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The past few years I have been trying to branch out from the usual jams and jellies into chutneys and unusual flavor combinations for jams and jellies.  But many of the recipes only make about 2 pints of product so I started buying the 4 oz. jam jars to use instead of the bigger jars.  My only problem the first time I tried to can with these jars was that the basket in my regular blue enamel water bath canner had such large gaps that the little jars would just fall through.  I desparately hunted around my cupboards and pulled out an old steamer kettle my mom had had that was deep enough and had an insert with little holes in it to steam vegetables. I can put 7 little jars in the insert and the level of boiling water comes just to 1 inch over the tops so it has been perfect.  This weekend I finally got smart when I kept ending up with 8 little jars from each batch of chutney and only put 4 in the pot each time so that I didn't have to adjust the water so much.  To fill the jars I found that a small gravy ladle works perfectly.  I love having all the little jars of chutney or unusual jams on my shelf to put into gift baskets at the holidays.  Plus since there are only two of us at home now it works much better to open up just a small jar of chutney or jam and that way nothing goes to waste.  So far this weekend I have made Bing Cherry Chutney from Sheila Lukins "USA Cookbook", Curried Fruit Chutney with Lime and Ginger from "Cooks Illustrated 1994" and Salsa Mish Mish from Diana Henry's "Plenty".  I've been poking through "Preserving by the Pint" by Marisa McClellan too. Is anyone else doing small batch canning this summer?  Do you have any other tips? 

I'm a big fan of the little 4 oz. jars; my canning jar supply is entirely those plus wide-mouth (straight-sided) pints.  I, too, struggled with a device to hold them stable in the water bath; for a while I used a silicone potholder on the bottom of the pot with a stainless steamer basket upside down over the 4 or 5 jars.  I found a stainless steamer rack with small holes that works for the pints in the 10 qt pressure cooker-canner, and for the 4 oz jars in the 8-qt water bath pot.

The next few weeks are supposed to be rainy and steamy, so I'll be staying in and canning up farmer's market gleanings.  Came back from the family reunion with home-grown squash and peppers that will be picallilli soon...