When you’re canning but can’t find your canning rack, it can be super frustrating. This DIY canning rack is the perfect quick fix! Make one up in less than 5 minutes and get your canners ready!
I love to can my own food. Call it a hobby or whatever you want, but I find such joy in putting up foods for my family. It not only saves me money but also makes it so we can eat out of season fruits and vegetables during the off-season without spending a ton of money. So can you imagine my frustration when I went to get my water bath canner one night and couldn’t find the canning rack for it?
It was not a pretty sight.
How to Make a Canning Rack at Home
Luckily for my canned strawberries in juice, I knew how to make a quick DIY canning rack that works in a pinch. And lucky for me, my husband had zip ties on hand so I swiped a few of those for my quick project.
It’s not the prettiest thing in the world, but it does work amazingly well. Far better than I thought it would.
I may have done a slight jig in the kitchen when I realized how well it would work. The dog looked at me as if I had lost my mind.
Can I Use a Homemade Canning Rack in a Pressure Canner?
My honest answer is that I don’t know. While I don’t see any reason that you could not, I never have. I have used my homemade version only when I can’t find my regular one – thanks kids – and only in a boiling water bath canner.
The lids would be fine in a pressure canner, but I am not certain how the zip ties would hold up. Because of this, I can only recommend you using it in a water bath and not in a pressure canner.
However, if you have successfully used one in a pressure canner, please leave me a comment and let me know so I can add it to this post and help others.
Do I Need a Special Canner for Boiling Water Bath Canning?
Absolutely not. In reality all you need is a very large pot with a heavy bottom. THIS is actually the one I use (Amazon).
You will notice in the pics for this post, I’m actually using a much smaller pot. I was only canning 4 oz. jelly jars so I used an even smaller pot. In other words, whatever you have, will most likely work.
I am New to Canning, Can I Use this Rack?
Yes! This homemade canning rack has little to do with your canning experience. However, if you are new to canning, I highly recommend you hop on over HERE and read my post on the basics of canning as well as THIS list of must have canning supplies.
I would also recommend you look at THESE 16 canning safety tips before you get started.
You Will Need:
What Can I Use for a Canning Rack?
You will find that this DIY canning rack is great to use when you don’t have anything else and need a canning rack in a pinch. You’ll also notice that it is incredibly easy to make.
You will need to make certain that you’re only using small mouth canning lids. Using wide mouth would allow your jars to slip through and sit on the bottom of the pot.
If you have canned before, you know this is bad juju that leads to broken jars due to coming into contact with higher heat than the jars are rated for.
How to Make a DIY Canning Rack
Equipment
- Large Canning Pot
Ingredients
- Regular Mouth Mason Jar Rings
- Small Zip Ties
Instructions
- Line the bottom of your canning pot with mason jar rings to see how many you will need. Make sure to cover as much of the pot as possible.
- Attach the rings to each other – forming a circle to match the bottom of your pot – using the zip ties.
- Double check your fit and finish attaching the rings together. Snip the zip ties as closely to the ring as possible. Use in your canning pot with the rings right side up. Set jars on the lids making sure they're even to keep them off the bottom of the canner.
