The best way to learn is to do.

The faster you learn, the less you waste.

The best way to feel confident in a recipe, its ingredients and proportions, and refine the method is to make it again, and again, and again. (same method applies to pretty much anything you want to get good at…)

Don’t wait for the perfect conditions, just start, right where you are, even when a kitchen is undergoing a full gut reno. Where there is a will there’s a way. Google and yes, amazon, make this so much easier than it’s ever been to do. 

It all started with Matt nudging me to make more often and sharing how he started home brewing. In coaching we call that consistency and habits. You have to build the muscle somehow. You have to prove to yourself and the universe that you mean business by backing your words and dreams up with action.

The best way to do that is through consistent effort. 

I googled a single hot plate. None exist that are big enough for the size of pots needed for canning. Google’s algorithm then led me to an outdoor stove. Genius, and oh-so-fun! Plus tomato juice making is messy, so outdoor actually makes sense. 

The following products have made this part of the R&D process easier and have already been used for more than just tomato juice making. 

Outdoor stove: after lots of googling, reading reviews, and following when my heart said “yes-this one,” this outdoor stove has thus far exceeded expectations and, bonus, was super easy to put together.

Electric Canning Pot: I’ve been a Ball Jar Company gal for as long as I can remember. When you grow up with parents who can, how can you not be? (pun absolutely intended!) I don’t know how new this product is, but it’s life changing for anyone that preserves using a hot water bath! It distributes heat more evenly and is easier to handle. Plus the normal canner can be too big for the size of many stoves.

Large stockpot: speaking of even heat distribution, another critical step in cooking the actual juice is to ensure you’re using a solid bottom stainless steel pan. I’ve been using this great 12 qt one from Target.

Food mill: A good food mill is essential (and the job my parents gave me to entertain me as a kid). My dad’s original recipe calls out specifically the Squeezo brand. But today we use one that’s made by Foley.

A great thermometer because slight changes in temperature can really impact the sugar level and taste. The one shown in the video wasn’t actually the best so Matt had me get another one from a home brew store. More to come on that with our next batch! 

Canning Accessories: I don’t think you need all the pieces that come in a canning kit (at least I’ve never seen most of them used in all my years of sous-chefing for my mom and dad). But this more simple set seems to cover your needs nicely.