Since preserving is one of the reasons I started this weekly post, I thought I would talk about getting ready for canning season. Last year I canned at least 220 jars of goodness! Hopefully this year the garden will provide us with a lot more to can!
Most of my jars are kept in the basement. There are stacks every where!
This stack has jelly jars, some pint jars and my really old jars.
This box is under one of the germinating tables. It is supposed to have only pint jars, two high. But I ran out of room where I stack my quarts and asparagus jars. So there are a few of those in this box. This box holds about 60 jars.
This stack is for quarts and asparagus jars.
Another box under the one germinating table. It contains misc. jars that I can use for mustard and sauces.
There are a couple of big bags like this containing rings and used caps.
Inside one cabinet in the basement there are more misc. jars and new caps. As you can see I only have one box of regular and wide mouth caps.
Sitting in the kitchen on top of my seed stash. I have a brand new box of quart jars that my dear sister in-law dropped off for me last week. Thanks Luanne!
I rarely buy new jars, with the exception of jelly jars. Those seem to disappear. I always watch Craig's List for canning jars. A few years ago I purchased boxes of jelly jars on Craig's List for $2 a case! Then I have my one best friend Judy, who deals in antiques. She goes to a lot of auctions and yard sales and finds great deals on pint and quart jars. She usually just gives them to me! Then there are friends, family and neighbors who are always willing to give me jars they have around. All you have to do is give them a jar or two of some canned goodness or fresh veggies from the garden!
Rings and caps are another story. Last year I did a post about the poor quality of the new ones. They are just lousy. The best prices on these last year were at Lowe's. Hopefully they will have good prices again this year! As soon as they arrive in the store, I better start stocking up!
No, I haven't inventoried my jars yet. That will have to wait until the plots are ready and all of the starts are out of the basement and in the garden! I do know that I will need more pints and jelly jars though! I guess I better start nagging Judy to find me more jars!
So, what's been going in or out of your Cupboard lately...anything good??? Do you have enough supplies for canning season???
Robin,
ReplyDeleteGood morning! I have to say, it looks like your ready to can. I have to pickup a few more cases of jars, then I will be ready. Nothing really new going on here, just another day for watching out for severe weather (starting around 4PM).
Good Morning Sandy, I think I have one big mess down there! I also need to get a pressure canner this year.
DeletePlease stay safe and keep us posted on your weather.
Not sure why my link isn't showing up. I'll check back later.
ReplyDeleteYour linky is showing up. Love your recipe!
DeleteThat's a lot of jars, looks like you must have been good about using what you preserved! I need to buy more jars this year, maybe I should check the yard sales. I found a big difference between jar prices here. Even a difference between Giant stores. They are dollars cheaper per case if I buy them up by where I work.
ReplyDeleteI canned too much chutney and jam and apple butter last year. This year I'm concentrating on tomatoes, tomato sauce and whole fruit. Everything else will be frozen.... that is unless I find some interesting recipes (which I always seem to LOL.)
Yes, I have a lot of jars and need more! It's amazing to see this space fill up again. It was about empty at the end of canning season!
DeleteDefinitely check out yard sales for canning jars. You will save a lot of $$$$
Maybe you will want to start to invest in the reusable Tattler lids. This was my first year using them and they hold a tight seal, all took, and the lids look no worse for the wear after coming off the jars. They say they can last for years and years. I do get my disposable ones bulk from the Amish. They work fine too.
ReplyDeleteI probably should start buying some of the Tattler lids. I should also try to find some in bulk from the Amish around here. I don't like to pay for shipping. I just noticed that Lehman's has bands in bulk. Have you purchased any from them?
DeleteLehmans still want a little more for their bulk lids. I find much better deals at the Amish general stores. They even have canning jars by the pallet. They are much more cost efficient that way, but what would I do with a pallet of them? That is when it would help to have a group of local people to split them with. I am sure you will find a better deal on bulk lids out your way towards Lancaster.
DeleteI agree about jelly jars disappearing, but I know it's because we tend to give jams & jellys as Christmas gifts. Some empty jars make it back home to us but we don't mind buying more each year. I use less of the pint and quart size and have picked up some at yard sales over the years.
ReplyDeleteEmily, I even threaten people with no more goodies and they still like to keep those little jars! Hopefully I will get lucky and find a deal on jelly jars this year!
DeleteMy jelly jars always disappear. Other people end up with them. But then I've given away salsa too which is my pint jars. Hopefully they will come back someday.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny when I ask people if they have any empty jars. They usually reply, "just a few of those small ones". They are nice to use for many other things too.
DeleteI seem to do more freezing then canning but do have boxes of jars in our storage room and bags of lids too. I have many boxes of sealing lids on hand because two years ago I really stocked up and did a bulk buy of them (both wide and regular) and have not had to buy any for several years as a result. I have at least two more year's supply in there before I will need to restock again.
ReplyDeleteI think that I should bite the bullet and purchase some bulk lids and rings this year. Then I won't have to worry about it.
DeleteI gave away lots of quart and pint jars when I moved. I had way more than we could ever use. The folks at Goodwill were sure happy to see them! I did save a few of the really old ones with colored glass. You are so right, they don't make them like they used to!
ReplyDeleteDave, many of my jars are older then me! They sure are interesting to look at. Every year I end up with some different ones that I have never seen before.
DeleteOh, I am not ready for canning, I have no experience at all! May be I will learn here from you guys!
ReplyDeleteI think you will be one experienced canner by the end of this season! You will have no other choice after hanging around all of us! It's very easy!
DeleteLoved your post...this weekend I do my jar inventory. Two years ago I slowly started investing in Tattler lids...every other week I purchased a couple boxes of each size...now I have a pretty good supply. Of course I have to use the metal lids, too...those Tattler's don't PING! Gotta' hear that PING or canning season's just not the same!
ReplyDeleteLynda, I think that you are the Canning Queen! How many jars did you can last year???
DeleteWe added a pressure canner this year! Can not wait to try it out.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely getting a pressure canner before canning season starts!
DeleteWe added a pressure canner this year, too! I've used it for chicken stock but nothing else. Canning season is just around the corner!! Happy Spring everybody.
Delete~~Lori
I admire how you can mange to think of something to write each week on a particular subject - one reason I don't join in this sort of thing is that I'd not be disciplined enough to manage this.
ReplyDeleteLots of jars to fill there - it's a good job that you have a cellar
Sue, I have been so busy with the plots that I didn't even know what I was going to write about until 6AM this morning!
DeleteSign up at Markdown.com. Earlier this year they had a special - 100 regular and 100 wide mouth Tattler lids and rings for $85.00. That included shipping. They don't have them often but when they do they sell out fast. You might also like Jackie Clay's blog at backwoodshome.com. Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Kitchen blog has some great canning recipes. The current one is for home canning Tuna and a previous one for Champagne Mango Jelly. This past Christmas I put Tattler's on my wish list and my 3 sons & families provided me with an extra 9 dozen regular Tattler lids. Zern's Farmers Market in Gilbertsville, PA has a surplus food store. Last year I purchased wide mouth Ball lids for $1.00/box and Kerr wide-mouth for $.85/box. Zerns is open Friday & Saturdays. Quakertown Farmers Market also has a surplus food store. 2 years ago they had regular Ball lids for $.50/box and last year jars for $.35/pt and $.50/qt. All were brand new. Q-Mart surplus store is open 7 days/wk. Never any guarantees what you will find but take advantage when you see it because it won't last at those prices. Marion
ReplyDeleteHey thanks for the tips! I need to pick up eggs from my egg lady this weekend. She is not too far from Q-Town. I haven't been to the Farmers Market down there since I moved from Tinicum.
DeleteI tend to can all year long and pick up jars when I find them on sale. I pick up lids almost every week so I can keep a good stock of them.
ReplyDeleteI really should be a little more diligent in buying lids. Maybe Santa and his friends will get me some Tattlers this year. I didn't even think about asking for them
DeleteOur jars are in transit from their old home in boxes outside in the shed to their new home in the basement. What a mess! Hopefully we'll get them cornered before the season comes on strong.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like my jars are always a mess! Once all of the starts are out of the basement, I am going to clean up that mess!
Deletei always need more jars! whoot!
ReplyDelete:-)
did more planting today - lovin' this weather!
This weather is great!
DeleteI am very jealous of your beautiful jars, and indeed the space to put them. I have been preserving tomato passata in beer bottles, but have to store them at mum and dads lest our whole house be taken over by bottles. Oh for a basement...
ReplyDeleteLiz, I don't know what I would do without a basement. At least you have some place to store them!
DeleteWow! You can all this for two people? You are amazing.
ReplyDeleteWe do applesauce which we love and I do a few jars of tomato juice and tomatoes. Not a drop in the bucket compared to you. I need to expand!!! Nancy at Cozy Thyme Cottage
Hi Nancy, We do give some canned goods for Christmas gifts. But, we don't buy any veggies and very little fruit. I try to grow and preserve all of those and most of our herbs and spices. They are much much better. Once you get the canning bug....you'll be hooked!
DeleteI am late, late, late on Kitchen Cupboard Thursday. I made a ham sandwich (OK, two of them) with home-grown deer tongue lettuce, home canned bread and butter pickles, and homemade mustard that I made with your recipe a few months ago. I had never tried making mustard before and it came out great. My husband was fascinated and loved it. He wants to try it again. As for canning jars, I have a "thing" about containers. I can't bear to throw them away. I save jars from Classico spaghetti sauce. They are normal quart sized canning jars. I save peanut butter jars. They can be reused to can things. I always end up with way too many jars, and every few years I toss them. As in recycle. Then I begin collecting again.
ReplyDeleteThat's OK that you are a little late! I am happy to hear that you enjoyed the mustard recipe.
DeleteWow, looks like you're ready for canning season. I never get my empty jars back so I buy lots of jars.
ReplyDeleteI'm just about ready. I am a real pain about my jars. Most people give most of them back. I always tell them that they will get no more goodies if they don't return the jars. It usually works!
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