SWMBO Started canning 3 weeks ago. The cost of canning jars is up over $2.00 each. Then there is all the rest such as cucumbers vinegar , Dill, salt, garlic, clove, and whatever else she puts n that makes her pickles addictive. So far she's made over 5 dozen qt. jars. She has 3dozen + 1 left. The cucumbers alone have cost her $150. Corn is $10 a dozen ears. ( and this is where corn is grown. Tens of thousands of acres.
Apple butter a dozen qt jars. Apple jelly 1 dozen pint jars, ( the apple crop is just starting to come in ). That's all free, ignoring my labor. The cost of bait apples, fertilizer. Etc. It's an off year so we will only get maybe 8 dozen jars of applesauce.
Apple slices for pies? 5 gallon bags in the freezer. A gallon bag makes about 4-5 pies.
She canned 10 qts Venison stew for her brother. And in exchange we got 6 packages of Walleye and perch. ( can't tell you how great that is. Absolutely bone free).
So far she's probably put 20 hours a week in canning. ( on top of her 40 hr job)
Careful, she might start looking at how much time and money project cars take.
Unless, of course, you are trying to establish parity...
French, I don't know about canning, but that corn price really caught my attention. It's 25-33 cents per ear here in Texas (yesterday when I was at the stores), and we aren't exactly corn country. I wonder if it's different quality corn or what.
It seems that canning is a dying craft. All the old ladies who used to do it when I was a kid have passed on and none of the younger generations have taken up the process.
This bunch is so enamored of statistics.... I'd love to see a graph showing percentage of people who can vs. age. I bet that would tell a story!
My parents canned some. My wife has canned cucumbers a few times in the last ten years. We have a neighbor that does a fair bit of canning. She's about our age, that is, old enough to have attained a fair measure of wisdom. 
I suspect this thread will soon swell with input from all the people on here who participate in the art of canning foodstuffs.
As predicted...we're canning peaches tonight :) Weirdly, western Colorado grows really tasty peaches and we're right in the middle of the season. Also just pulled some nectarines out of the dehydrator - that is one seriously tasty snack.
Fresh sweet corn in the grocery stores is (I think) about $6/dozen. It's probably 1/3 that if you buy it from the back of a truck by the side of the road. Also weirdly, there is a decent corn area close to here. Not as good as the good peaches and cream stuff from Ontario, but that's not surprising.
If you are making your own pickles, why aren't you growing them yourself?
In reply to frenchyd :
Buy a new EV. That's at least $7500 tax credit more if your state or community add to it!!
Install solar panels! Another $7500 federal tax credit plus no electric bill again.
frenchyd said:
The cost of canning jars is up over $2.00 each.
Completely ignoring the fact that you are buying the produce you are canning, if you are paying $2 per jar you are simply just shopping stupid. I bought three 6packs of Ball half gallon jars for $10.99 a pack last week. I bought a couple 12packs of pint jars for $9.99 same day. Fleet Farm and Menards both run sales every other week all of the different jar sizes. Replacement lids and bands are under 50cents a jar for both regular mouth and wide mouth.
If you are giving away canned goods and not asking for the jars back you don't get to complain about the cost of canning supplies. Anyone who actually cans more than just a dozen jars of salsa understands the cost of the jars and not to give them out if you don't expect them back.
Cousin_Eddie (Forum Supporter) said:
French, I don't know about canning, but that corn price really caught my attention. It's 25-33 cents per ear here in Texas (yesterday when I was at the stores), and we aren't exactly corn country. I wonder if it's different quality corn or what.
It seems that canning is a dying craft. All the old ladies who used to do it when I was a kid have passed on and none of the younger generations have taken up the process.
I disagree, I think canning is more popular now than its been in years. Certainly saw a spike during COVID when home gardening gained in popularity. I find it rises and falls in popularity every few years.
Front page of Fleet Farm's ad this week Frenchy. There is 3 Fleet Farm stores within 20 miles from the city listed in your bio. I know Menards is up your way and there's probably a Farm&Fleet or Tractor Supply in your neck of the woods too. You have no excuse to be paying $2 a jar.
The history of the Ball Corporation is kinda wild. The Supreme Court was involved at one point, and they started making satellites in the 60s.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_Corporation
My wife's grandmother grew up in the country - rural Alabama. Giant garden and a ton of canning.
This shelf was floor to ceiling and three jars deep. She canned into her 80's this was all considered normal.
If those shelves let loose it's crush her to death as her bed was right there.
johndej
SuperDork
8/28/23 9:54 p.m.
I don't know how it compares to historical costs but I certainly know a ton of folks who have at least dabbled in canning they're own home grown products over the past couple of pandemic years. My brother flipped around 100 bell jar and lids from an estate sale this time last summer. Bought for like $5 and sold for $50 by the end of the day. That left a few friends and family peeved that would have happily paid that much at the time.
Anecdotaly cast iron also seeing a resurgence.
matthewmcl said:
Careful, she might start looking at how much time and money project cars take.
Unless, of course, you are trying to establish parity...
No just admiration of her hard work and then she gives it all away.
RacetruckRon said:
Front page of Fleet Farm's ad this week Frenchy. There is 3 Fleet Farm stores within 20 miles from the city listed in your bio. I know Menards is up your way and there's probably a Farm&Fleet or Tractor Supply in your neck of the woods too. You have no excuse to be paying $2 a jar.
Last year we shopped all over looking for them. ( yes fleet farm and Menards). Eventually found in a long Lake hardware store.
This year we went straight there without shopping. Oops!
Keith Tanner said:
As predicted...we're canning peaches tonight :) Weirdly, western Colorado grows really tasty peaches and we're right in the middle of the season. Also just pulled some nectarines out of the dehydrator - that is one seriously tasty snack.
Fresh sweet corn in the grocery stores is (I think) about $6/dozen. It's probably 1/3 that if you buy it from the back of a truck by the side of the road. Also weirdly, there is a decent corn area close to here. Not as good as the good peaches and cream stuff from Ontario, but that's not surprising.
So far she's bought 6 cases of Colorado peaches. Canned them all too. She eagerly awaits them coming in season.
but they were $39.99 a case. Ouch!
Am I going to have to drive to Colorado for peaches now?
RacetruckRon said:
frenchyd said:
The cost of canning jars is up over $2.00 each.
Completely ignoring the fact that you are buying the produce you are canning, if you are paying $2 per jar you are simply just shopping stupid. I bought three 6packs of Ball half gallon jars for $10.99 a pack last week. I bought a couple 12packs of pint jars for $9.99 same day. Fleet Farm and Menards both run sales every other week all of the different jar sizes. Replacement lids and bands are under 50cents a jar for both regular mouth and wide mouth.
If you are giving away canned goods and not asking for the jars back you don't get to complain about the cost of canning supplies. Anyone who actually cans more than just a dozen jars of salsa understands the cost of the jars and not to give them out if you don't expect them back.
Oh, she asks for them back! But kids!!! Short memory.
Unless you are brand new to canning, you should not be paying for glass. Or screw lids. The only hardware cost should only be seal lids.
As for $10/dozen, they are on drugs. We just got a dozen ears of corn in Michigan for $4.
Still, canning means preserving the extra, meaning you grow it. I've only canned pickled green tomato's and jellies from the backyard fruit. Why can food that costs the same in December fresh as it does now in the market? Lots of effort for zero gain.
IMHO, the only other thing you should spend money on is pectin, sugar, salt, vinegar, and spices.
Im hoping that our peach crop at home is big enough to can some into jam.
Cousin_Eddie (Forum Supporter) said:
French, I don't know about canning, but that corn price really caught my attention. It's 25-33 cents per ear here in Texas (yesterday when I was at the stores), and we aren't exactly corn country. I wonder if it's different quality corn or what.
It seems that canning is a dying craft. All the old ladies who used to do it when I was a kid have passed on and none of the younger generations have taken up the process.
We buy from one particular farmer and pay slightly over market because his corn is so darn good. Grocery store is cheaper. But not as fresh or tasty.
It's run by his sons to pay for college. They work an hour or so picking then sell for 4 hours. Doing that Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the month of August it pays their tuition and etc for a year!!
frenchyd said:
Keith Tanner said:
As predicted...we're canning peaches tonight :) Weirdly, western Colorado grows really tasty peaches and we're right in the middle of the season. Also just pulled some nectarines out of the dehydrator - that is one seriously tasty snack.
Fresh sweet corn in the grocery stores is (I think) about $6/dozen. It's probably 1/3 that if you buy it from the back of a truck by the side of the road. Also weirdly, there is a decent corn area close to here. Not as good as the good peaches and cream stuff from Ontario, but that's not surprising.
So far she's bought 6 cases of Colorado peaches. Canned them all too. She eagerly awaits them coming in season.
but they were $39.99 a case. Ouch!
Am I going to have to drive to Colorado for peaches now?
Get local fruit. A case of Michigan peaches is closer to $15 right now. Importing the stuff being canned is not the way to do it.
My mom cans every year, too. But it's limited to what they grow in the back yard.
frenchyd said:
Cousin_Eddie (Forum Supporter) said:
French, I don't know about canning, but that corn price really caught my attention. It's 25-33 cents per ear here in Texas (yesterday when I was at the stores), and we aren't exactly corn country. I wonder if it's different quality corn or what.
It seems that canning is a dying craft. All the old ladies who used to do it when I was a kid have passed on and none of the younger generations have taken up the process.
We buy from one particular farmer and pay slightly over market because his corn is so darn good. Grocery store is cheaper. But not as fresh or tasty.
It's run by his sons to pay for college. They work an hour or so picking then sell for 4 hours. Doing that Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the month of August it pays their tuition and etc for a year!!
So you justify paying way too much, and then complain about it? I don't get it.
$10 a dozen for sweet corn is just nutty, it's $5-6 a dozen at the farmers markets and the locals that camp out at the gas stations. In a 20'x40' plot I grew 800 ears of sweet corn this year for less than $35 in seed and fertilizer.
alfadriver said:
frenchyd said:
Cousin_Eddie (Forum Supporter) said:
French, I don't know about canning, but that corn price really caught my attention. It's 25-33 cents per ear here in Texas (yesterday when I was at the stores), and we aren't exactly corn country. I wonder if it's different quality corn or what.
It seems that canning is a dying craft. All the old ladies who used to do it when I was a kid have passed on and none of the younger generations have taken up the process.
We buy from one particular farmer and pay slightly over market because his corn is so darn good. Grocery store is cheaper. But not as fresh or tasty.
It's run by his sons to pay for college. They work an hour or so picking then sell for 4 hours. Doing that Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the month of August it pays their tuition and etc for a year!!
So you justify paying way too much, and then complain about it? I don't get it.
Really? You've never heard of preference? She cans Colorado peaches because we prefer the taste.
A particular corn because it tastes better than the cheaper stuff.
Yes it turns out I paid too much for Ball canning jars and that's on me. Last year we went everyplace looking for them. The only place we found a few was at an antique store. @$5 ea when we discovered the hardware store in Long Lake had a supply.
I realize that there can be cheaper sources. Especially in More rural areas. Or from your own garden. But since we aren't allowed those and we both are working long days so don't have the time to maintain a garden.
I'm happy to pay the prices asked. Actually I'm glad farmers are getting rewarded for their work.
Not a canner but I sure like eating it. I'm especially grateful that they make these canning jar racks which make the bestest 10" subwoofer grill guards.
I went on a crazy canning spree when I was growing cucumbers. With the move this spring-summer we've been too busy to get into it. I'm hoping once we finish getting settled into the new house I can get back at it.
