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Thread: Questions about canning jars?

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    Questions about canning jars?

    We have everything in place to start canning our garden harvest and, in particular, our fruit. I gathered together all of our various jars and decided I need to add a few dozen to the inventory in 8 oz, pint and quart sizes. I have done a little local shopping in the SoCal suburbs and found that Walmart in this part of the world is horrible on price - a regular quart jar with lid and band at $1.87 each and they do not have cases in stock. They did not even have pint jars in stock.

    Just wondering if there is a good online source where the shipping won't kill any price advantage.

    I would also appreciate your input regarding the regular or wide mouth jars in the quart size. Is there any reason not to go with all wide mouth jars? What would be a time you would prefer the regular over the wide mouth jar?

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    ak474u's Avatar
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    Do you have WINCO stores there? We get pretty decent prices there on jars by the case. Also Ace hardware has ok prices and decent selection. I like wide mouth for pickles because it's easier to stuff a jar if doing pickle spears. I like regular jars for salsa and sauces only because the same lids fit 8oz and pints for jams, and I can find the Ball 12 packs of lids and rings in regular size much easier when I get a rusty ring and need a replacement.
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    Sniper-T's Avatar
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    Wide or regular... I buy what is on sale, or what I can find at garage sales/auction sales.
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    bacpacker's Avatar
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    We use mostly regular mouth jars and a lot more pints than quarts. But there are only 2 of us. Wife likes to make jelly, jams, and apple butter. She uses quite a few jelly and half pint jars.
    Make sure you get a boat load of lids to stock and plenty of rings.

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    jamesneuen's Avatar
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    I got all mine on amazon or at garage sales. and make sure you buy the rubber rings so you can reuse the lids. The wax seal ones are single use only.
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    Thank you all for your responses. I picked up a case of quart and a case of pints both in widemouth at the local Ace Hardware. They have the best prices I have seen, including Amazon Prime. Next time I am going in the direction of the "local" Winco which is about 22 miles from me I will drop in there.

    I have been busy ready about the canning process and when a water bath is sufficient and when to pressure can. We are going to have a HUGE crop of peaches and quite a few apricots too. Now to find a good recipe for orange marmalade, something I love, but my wife could care less about.

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    Amazon.....and Prime is worth it for us.

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    bacpacker's Avatar
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    For reading, the Ball Canning Book is what the wife considers the canning bible. Well worth the cost.

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    realist's Avatar
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    When it comes to buying jars, lids and rings these are things I never buy out of season. We have great sales during the season but get hosed in the off season. So it might be a good idea to just wait until till the harvest time.

    One thing that may be obvious to most, but not me, is you do not have to leave the rings on the jars when they are done and you go to store them. I never knew that until a couple of years ago.
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    Quote Originally Posted by realist View Post
    When it comes to buying jars, lids and rings these are things I never buy out of season. We have great sales during the season but get hosed in the off season. So it might be a good idea to just wait until till the harvest time.

    One thing that may be obvious to most, but not me, is you do not have to leave the rings on the jars when they are done and you go to store them. I never knew that until a couple of years ago.
    You really should not leave the rings on. If you do and the seal breaks it can actually re seal. I always take the rings off.
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