In an early article, The Frugal Art of Canning, I talked about the money saving benefits of canning your own produce. Now I’ll offer some additional information on being frugal with canning.
Although canning supplies are relatively inexpensive, it always pays to get the supplies as inexpensively as possible. You can often find items such as jars, rings, lids, labels and more used. One word of caution, though. it is not recommended that you reuse the lids when canning. There is a danger that they may wear out and not seal as well. Of course, you can still use them for storing items, such as candy, or use them as “gifts in a jar.”
Now here are some top places to find canning supplies for less.
Post a notice at on a church bulletin board or other community board saying that you are looking for supplies. Chances are pretty good that someone will have some supplies they aren’t using.
Take advantage of glass jars that you already have, such as mayonnaise jars, jelly jars, sauce jars, etc. Most store bought jars will fit the standard canning lids and rings! As long as you can get a tight seal, you are all set. In fact, one of my favorite brands of alfredo sauce for pasta actually comes in “Ball” jars, the standard jar used for canning. Many experts recommend using these store bought jars in water bath canning and not in pressure canning because of possible breakage. The Ball pasta jars seem to hold up fine, either way, though.
Take advantage of the end of the canning season to stock up on jars, lids and rings. The big box stores and grocery stores always seem to have great sales on their canning supplies at the end of the season.
Ask for supplies on freecycle, and shop the garage sales and thrift store for supplies. Even if you only find the jars and need to purchase the lids and rings elsewhere, you will still save a lot, since the jar is the most expensive piece.
Mary Ann Romans also writes for the Computing Blog here at Families.com where she shares everything from the latest news on technology to cool downloads and fun websites.
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