I am planning on making preserves and jams for Christmas as presents looking through all different web sites for recipes i have found that a lot of them use a canner. Can anyone tell me is it essential to use one to preserve or can i get away with out it????

Why not just use sterilised jam jars?

I do use sterilised jam jars, a water bath canner is a large pot which you apparantly put the jars into after you have sealed them, i don't know why, maybe it is so you can keep the preserves longer.

Can anyone spread more light on this???

Yep - with you now Rachel - I have seen recipes where you put the preserve into the jars and then into a pan of simmering water and simmer for a while to complete the process, but have never used this method - sorry! just tend to stick to the ordinary 'pour boiling preserves into hot sterilised jars' method. So can't help, but I think the method you describe is to encourage a vacuum seal to ensure longer keeping.

Doh! to actually answer your question! The recipes I have seen just suggest you put the jars into a large pan of water, so no special equipment needed - but, as said, I just pour hot preserve/jam etc into hot jars - then cover with waxed paper and put the lid on (or cellophane and elastic band) whilst all is still hot, and as the preserve cools, it forms its own vacuum.

ok thanks a lot jaybee i will just do the norm i don't like the idea of boiling sealed jars... bit scared they may explode...lol

I do consider myself to be a bit of a preserve nut ,have made/sold/taught classes for many years so can offer some advice.
If doing a normal jam with the usual sugar content just clesn sterile jars are fine also chutneys have a lot of preservatives in them, natural ones like sugar vinegar and spices so again no need to use the water sterioisation method,this is more used when bottling fruit and veg in the Kilner type or Mason jars.
If using new or lined metal lids no need for waxed paper underneath as the new type lids have a coated lining.Pour your jametc into the jar then put on lid then pour the next and put on lid, this means that the heat will help form the vacuum as it cools.
You can actually see the lid is slightly depressed when the whole jar cools.
My Dad used to ask me not to pu the lid on so tight as he had trouble removing it, put as I pointed out to him that meant that a seal had formed from the heat and then the cooling of the jar.
Bought him a Jarkey from Lakeland and no more problems.

Rachel - have to agree with you - I actually have a phobia about broken glass! - and thanks Frexy - looks like we mostly got it right?