn off heat, remove from the stovetop and set aside.

3) Wash the green beans and trim the ends. Set aside.

4) In a medium stainless-steel saucepan, combine the vinegar, water and salt. This is your pickling brine. Bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat.

5) Place the hot jars on top of a kitchen cloth on the counter. Into each jar, place: 1 sliced garlic clove, ½ teaspoon chili flakes, 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds, and ½ teaspoon smoked paprika.

6) Pack the green beans upright in the jars; fill the jars snugly but not too tightly. With the help of a canning funnel, ladle pickling brine over the beans, reserving ½-inch headspace.

7) Use a nonmetallic spatula to remove any trapped air bubbles and wipe rims clean with a damp cloth.

8) Place on the lids and screw bands, tightening only until fingertip-tight.

9) Using a jar lifter, place the jars into the canner. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath. Remember to adjust for altitude.

(Reprinted with permission from Homemade Living: Canning & Preserving with Ashley English: All You Need to Know to Make Jams, Jellies, Pickles, Chutneys & More © 2010 by Ashley English, Lark Books, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.)