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For the past few years, I have been canning things. I have also tried my hand at making cheese, dehydrating things and of course I enjoy woodworking, too. Building up an arsenal of tools to make these things, or to keep making these things, can take a little while. Here is a selection of gift ideas for canners and urban homesteaders.
The Best Gifts for Canners and Homesteaders
I chose these gift ideas for canners and urban homesteaders based on my own experience with canning. If you haven’t tried it yet yourself, I definitely recommend giving canning a shot! Start with something easy and foolproof, like homemade pickles, and then work your way up to jams, jellies, and other preserves. Trust me, it’s so worth it!
Vintage Canning Knowledge Print
This gift idea would be a lovely addition to a canner or urban homesteader’s kitchen or processing area. It has a bunch of helpful reference info all organized in a way that makes it a trendy, vintage style art print. Don’t forget to frame it before gifting!
Canning Jar Lid Covers
These are a pretty way to add something extra to home canning. Handmade from muslin cotton, they’re perfect for canners and homesteaders who like to gift what they make to others. Don’t throw them away; they’re meant to be used again and again!
Funny Canning Season Shirt
If your canner already has all the supplies you need you can’t go wrong with funny canning related t-shirts when it comes to gift ideas for canners. This one is absolutely hilarious; if you didn’t already know, Ball is the most popular canning jar brand.
Food Mill
This is a great, practical gift idea for the home canner. If they don’t already have one, a food mill saves so much time processing fruit and veggies, especially if they garden.
Mason Jars
Mason Jars are something you can never have enough of. They walk out the door for good when you give them to your new neighbour, or your co-worker. Plus, you never know when there’s going to be a clearance sale on something delicious at the grocery store. You’d hate to find yourself short of affordable mason jars!
Mason Jar Labels
Are those Mason Jar Labels cute?! There are a whole heap of labels out there to choose from, for prettying up your creations, before risking handing them out to friends, or giving them away as Christmas presents.
Mason Jar Rings and Lids
Mason Jar Rings and Lids are another constantly needed supply. Invariably, I am out of one or the other and have to buy a ton more. The odd sized jar ring I have always seems to get rusty on me, too.
Mason Jar Lids and Rings Organizer
Once you stock them up on lids and rings help keep that canning station organized with these handy wooden organizers. The rings go on top and there’s a compartment under for the lids.
Jar Tongs
Nice Jar Tongs beat the pants off of no jar tongs or cheap jar tongs. That purple pair in the picture is spring loaded, massively reducing your chances of dropping a jar and shattering hot glass and contents all over.
Mason Jar Drinking Lid
Plastic Mason Jar Lids come in a HUGE variety of styles. There’s the plain screw top lids, which make it easy to put things in your pantry, there’s the sippy cup/coffee cup type, or there’s ones with a spout and a snap shut closure. neato.
Sharpie Markers
Sharpies are the way to label things when you can’t be bothered to create labels. You can still use fun colours, though. It’s important to know if you picked the chili apple sauce or the regular type.
Label Maker
This Label Maker is so cute in orange! They make more professional labels, that you don’t have to hand write. Plus, you can use a label maker for so, so many things! I highly recommend getting one with a QWERTY keyboard. I didn’t and I really regret it, it’s so, so slow to find all the letters!
Large Wooden Cutting Board
My Mom says that my Grandma says you have to cool everything on top of a Wooden Cutting Board. Don’t tell my Grandma, but we use a towel or a tea towel most of the time. Even if you’re not cooling things on a big cutting board, you’re chopping and cleaning things by the dozen, so a giant cutting board is super-handy.
Chef’s Knife
Canners are processing things in bulk, and having a Nice Knife makes the whole process much, much more pleasant.
Pickling Salt
Have you ever seen how much Pickling Salt goes into pickles? It’s a LOT!
Canning Book
There’s more to canning than strawberry jam and grape jelly. Pick up some Cookbooks as a gift and discover delicious new flavours.
Organic Cane Sugar
If you have never seen jam and jelly made, you are probably living in blissful ignorance about the amount of Sugar that goes into such things. It’s usually 50/50 fruit and sugar in jam. My spouse was shocked and appalled.
Pectin
Pectin is the stuff that makes canning set up, aka how fruit juices turn into jellies. Pomona’s makes a no-sugar required one, which is pretty nifty.
Canning Log PDF Journal
Although you can buy canning log books that are pre-made, this printable journal is great because you can print only the pages you need, and as many copies of the ones you use all the time. Print them off and add to a nice binder for a complete gift, then send them the PDF so they can add more pages later.
Sourdough Starter
Every urban homesteader needs a sourdough starter! Once you give them this they’ll be able to make their own sourdough right at home. Once you get going, check out this article to feed and maintain the starter so you can bake perpetually.
Are you a woodworker, who knows a canner or an urban homesteader? Put your skills to work making these really awesome stackable wooden crates which hold mason jars. Here is a youtube video showing you how. They are really not difficult at all, but oh so useful. Maybe you can trade some of these crates for some of our gift ideas for woodworkers?
Are you a canner? What are some of your favourite things? (I hope you sang that in your head, like in the Sound of Music.)
