It is such a satisfying and alluring sound, telling you that you have successfully protected the contents. If you don’t hear it, or if the seal otherwise fails, you can simply repeat the process. But you can avoid seal failure by not overfilling the jars and by completely cleaning the rim before placing the lid on top.

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Some of the trepidation surrounding canning is about all that boiling water. Does the phrase “sterilize the jars” strike fear in your heart? Not to worry. Just run them through the dishwasher. If you have no dishwasher or do not trust yours to do the job properly, use that same big stockpot to boil the jars for 10 minutes. You can leave them in the water until it is time to fill them; by then, the water will have cooled a bit and you are less likely to burn yourself.

I use a small saucepan to boil the rings — mostly, just to be sure they are clean. Then I add the lids after turning off the heat. (Canners who boil their jars sometimes put the rings into the same pot, then add the lids for just a minute to soften their rubber gaskets.)

Which brings us to the heart of the matter: Many first-timers fear canning because they are afraid they won’t know if they have done it safely. They worry they might somehow end up making their families sick. You should take no chances; when in doubt, throw it out.

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But you may be reassured to know that sugar and vinegar are natural preservatives and make it less likely that bacteria will grow inside your jars. Mold is a more likely problem, but even that is rare. To be safe, check the seals. Label and date every jar and use what you make within a year.

And follow common sense. There are so many reasons to preserve the best of the season. Your kitchen will smell divine. Your family and friends may want to help. Or you may find solitary work in the kitchen to be an exquisite break from a busy schedule, a chance to listen to music or the ballgame. Veterans extol the meditative nature of an afternoon spent making preserves.

Then there’s the joy, months later, when those preserves make an appearance long after the last of the in-season berries were scattered over the morning oatmeal. Your breakfast toast, bagels or biscuits will be much improved. You will want your jam stirred into plain yogurt, rolled into a crepe, spread between layers of a cake or incorporated into a very special P.B. and J.

Those asparagus and spring onions? As pickles, they are an excellent accompaniment to transform a bit of charcuterie or salumi into a memorable antipasto.

And your preserved fruits and vegetables make lovely hostess gifts or party favors — if you can bear to part with them.