Putting up dry goods in canning jars

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

We have a huge mouse problem. They just decimated a bag of flax seeds and a bag of popcorn, so those got tossed (yummy for chickens but not for my budget).

Needless to say, we're using this blizzard we have right now to go through the pantry. Gathering my canning jars (pint, quart and half-gallon) and packaging things up. Also have plastic storage tubs for rice, beans, flour, sugar and brown/powdered sugar.

I don't wash them first. Just leave things in their original bags, and stuff them down. Add a couple of bay leaves to hinder critter growth and screw the lid on tight. Works well.

When I was drinking lots of coffee and juice from bottles this past summer, we kept most of them. My project for this winter is to clean them all out, thoroughly dry, and fill with salt and sugar, plus 1 bay leaf per bottle.

 

[Britesea]

I hope the bay leaf doesn't make an odd taste in your sugar?

Do you have a cat?

 

[k15n1]

Plastic won't keep the mice out.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

I hope the bay leaf doesn't make an odd taste in your sugar?

Do you have a cat?

I haven't noticed a different taste but I usually only use sugar for baking.

No cat. Why?

K1: Yes, plastic won't keep mice out so I usually put salt in the plastic bottles. They don't seem to want to make the effort for just salt.

 

[Britesea]

Just smelling a cat in the house will scare off some of the mice. Plus of course their self-appointed task as Rodent Control Technicians. Cats can't completely stop the mice from coming in, but they can keep it from getting out of hand. Small terrier dogs are also good at this- it's what they were bred for.

 

[Emerald]

I haven't had a mouse chew thru my big 3 1/2 or 5 gallon buckets(and had them for a few years now) but I have had them chew thru the big storage Rubbermaid tubs with ease. I learned the hard way not to store my plastic shoe boxes of heirloom seeds stacked in the big Rubbermaid tubs.. I don't know if it is because they have a couple tiny air holes near the handles and the mice can gain purchase there or what but they tore thru that box and the smaller plastic boxes like butter!
Lucky for me I joined a forum that had a huge group of folks to trade what little I had left(after growing them out) and I got my collection going again.
I just hate them meeces to pieces!

 

[Marianne]

This thread is very interesting. I should have checked it earlier.
I put beans, rice, pasta in canning jars. But I don't store huge amounts of it, so it's all rotated out in under a year. Good stuff on here.

Our mice must not be able to smell. Barn cats outside running all around, 5 cats IN the house, (yes 5, but it's a big house) and every year we have two mice in here. Cats catch them and bring them to us for show and tell.

 

[Britesea]

well, it does sound as if your cats have the situation well in hand.

 

[THEFAN]

we use the old Atlas jars for snack type foods. Trail mix, yogurt raisons and etc. I am finding more and more us for our jars, I usually get 3 boxes of them a week from a friend. So I have a lot. Now we are making candles with them. use the smaller ones for juice glasses. Some are used for pens and stuff. I have them everwhere. LOVE EM!!

 

[THEFAN]

This thread is very interesting. I should have checked it earlier.
I put beans, rice, pasta in canning jars. But I don't store huge amounts of it, so it's all rotated out in under a year. Good stuff on here.

Our mice must not be able to smell. Barn cats outside running all around, 5 cats IN the house, (yes 5, but it's a big house) and every year we have two mice in here. Cats catch them and bring them to us for show and tell.

Show and tell is right. It's so nice when you wake up and a cat is sitting on your chest with a mouse in his mouth. ( HEY LOOK AT WHAT I GOT!!!) Our one cat Smuggy will play with them and I can usually get them from him pretty easy. Puggy on the other hand is very possesive. He'll give his little growl and act all touch. He is such a push over. Takes me awhile to get the moouse out of his mouth sometimes.