Labels for canned (or bottled) goods

I've been thinking about how to label my canning jars. I'd like to fancy it up a bit and have more information about what's in the jar.

I've been using masking tape on the tattler lid, with a few letters scrawled on it with a fat sharpie. It's not ideal. So far I haven't had any trouble getting the labels off, but nothing has sat for more than a year or so.

I thought about getting a Brother label maker. They're slick and I use one at work all the time. Trouble is, the labels are expensive and it really is an excessive solution to such a simple problem.

Ideally, I'd write out the label once and be able to copy it 16-30 times. The obvious but somewhat ridiculous solution is lithography. There are various non-kitchen chemicals involved and it's quite the process... But now I found that there are alternatives. I saw someone do lithography with aluminum foil, sand paper, a sharpie, and some cola. A slightly more legitimate method is polyester plate lithography.

Anyone else thought about low-tech label making?

Not low-tech, no. But last year I found a template online that I can customize with as much info as I want - the date canned, what is in it etc - and then print out as many as I want to. Usually, one batch in the canner contains multiples of the same thing, so I print a whole page of labels (which can be sized to suit different sized jars/lids) and then use my scan/cut machine to cut them all out perfectly for me. Then I use a tiny piece of tape to affix the label to the lid, so it will stay put while I need it but come off easily when the jar is emptied. Before it occurred to me to use the cutting machine, I did cut them out by hand so I suppose that is low tech but also much more time-consuming.

I use a silver or white Sharpie paint marker directly on the glass, saw it online a couple of years ago and thought it was a brilliant idea. Wipes right off when you wash the jar, just use one of those green scrubby things.

I write on the lid with a Sharpie, or I use a sticky paper label and write on it and stick to the jar.

I also use a dry erase marker on some items that I know will be used in a reasonable amount of time - milk powder (for cooking or mixes), dried coconut (I make a lot of coconut milk), etc. If it's something I'm going to be grabbing a lot, the writing will smudge off, but by then it's in the kitchen and I'm using it.
I'd like to have some pretty labels, but so far it's pretty much masking tape and a Sharpie, or just write on the lid with the Sharpie.

I'll have to try the silver sharpie.

I tried the aluminum-foil lithography and wasn't able to get it to work. Didn't try very hard, though. I'll get back to it one of these days. I have all of these wine bottles that need a label clogging up my kitchen... Gotta figure something out. Maybe I should just print some labels and be done with it.

That shiny pen idea is great. I still use metal flats and just write on those. That's when I can read my writing.

G

Hi Gina!

Many (over 200 at last count) of my lids are GEM size reusable glass lids so those are the jars I use my white or silver Sharpies on--works great! I got the idea from some canning blog or other--the sample photo was white Sharpie on jars of salsa--looked beautiful because the gal who did it had pretty handwriting. The silver pens are way easier to find than the white ones.

I did try out a few boxes of the Tattlers on my regular and wide-mouth jars, but decided I didn't like them, so still use metal flats and just write with regular black Sharpie on those.

Hi Moolie!!! Good to see you.