Canning 101

This is a wonderful time of year in the garden. We’re overflowing in basil, tomatoes, bell peppers, and green beans, and our onions, potatoes, and pumpkins are really taking off.

Now that the garden has really kicked into full production mode, we have more tomatoes and basil than we can eat, and the peppers and green beans are keeping us on our toes. I can’t stand to see the produce we have worked so hard for go to waste, so I’ve been reading Putting Up: A Seasonal Guide to Canning in the Southern Tradition by Steve Dowdney and trying to teach myself the fine art of canning. I canned three jars of tomato sauce this weekend, and also made up a batch of purple basil pesto for the freezer.

Then I found these disconcerting reviews of Putting Up on GardenWeb, a resource I really trust. Anyone have any thoughts or recommendations for a good, safe canning method that I can do at home without having to buy a ton of specialized equipment?