A heads up on prep’s

[Mij]

With all of the shortages we are seeing and a lot of new folks joining the preparation group. It seems like a good time to say, look at your canning lids. I’m of the belief that they could be hard to find when the time comes to put by your hard earned surplus. It’s never easy anymore and I think this year it’s going to be worse. Just a small observation I’ve had. You can at this time order them in bulk on line for good prices. That’s what we did, got a few years worth just in case. We have canned for lots of years so to us it’s common, and each year lids at harvest time seem to be harder to come by. Just thought I’d put it out their.

 

[Magyars]

Come July, with more people putting out gardens I suspect lids will become harder to get.
We saw a number of jars at yard sales yesterday.

 

[Mij]

It’s just that I’ve noticed the last few years even our local Rural King, lids are getting harder to find. And with all the supply chain issues thought I might give a heads up. We have many boxes of jars we have canned for many years, in fact going back 3 generations by my recollection. The on line outfits had good names, Ball, Kerr, and the like, for very good prices. A couple hundred per box for ~ 20 some odd bucks per. So we got a few boxes should last us a couple years. Enough to weather this sh** storm we’re going through now. Maybe our rural location or the lifestyle most country folk live out here is the reason, I don’t venture into the city much, maybe things are different there. Maybe just the rumbling of an old curmudgeon.

 

[jerrob]

Try the canning section at Menards. I have a full case of lids I bought there about a year ago when they were harder to find than an honest politician. I remember spending the ammo money I had rat-holed in my wallet. I find the inner-city and uppity (it's a word) neighborhood stores are more likely to have them than the rural stores. Helps if ya hunt for them outta season too.........................lid poaching, lol.
Good luck.

 

[Cameramonkey]

On a related note, if you are the least bit concerned about the potential rolling blackouts and want to protect your fridges and freezers, buy your genny NOW.

Because once that first one hits us and people realize it really is a thing, the generator aisle will look like the bread aisle the day before a snowstorm.

Im kinda surprised they are as easy to find now. I guess most people in our area are blowing it off because thats something that just doesnt happen HERE. It only happens out west.

 

[Mij]

What a lot of folks call prepping we call that Tuesday, I told my city friends 3 weeks before the gas spike it was coming. At the same time I called the co-op and had the gas tank topped off. Still using it, my gas still costs me 3.28 a gallon got about 350 to 400 gal. left. Still only buy premium for small engines that’s the only hi dollar gas I buy. 5, 10 gal. at most runs all summer. Mowers use cheap stuff from the tank.

Whole house Ginny runs off the same LP tank that runs my house 1000 gal. cap. Small units in both barns just in case.

Lid poaching that’s funny stuff right there. Ya thats why I said it now, early in the season is better than looking all around come garden harvest time. The closest Menards is about an hour away in the nearest small city. Hate going there. Gotta tote full size side arm, just don’t like to do it. Welp good luck all, gotta go feed n water some cows.

 

[spencer rifle]

When push comes to shove, reuse your lids. I know, I know, the books say never reuse lids, but if you are careful removing them, they can safely be used again. Often more than once. Some of our metal lids have 3 labels on them, and the failure rate is lower than the Tattlers that were made to be reused.

Gotta make time to can more deer meat - I don't trust the freezer in emergencies.

Recent changes:
Grid-tie for our solar setup.
Electric Ego self-driving mower that takes two charges to do our whole lawn. All that takes gas now is our tiller, chainsaw, genny and cars. And one of those is a plug-in hybrid that gets 20 miles on a charge (in warm weather) before switching to hybrid mode.

 

[stocknup]

Good advice ...........I would hate to guess how many years worth of lids we have put back , but still have the mindset of still
"Stocknup" . My wife bought one of these openers a while back and it does preserve the lid without bending at all . We have marked them and have experimented re-using them with great results . Hardly any failures to seal .
Have also purchased many of the "Reusable" Tattler lids .......

 

[Mij]

Never tried reusing lids, we’ve talked about it but never experimented with it. I’ll look for one of those openers.

spencer r…. By all means can a lot of venison if you can. I like to add a couple beef bullion cubes in the parboil water. Come in from hunting, pop a top on jar poor off liquid add a bit of your favorite BBQ sauce, nuke it and stir great bbq samiches in 2 minutes. Another, make some egg noodles, in a skillet combine some mushrooms, sour cream, cheap red wine, dash of worstorshire (sp) sauce gently fold in canned venison. Serve over noodles, Venison Stroganoff in about 15 min. Enjoy and good luck this deer season.

Can wild rabbits, add chicken bullion to parboil water, pop top grab a bone pull, bone comes out meat stays in jar. Great for rabbit n noodles, any recipe you might use chicken in.

When we slaughter a beef we can as much beef cubed as we put by as hamburger.

 

[bwframe]

Combine this all up with the fact that gas is $5 and rising and you are back to canning the contents of your freezer to save it. Gas pump power goes out also, even if you could afford the fuel.

You should have the means and knowledge to can outside. You might just have to.

You should have contingency plans for everything. There are things that can wrong with any one "saving grace."


.

 

[bwframe]

What is currently a good price for Ball branded wide mouth lids?

Amazon has a lot for sale. Trying to figure where to start. What about Menards current pricing?


.

 

[wcd]

What is currently a good price for Ball branded wide mouth lids?

Amazon has a lot for sale. Trying to figure where to start. What about Menards current pricing?


.

We paid $1.65 per package last year, we bought two cases. Now were are seeing them at almost $4.00 per package. Yeah Joe did that!

 

[lrdudley]

Menards current price is $4.99 per dozen, but check for stock. Both Anderson and Indy South did not have any in stock.

 

[jerrob]

Menards current price is $4.99 per dozen, but check for stock. Both Anderson and Indy South did not have any in stock.

Check the Menards Pendleton Pike and Fishers (96th St.) stores, found more than a few there.

 

[jerrob]

Just wanted to revisit this topic since I've moved to Tennessee and like being nosey.
How is canning lid availability back in Indiana now? They are plentiful here now, expensive too at $4/dozen for wide mouth, still thinking about buying a few because I'm sure they'll not get any cheaper.

 

[bwframe]

I'm watching for better lid pricing, just like the rest of you all.

I have quite a backup of controversial, less than 100% lids. Most of a 100ct sleeve of cheapie Amazon no name lids. They are flimsy and buckle a bit on occasion, but this has mostly not been a detriment. While still rare, a lid not sealing for no apparent reason happens more than with Ball lids.

On top of the cheapies, I toss hardly any used lids. I'm careful removing them and have had very little failure. Zero seal failures with used lids, after insuring a seal when removing the rings.

If I need to do meat, I'll likely use new Ball lids. I need to check inventory, but last look I had 6 cases of new sealed quart jars. Hopefully, there will be a day when we can again find great seasonal sales on Ball jars at Menards? Think I paid 8 bucks a case for these jars that I didn't need a few years back?


.

 

[2in1evtime]

There has been another price increase recently on canning jars and lids and rings, happened into menards and bought a few cases of quart and pint jars at the previous lower prices.

 

[snapping turtle]

There has been another price increase recently on canning jars and lids and rings, happened into menards and bought a few cases of quart and pint jars at the previous lower prices.

Normal in July for canning jars to raise in price. This is when the people are canning stuff.

Now will they ever come back done i. The fall. Maybe not.

 

[Mij]

Good advice ...........I would hate to guess how many years worth of lids we have put back , but still have the mindset of still
"Stocknup" . My wife bought one of these openers a while back and it does preserve the lid without bending at all . We have marked them and have experimented re-using them with great results . Hardly any failures to seal .
Have also purchased many of the "Reusable" Tattler lids ....... View attachment 205612

After considerable research I’ve learned lids can and are reused by those in the know, just don’t bend them. And put them in boiling water for a bit before reuse. We plan on saving our used lids as of today. JMO.

 

[bwframe]