If you have a friend who preserves pickles or jam you might.....
offer to help her for a day. Canning is not hard but it is laborious and it's more fun to do it with someone. You might gain some confidence that way. Otherwise check out some books at the library and don't let the warnings that they seem to put in every paragraph scare you away. Pick something easy to start, like pickles. You will learn how to tell if the seal is good from the books. If it isn't, pop them in the fridge and enjoy them.