Ready to start canning but not sure where to begin? First Batch walks you through everything — safely, step by step, in plain language — so your first canning day is confident, not chaotic.+
Buy NowThe Problem With Most Canning Guides
Most beginner canning resources either overwhelm you with hundreds of recipes before you understand the basics — or they skip the safety details that actually matter.
Water bath canning is one of the safest methods of food preservation when you follow tested recipes and understand why each step exists. The problem is finding guidance that explains it clearly, covers altitude adjustments every single time, and gives you the troubleshooting support to handle whatever happens when the jars come out of the canner.
That’s what First Batch is.
What Is First Batch?
First Batch is a 30-page beginner’s guide to water bath canning built from real homestead experience. I’m Yvonne Gallia, and I taught myself to can by reading everything I could find until it finally made sense. My German grandmother wasn’t here to guide me. My mom never canned. No neighbor to call. Just me, a pot of boiling water, and a healthy respect for botulism.
This guide is what I wish I’d had on my first canning day — everything you need, in the order you need it, so you can glance at it mid-process without losing your place.
What’s Inside First Batch
Here is what you will find in this digital download.
- How water bath canning actually works — and why it’s safe when you follow the process
- The equipment you genuinely need (and what you can skip)
- How to prep your jars, lids, and canner before you start
- Step-by-step processing instructions with times for every recipe
- Altitude adjustment charts — because if you’re above 1,000 feet, this matters every single time
- How to tell if your jars sealed correctly
- What to do if they didn’t
- How to store your finished jars and how long they last
The Recipes
Five tested water bath canning recipes, each with processing times, yield, and notes on what can go wrong and why:
- No-Peel Diced Tomatoes — the easiest place to start, and the one you’ll make every single year
- Canning Salsa — a summer garden staple with real depth of flavor
- Pickled Onions — simple, fast, and useful on everything from burgers to grain bowls
- Old-Fashioned Pickled Beets — a classic that earns its place in any well-stocked pantry
- Small Batch Cherry Vanilla Jam — because your first canning season should end with something that feels like a reward
The Printables
Printable guides designed to sit on your counter while you work, logs to keep records, plus canning labels for your finished jars.
- Water Bath Canning Step-by-Step
- Checklist Equipment Checklist — what to have ready before you start
- Altitude Adjustment Reference Chart
- Jar and Lid Inspection Guide
- Seasonal Canning Calendar — what to can and when
- Troubleshooting Quick Reference — what went wrong and how to fix it
- Canning Session Log
- Canning Pantry Log
- Harvest to Pantry Worksheet
- Canning Labels: 2″ Round, 3″x2″ Jar Label, 2″x2″ Utility Label
Who This Is For
First Batch is for you if:
- You’ve thought about canning but don’t know where to start
- You’ve tried once and something went wrong and you’re not sure why
- You want to understand the why behind each step, not just follow instructions blindly
- You grow more than you can eat and the idea of wasting it bothers you
First Batch is not for you if you’re looking for advanced canning techniques, pressure canning, or a large recipe collection. This guide does one thing — it gets you through your first season of water bath canning safely and confidently. That’s it.
About Yvonne
I live on a working homestead in Idaho with my husband Rick. We raise beef cattle, keep laying hens, and grow a 60×90 foot garden that produces more tomatoes than any reasonable person needs — about 250 pounds of San Marzanos, Romas, and Early Girls every year.
I learned to can out of necessity. When you grow that much food, you figure it out or you watch it rot. I figured it out. And once I did, I couldn’t believe how straightforward it actually was — once someone explained it in plain language without burying the important parts.
That’s what I built here.
Get First Batch Today
$19 through July 4th. After that, the price goes up.
Instant digital download — PDF delivered immediately after purchase. No waiting. No shipping. Open it on your phone, tablet, or computer, or print it and keep it on the counter.
Buy NowSimple Living ❤️ Country Style — one jar at a time.
— Yvonne