Is canning veggies cost effective?

[chrissum]

I have the space, knowledge and a tiller to grow a large garden, I do not have the equipment to can. After the initial cost of equipment is it cost effective, say, a canned jar compared to buying a can of veggies at the store? Thanks!

 

[Wifezilla]

IMO, you really can't compare stuff you grow at home to cheap supermarket veggies. If you want a fair comparison, gauge them against organics. If you were paying full retail for organic veggies, heck yeah your garden would be worth it.

Something else to keep in mind...
Most of the food recalls from salmonella and e. coli contamination in the last few years have come from VEGETABLES. I read world newspapers and right now there is a big problem with cucumbers in Germany. 10 people have died.

There is also the illegal immigrant issue. Cheap produce, in many cases, are being harvest by, essentially, slave labor.

 

[keljonma]

I agree with WZ. DEFINITELY worth it and better for you to; not to mention that delicious satisfaction of a pantry full of food put there completely by your own labor.

 

[FarmerChick]

WZ is right about compare to organic veggies in can and the top most expensive brand....and then your stuff will still be better LOL

it is something you WANT to do, have time to do, have the desire to eat your own without chemicals etc. etc.

so it really doesn't come down to the almighty dollar when comparing 'the cost' of fresh canned foods vs. commercial canned stuff.

 

[mamaluv321]

I would say canning is EXTREMELY cost effective! I actually ran this by a friend of mine a few years ago and this is what I figured:

seeds- $0.29-1.99 a pack depending on what you buy
jars- $8.99-10.99 a dozen
canning pot- we got ours for $30 with a basket in it
blood sweat and tears in the garden- free! and also a good workout
knowing EXACTLY what is in your food- priceless.

You can cut cost even more if your really thrifty; get your canning jars at tag sales, save seeds from your garden for next year, or do a co-op garden with a freind or two to cut back on the labor. And canning with your friends can be fun!

 

[TanksHill]

One thing to keep in mind is weather or not you like to eat canned veggies.

I have used a water bath for tom, pickles, jams for years. I finally splurged and bought a pressure canner for my garden veggies.

I definitely prefer them blanched and frozen.

But I still use the pressure canner for stocks, meats, beans etc..

so it's not going to waste.
g

 

[~gd]

I have the space, knowledge and a tiller to grow a large garden, I do not have the equipment to can. After the initial cost of equipment is it cost effective, say, a canned jar compared to buying a can of veggies at the store? Thanks!

Depends entirely on what you think your time is worth! I usually would not post on this on the SS board because it is against the gospel preached here. Frankly I freeze any excess produce but If your freezer fails you are toast. Commercial canning is better than what i can do at home.

 

[mamaluv321]

I also prefer alot of my veggies frozen, they tend to taste fresher...then again, pickled green beans are fantastic.

 

[FarmerChick]

truly I think 'certain' things frozen are much better in taste....but again, I had freezer failure and lost TONS of stuff which ticked me off big time...so I am still thinking canning/preserving if you want this 'more safe' vs. possible freezer failure..lol

since I have 3 freezers, I do 'spread the wealth' now vs. putting all of one kind of item in 1 freezer...kinda like a back up system. if one goes down, I lose items, but I have more of that item in another freezer. so that helps lol


LOL GD
my time is always figured into whatever I do in this lifetime.
time is precious to me......so I sure 'use' it where I feel it is used best. I ditched MANY SS type projects because of time involved...I ain't stupid LOL

 

[bama boy]

I freeze all my greens. I purchased a canner 3 yrs ago, used it, ( alot of work), and have not gone back to it. Last yr. we blanched then frooze, taste and consistancy was not great, then we just cleaned, sliced, and set everything loosly on a large sheet in the deep freezer, then either vacume packed or double freezer bagged. We also process our own venison, and vacume pack it. This for us, is the way to go. Not as crisp as fresh, but IMO, better then canned. Mators we par boil fast for a couple on minutes, cool, and skin removes easy. Then bag and freeze. Yummy in Dec. over rice,LOL. If we lose electricity, I am fortunate enough to have a generator till we get power back. So I am not a fan of canning for what I do.