Crushing my newbie canning status, and how!

[craftylittlemonkey]

So jealous! Not of your veggies, but your energy. This is the most amazing post I've ever seen on here.  Canning is an expensive hobby to start, so I will eat the fresh veggies when they are available and then crave them all winter.

I'm so lucky to have scored a canning pot and rack and dozens of jars from the local thrift store so the cost was really off set for me. And 3 friends contributed their garden produce, their kitchens, and their experience to help with the learning and processing. It was great doing it as a group too, we really helped each other.
Years ago I organized a canning bee at a local church with produce collected from local fruit trees, that was a free event for all participants and a great way to learn and come away with jars of food. I didn't get to participate in the actual event that time but I think it must happen every year somewhere or other. All the jars were donated from a thrift store in town for that so the cost was minimal. Bet there's something going on near you...