Canning supplies

[hippiechick]

I went to 3 stores trying to find lids to can my produce( and these are certainly not emergency times). It was then I realized that I should make a post to remind us all to get extra canning supplies. We all talk on here about survival gardening, but without proper supplies, would simply have to let our produce rot on the vine. Jars can easily be reused but lids can not and I quickly found out yesterday that my 20 jars of pizza sauce cleared out my storage of pint jars also.

[opsec]

http://www.vacuumpacker.com/index.php/Retort-Pouches-Special-Metalized-Pouches-/Retort-Pouches--Flexible-Canning-Bag--4-oz---125-Count/action/itemdetail/item_id/108004

Here's a possible alternative to jars and lids . I called the company and asked about them and it turns out that these bags are a one-time use item, but their cost makes them a viable competitor to jars. The primary benefit is that they don't break like glass. I'm also not so sure about the one-time-use policy. The people I talked too sounded uncertain about it, but I can't think of a reason why these can't be washed out and sterilized just like a jar.

I would be inclined to use 16oz. jars to can with because when you inevitable drop one, you only lose 16 oz. of food rather than a quart. The prices I'm seeing put the cost of one jar + a lid at $1.12 or so. These bags cost about $0.21 apiece and it takes 4 of them to offer the equivalent storage volume. So the bags work out to $0.84/pint and canning jars work out to $1.12/pint. This equates to roughly a 25% cost advantage in favor of the bags.

The pro's and con's: Bags have a 25% cheaper up front cost but are (possibly) a one time use item. Jars are 25% more expensive, require a one time use lid ($.05 each) and are fragile, but are endlessly reusable if cared for properly.

What does everybody think, jars or bags?

[hippiechick]

I personally like jars and have reused mine for years. Thus costing me less in the long term. Also...They look pretty, I know that sounds so female..but seeing them all lined up on the shelf with the glass shining back at me with all my labors in it, is attractive to me.

[MountainMeg]

You're certainly correct on stocking up Hippiechick.  I was able to scrimp and save up about $400 cash.  First stop was the local Mennonite store where I cut a deal for 20 cases each of pints and quarts.  Ball ran a coupon (that expired on the 31st dang it!) for buy 2 boxes of lids, get one free - so I used up about 10 coupons.

Good thing I did that.  I came up on a local processor that offers fresh green beans culled, cleaned, cut and chilled for $1/lb.  It was fun to watch the farmer trucks unloading at one end of the Rube Goldberg type contraption and see bags of beans coming out the other end.  Ended up with 85 quarts pressure canned.

Green beans are stored in the cases on one pallet in the basement, unused jars on another.

[hippiechick]

Wow Meg that is alot of green beans. You should be proud of your efforts. I bet they will taste delicious come winter. I still have several jars left from last year, so decided not to grow or can beans this year, but at the price you got them for, I'd be very tempted to get more stockpiled also.

[Dame]

Appropriate (dry, dark, cool, damp whatever the particular need) storage space where I can access, find and therefore use what I have processed has become the critical issue here.  I am needing to get my canned (home & purchased) goods out of my cold room to make room for the root cellar vegetables, meat processing etc that is next on the prep list.  We are talking of building a raised bed (the kind you sleep on) platform to accommodate canned goods.  This would be in the keep (storm cellar) next to the cold room where there is good protection from both severe cold during potential power outages (with wood heat) and tornado protection in case of a direct hit.

Up here we do the severe cold wood back up in the basement level so that the cold room does not freeze.

[opsec]

We are talking of building a raised bed (the kind you sleep on) platform to accommodate canned goods.

Milk crates work perfectly for this.

[Dame]

Yes they would.  thanks

[hippiechick]

Great idea opsec I saw them on sale at walmart for $3 the other day. Was wondering how to store my cabbage in the cellar. The crates have holes allowing air to circulate, and would be easy to transport the cabbage as needed. Might need to go back to walmart this week to get some crates.

[opsec]

I don't know if the crates on the shelf at Walmart are quite up to the job. A real milk crate is built to last under abusive conditions for a long time. Some time ago I got into the habit of picking them up whenever I saw a stray one in a parking lot somewhere or on the side of the road.

[Dame]

The daries retire milk crates and the bottling companies retire pop crates.  They would likely be happy to sell them off cheep.

[Beeherder]

And honey packers retire 55 gallon drums whenever the inner liner is nicked or scratched making them not food grade any longer. I saw 55 gallon drums for sale in a catalog for $70, and the empty 55 gallon drums at my local honey packer (Madhava) are $4. While these would not be good enough for bare food storage, I am considering burying one or more of them in an attempt to create a dry cool storage outside the house. Buy getting an old drum with removable lid maybe i can create some outside controlled temperature storage for dry goods already in mylar bags. Any thoughts on the viability of this approach to increasing storage area?

I agree with HippieChick, its really attractive to see all those canned goods you put up yourself.

Every time i go to a corporate grocery store (usually Kroegers) check for sale items in the canning department. This time of year the jars and lids are on sale for about 25% below the regular retail, recently got two cases new wide mouth jars for $10.34 each and lids were on sale too so picked up 4 of them. By doing this every time i go to the store the financial impact is spread out over time. That Mennonite store sounds like the place to go, wish there were some of them here.

Farmers markets here are overflowing with bushels of produce. Never met a vendor who wasn't willing to dicker price for volume purchases. I find that many things these folks grow are available at prices less than i can grow them for myself but when you add in the cost of transportation to get those things they become approximately equal in price.

YMMV

[opsec]

I saw 55 gallon drums for sale in a catalog for $70, and the empty 55 gallon drums at my local honey packer (Madhava) are $4. While these would not be good enough for bare food storage, I am considering burying one or more of them in an attempt to create a dry cool storage outside the house. Buy getting an old drum with removable lid maybe i can create some outside controlled temperature storage for dry goods already in mylar bags. Any thoughts on the viability of this approach to increasing storage area?

The theory seems sound to me. I can't think of a reason why this wouldn't work except for intrusion by bears. Bear's noses are even better than that of dogs. The barrel will keep the bear out, but it won't keep the bear from digging for them.

[Beeherder]

hmmm, had not given Mr. Bruin a thought until you mentioned it. Since we have a very large bear ransacking all the neighborhood dumpsters this year it is a good thing to remember. Mr. Bruin managed to catch me with my fence down and tipped over two hives, eating the top box of honey and brood on one of them before they drove him off. I discovered this tipover at first light and immediately hurried out to put them back together. Oh boy were they upset. Took two tries, even in safety gear, and they nearly killed me for my efforts. Getting stung in the neck more than once is probably not the best way to start your day. Guess that incident with the dog getting stung two years ago that caused me to stock up on Benadryl was a good thing cuz when my throat started to swell and swallowing was getting difficult the Benadryl was literally a life saver.

now back to the dry goods storage: Dry goods only, repackaged in mylar, drums to be partly buried or stacked on the north side of the house. One reason to choose that location is that the ground has been dug up for the house foundation and you can actually dig it up by hand, explosives required most everywhere else if you expect to go deeper than 12 inches. Still may attract Mr. Bruin but maybe not.

[Dame]

The local honey producers supply place probably has mylar bags to fit the barrels and seals for the lids.  Both are relatively inexpensive.  Once items are in the barrel in a liner with a gasket seal under the lip of the lid the bears are very unlikely to be able to smell what is in the barrel.

At Lake of the Woods people keep dry food in old unworking fridges with good seals, and this works to keep the bears from investigating because of odors.