Canning jar candles are very easy to make, make great gifts, and are only limited by your imagination!

To start all you need are some narrow-mouth canning jars, wire ribbon, potpourri, candles, small glass votive candle holders, and craft glue or a hot glue gun.

If you don’t have any old canning jars, you can find some very inexpensively at thrift stores and yard sales. Wire ribbon can be a little expensive. Look for it at yard sales and at craft store clearance sales. The after-Christmas sales a great time to stock up. One roll of ribbon will make several canning jar candles. Potpourri you can make yourself or buy on sale. Votive candles are inexpensive at stores like Target or Walmart, and you can also find glass candle holders very inexpensively at Walmart. You want one that will set in the rim of the canning jar.

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Canning pickles is a very important process which must be done with great care and precision. Pickles need to be canned well before they are consumed. Storage of pickles is done in cans so that they are ready to be eaten. Canning pickles is a long procedure and involves the following steps;

1. Bring together all the utensils and equipment necessary while canning pickles. Clean the equipment well. Ensure that the utensils are functional and not broken or chipped.
2. The pickle barrels and jars must be examined minutely for any cracks, scratches or chippings. The bands of the lids must also be examined properly.
3. It is recommended that the jars be washed in hot water with a bit of soap in it. Allow them to boil properly. Heating of the jars is necessary as it enables forming an air tight seal and thus prevents any sort of contamination of the pickle.
4. Dry the bands of the jars as well as lids.
5. Follow the recipe of the pickle to be made. When the pickle is ready, carefully place it inside the jars. Remove any air bubbles with the help of a spoon or a spatula.
6. Lid the jars firmly and tightly. Rubber bands may be used for securing the lids well in place.
7. Wipe the jars and the lids with a damp cloth to remove any residue. Residue may cause improper sealing which may prove dangerous.
8. Additional processing is required. This is done by placing the jars in simmering water for about 10 minutes until it comes to a boil. This additional processing ensures killing of microbes. After this processing when the jars are cooled, they become air tight and thus microbes are prevented from entering the inside of the jars. The heat should be properly adjusted and should not cause cracks or damaging of pickles. The heating can be done by 2 methods. Either a canner may be used which contains water and the cans are placed in it or else a large pot may be used in which the jars can be directly placed.
9. After the processing period ends, remove the jars from the boiling water. Dry them with the help of clean and dry towels. Spread them onto the towels to enable proper and natural air circulation.
10. It is recommended that after 12 to 20 hours the seals of the jars along with the bands must be checked properly.
11. Wash properly the exterior of all the jars. Once this is done, label the jars properly and store them in a cool, dry and a dark place.
12. After about a month the pickle is ready to eat. The pickle should be eaten within a year of its opening.
13. Once a jar of pickle is opened, it should be stored in the refrigerator.

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Hovering just over Orchard Road and set in the midst of Singapore’s cultural district is Fort Canning Park. A little small though it may seem, the location is actually at the highest elevation and close by to the city’s central business district. Fort Canning Park offers tourist a wide variety of activities to engage in while wondering through its lush greenery and beautiful lawns.

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Glass jars are no doubt the very best way to proceed in home canning whether it be pressure canning or hot water water boiling canning. I would never use metal containers because of the one-time use and most importantly the requirement and expense of sealing equipment in using metal cans.

THe Mason jar with its regular and wide mouths with the open threaded neck for the ring and lids that Seal are definitely the best for home canning. Your Mason jar requires only lids each time of use in home canning.You must wash the jars before every use in hot water. The use of a mild detergent is necessary with a complete rinse after such a cleaning. This will not sterilize the jars but it does clean the jars for prolonged water boiling or pressure canning.

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When choosing how to pickle or what pickle recipe’s you would like to try, there are a number of things you want to keep in mind. One of those things is which canning method you would like to use. Home canning is a very simple process that can be done in two ways: pressure canning, or water-bath canning. Pressure canning is a process that requires a pressure canner, which can be often times, be expensive. You may however be able to find a cheap one with a little bit of hunting through garage sales or flea markets. Water-bath canning, on the other hand, can be done using only a couple of simple tools. We will assume that you will be using a water-bath canning method. The following article will explain this particular method.

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