Save Money on Canning Jarsby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 13 Jul 2007 11:19 AM 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. Related Articles: Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments AuntJamelle (125) 07 Jul 2008 10:42 AMI would hesitate to use non-canning jars for any type of canning - although I am sure that most of the time it would be fine. It is just that most glass jars from the store have a much thinner thickness of glass, and are not able to stand up to heat or pressure like a canning jar would. You run the risk of having one break - but I know people do it - so it really comes down to personal choice. Certain jars may be just fine... I would also spread the word among family and friends - I got a TON of jars from a couple of people that stopped canning years ago but had saved everything. They were glad to give it all away! Big Lots is another great place to find jars at a great price! And so is Rural King if you are lucky enough to have one nearby, they put their jars on sale periodically.  Mary Ann Romans (26791) 07 Jul 2008 01:01 PMThanks so much for the info. Although I do have friends who save grocery store jars for canning, Ball, the canning jar company does not recommend it for the reasons you mentioned. They were more concerned about reusing lids, but they did make the point about the glass being thinner. Community Tags Canning, frugal, homesteading, thrifty Discuss this article
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