Canning - Jars vs. Cans

Generally canning with glass jars is best, simply because you can see the produce. It's easy to check for damage, leaking, and discoloration. Glass jars are also cheaper, easier to use, and you can reuse them over and over again! Tin cans may not break like a glass jar, but if you use tin cans for canning, you'll need to buy a sealing device.

Glass jars commonly used today have either a porcelain-lined cap, which consists of a screw top and rubber ring, or a self-sealing cap, which consists of a flat lid with sealant around the rim and a screw-on band that holds the lid against the lip of the jar. The band can be reused, but you should use a new lid for each process. Old-fashioned clamp-type jars can still be found, but do not use decorative replicas for canning. With this type, the glass lid and rubber ring are held in place with a long clamp during processing, and then a short clamp is snapped down for a tight seal.