Well, IMO it depends what your canning and why..I use to can dozens of jars of tomatoes.I don't anymore. I not really on a health kick, so now i buy canned tomatoes when i see them 10 cans for 10 bucks, the bigger 28oz cans.With the price of cooking gas, the time you put in, the cost of a canning jar, its not worth it to me.Now if cans of store tomatoes skyrocketed it may be worth canin my own agian.If you want the satisfaction of doing your own,and controling whats in the jar, then yes, thats another story, but its not cost effective.I don't can veggies, i don't like them that way.However i do can chicken, salsa and items like that as some others here have mentioned.Canned chicken isn't really cheap to buy.I keep mine up to 3 yrs, i'm rotating out the 2008 jars that will be three yrs old this Nov.If i can buy cheap in the supermarket, i do...Ten cans(28oz) of tomatoes for ten bucks is a good deal, they last on the shelf for three yrs. Are they organic.? no...They stock my pantry and give me something to work with,chowders, soups, sauces, etc..and will last on the shelf for three yrs,thats good for my SHTF plan...I can things that are expensive to buy in the store.I use to can my own tuna fish when i could get it dirt cheap in the '70's...Now the stuff is like gold..! So i buy solid white albacore tuna when its 10 cans for 10 bucks on sale, last three yrs on the shelf.Even if you got hundreds of canning jars for free, the gas or electric and lids to do the job, are expensive these days.IMO, only certain things are cost effective to can.In the good old days of cheap jars, cheap fuel, it was a different story.Now if you had a outside wood cookstove, and access to free firewood, and cheap/free canning jars, you'd be geting much more cost effective...
Is canning veggies cost effective?
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Neko-chan
Lovin' The Homestead
I know there's four pages of helpful stuff from people, but I'll just put in that, in the long run, your garden will end up cheaper, and you'll have veggies of great quality and taste.
Canning them however, can be another story, especially as you have to build up your stock of supplies from nothing. We find jars and stuff from city mission (it's a second hand place), but I dunno prices in your area. Generally though I think prices for jars and so on are cheaper in the US though. I myself have to find a much cheaper method than Fowlers-Vacola here. 4 or 5 dollars a jar is really not worth the effort I think. For most stuff anyway.
Anyway, good luck, and have fun, no matter what you choose to do. I personally advocate the joys of watching things grow and harvesting them to feed your family.
Canning them however, can be another story, especially as you have to build up your stock of supplies from nothing. We find jars and stuff from city mission (it's a second hand place), but I dunno prices in your area. Generally though I think prices for jars and so on are cheaper in the US though. I myself have to find a much cheaper method than Fowlers-Vacola here. 4 or 5 dollars a jar is really not worth the effort I think. For most stuff anyway.
Anyway, good luck, and have fun, no matter what you choose to do. I personally advocate the joys of watching things grow and harvesting them to feed your family.
I like to grow a big garden and enjoy fresh and do, as well Neko.. However, in my neck of the woods you can only grow very limited things in the winter.Unless you have some kind of very effective and usaually expensive greenhouse.Thats why some people can there stuff,because there is little or no garden fresh availble off season, except expensive store stuff. Also in my area Mason Ball canning jars at Walmart go for $11.99 per dozen...Wow.,3-4 dollars each is expensive...!
Neko-chan
Lovin' The Homestead
Yup, Fowlers-Vacola kinda sucks. Pricey and slow. I need a different method. They don't have Ball/mason/Kerr down here, which annoys me.
Wifezilla
Low-Carb Queen - RIP: 1963-2021
Kev, you need to keep up on the latest gardening techniques. They are growing winter veggies in Maine without expensive greenhouses. I kept Chinese cabbage alive all winter in a plastic hoop house.
One interesting winter growing method is a deep trench filled with hot manure and then topped with soil. Cover it all with a hoop house and you have a self heating growing space.
As for canning jars, your price quoted shows them to be about a dollar each. Considering a canning jar can be used for years or even decades, I consider that to be a bargain. If buying new is not your speed, check auctions, garage sales, etc...
I got several cases at an auction. Five dollars a dozen.
One interesting winter growing method is a deep trench filled with hot manure and then topped with soil. Cover it all with a hoop house and you have a self heating growing space.
As for canning jars, your price quoted shows them to be about a dollar each. Considering a canning jar can be used for years or even decades, I consider that to be a bargain. If buying new is not your speed, check auctions, garage sales, etc...
I got several cases at an auction. Five dollars a dozen.
Icu4dzs
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I've only recently gotten into canning and like other SS skills, it has not only a learning curve but a steep start-up cost. The thing I like best about it is that all my stuff is re-usable. I don't have to throw it away and add to the dump pile. Additionally, cans bought in the stores have a shelf life that is different from the home canning jars. Yes, I am paying about $12/dozen for jars and the collection is mounting. I get them wherever I am able.
The drying method is working well but there are some drawbacks in that you really can't dry things that are flavored as such. You can make some of the things with dried stuff, but there are some water soluble flavors that are lost in drying. Stability on the other hand is a different issue.
Of course the thing that is most important to me is that I can do this on my own and don't have to travel, or wait for a sale or anything as long as my garden does ok. Unfortunately, last night it was wiped out by the wind storm after spending all day putting it in.
The issue of having it when you need it is of course one of the most compelling reasons for canning. Your garden can be managed in a variety of ways, as long as you can work it. I've read all kinds of warming techniques such as composting etc, but when the frost line extends to as far as 6 feet down, you have some really serious issues with those kinds of technique. Wind is also a major problem here. A hoop house wouldn't last a week in this place.
On the other hand, with the stores being "full" right now, canning what you can buy at the fresh produce counter is still better than what they can in a factory for my way of thinking. Local Farmers markets are always busy in the spring/summer so you can at least buy good vegetables if you want and can them. I am now a "proud Share-holder" in a CSA in my town and I imagine that if they are going to deliver a lot of fresh vegetables, I will have to can what I can't eat because it would spoil if I don't. My garden will help me as well once I get it "replanted".
So, at first, canning is not as cost effective, but as the years go by or if TSHTF, canning will become a "diamond in the rough" for all of us. Making your own bread is a similar issue. If one considers their time as a part of the cost, this can be a different issue. Folks making $9/hr here need the cash to pay the bills and that has got to be tough. So they really have to pinch the penny and do things for themselves and their SO's. But again, like any other SS skill, the issue is becoming good with the skill before it becomes a NECESSARY survival pursuit! My first canning attempts were, shall we say, interesting?
JMHO
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The drying method is working well but there are some drawbacks in that you really can't dry things that are flavored as such. You can make some of the things with dried stuff, but there are some water soluble flavors that are lost in drying. Stability on the other hand is a different issue.
Of course the thing that is most important to me is that I can do this on my own and don't have to travel, or wait for a sale or anything as long as my garden does ok. Unfortunately, last night it was wiped out by the wind storm after spending all day putting it in.
The issue of having it when you need it is of course one of the most compelling reasons for canning. Your garden can be managed in a variety of ways, as long as you can work it. I've read all kinds of warming techniques such as composting etc, but when the frost line extends to as far as 6 feet down, you have some really serious issues with those kinds of technique. Wind is also a major problem here. A hoop house wouldn't last a week in this place.
On the other hand, with the stores being "full" right now, canning what you can buy at the fresh produce counter is still better than what they can in a factory for my way of thinking. Local Farmers markets are always busy in the spring/summer so you can at least buy good vegetables if you want and can them. I am now a "proud Share-holder" in a CSA in my town and I imagine that if they are going to deliver a lot of fresh vegetables, I will have to can what I can't eat because it would spoil if I don't. My garden will help me as well once I get it "replanted".
So, at first, canning is not as cost effective, but as the years go by or if TSHTF, canning will become a "diamond in the rough" for all of us. Making your own bread is a similar issue. If one considers their time as a part of the cost, this can be a different issue. Folks making $9/hr here need the cash to pay the bills and that has got to be tough. So they really have to pinch the penny and do things for themselves and their SO's. But again, like any other SS skill, the issue is becoming good with the skill before it becomes a NECESSARY survival pursuit! My first canning attempts were, shall we say, interesting?
JMHO
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Trim sends
Just curious about your comments about living at "high altitude" as related to "only canning high acid foods"--are you saying there is a correlation between the two that has resulted in your choice?Wifezilla said:
I'm at altitude as well (not as high as you, but 3500' is nothing to sneeze at) and merely need to adjust my pressure in order to use a pressure canner and don't see any caveats in my canner booklet that would keep you from using one at your altitude.
I tend to think of expensive purchases in terms of "cost per use"--the more you use something, the more bang for your buck over the years. A jar that costs less than a dollar more than pays for itself in a few years. A canner (water or pressure) can be used year-round, and again will pay for itself in short order.mamaluv321 said:
I started slowly with canning 15 years ago with baby food, jam, tomatoes, and peaches. I didn't buy a canner or any official canning equipment other than jars, I just used a large stock pot that I already had (wedding gift). I picked up my jars slowly over the years, and despite having lost a few to attrition (jars not returned when I've given gifts) I've never broken a canning jar so they are pretty tough. I was fortunate that my Mom gave me her pressure canner recently. She bought it in the 70s so the "cost per use" for her at the point that she got rid of it was probably pretty much nil, and for me it's been an incredible freebie.
Having that canner has meant more cost in terms of me buying more jars lately, but the time savings in preparing dinners with home canned food has been worth the extra investment.
You can always start slow and try canning the easy things to see if it's worth your time/effort and cost outlay and then keep going if you like it
This. Totally this. I can't believe how easy dinner is when I can get it all out of jars and have it put together in just a few minutesDace said:
I have jars of beans (pinto, black, kidney, baked beans in tomato sauce, Boston style baked), lean ground bison, bison and turkey stock, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and jam in my pantry at this very minute. I can whip up all kinds of things. I plan to add ground chicken and stew beef, and can more "convenience foods" like soups, stews, chilis etc.
Wifezilla
Low-Carb Queen - RIP: 1963-2021
Water boils at a lower temperature at high altitude. I know there are more things I technically COULD water bath can, but I think it is a better idea to not bother at 5,500 ft. I could get a pressure canner, but those scare me.
Ah. Growing up with a Mom and Grandma combo who pressure canned salmon and meat (and also incidentally water bath canned every fruit, pickle and jam possible) I've never been afraid of pressure canning because I've always been around it.
When I first fired Mom's canner up again I knew exactly what little rattly-weight sound to listen for to know that it was at pressure
I really love the convenience of being able to pressure can meats, beans and soon soups/stews/chilis etc. to keep on the shelf.
When I first fired Mom's canner up again I knew exactly what little rattly-weight sound to listen for to know that it was at pressure
I really love the convenience of being able to pressure can meats, beans and soon soups/stews/chilis etc. to keep on the shelf.
