what jars for dry oven canning dry goods?

[Kart29]

I'm planning to oven can some dry goods - oats, rice, beans, sugar... stuff like that.

I think I pretty well understand the process and what can be canned this way and what cannot. But I don't know what kind of jars are acceptable. Obviously, standard Ball canning jars and lids will work fine. I read that many folks will re-use canning lids when canning dry goods.

The thing is, I have a good collection of clean, empty, wide-mouth peanut butter jars and the like. These jars have screw top lids with a rubber-like seal in the lid. Why couldn't they be re-used for canning dry goods? Obviously I want an air-tight seal, but these jars and lids produced an air tight seal when used to package the original contents. Why wouldn't they work again?

Any thoughts, suggestions, experiences or warnings on utilizing used jars and lids for dry oven canning of dry goods?

 

[Stubz]

Could be wrong but doesn't most of the "air tight" sealing of those sorts of items (PB, jelly, condiments, etc..) come from the adhesive held mylar disc under the cap, you have to remove prior to use?

 

[88GT]

Why not use the Mylar bags?

 

[Kart29]

Could be wrong but doesn't most of the "air tight" sealing of those sorts of items (PB, jelly, condiments, etc..) come from the adhesive held mylar disc under the cap, you have to remove prior to use?

I have never removed any disc from any jar I've ever used in my entire life. I'm not sure what you could be referring to. Yes, there's some sort of plastic/rubber/elastopolymer ring of whatever it is that seals against the rim of the glass jar. But this is permanently attached to the lid and doesn't come off. Every indication I have suggests that these jars seal up air tight again. But there's "air tight" as in keeping your mayonnaise from dyring out for a month, and then there's "air tight" as in keeping something fresh for 20 years.

 

[Kart29]

Why not use the Mylar bags?

Well, for several reasons. First, I don't have any mylar bags, I have jars. Second, I don't have any money to buy mylar bags, I have jars. Sometimes us poor folks just have to make do with what we have. Third, I don't know how to do dry oven canning with mylar bags.

But if you can give any more information about preserving and storing dry goods in mylar bags I'd be interested to know in case I want to do something like that in the future. Can mylar bags stand up to the heat of the oven? How do the bags get an air-tight seal? How long will foods stored in mylar bags stay fresh?

 

[skulhedface]

http://www.backdoorsurvival.com/mylar-bags/

Haven't tried oven canning or reusing those kinds of jars for canning, so I suppose I can't answer the question from experience. There are inexpensive reliable methods to accomplish your goal though, like mylar. My .02 is if you're going to use an unreliable method with unreliable equipment you should expect an unreliable outcome. You may be able to improve your results by baking the jars longer and reinforcing the seal with wax. Hopefully if it doesn't work out it only costs you a few cups of sugar.

 

[88GT]

Well, for several reasons. First, I don't have any mylar bags, I have jars. Second, I don't have any money to buy mylar bags, I have jars. Sometimes us poor folks just have to make do with what we have. Third, I don't know how to do dry oven canning with mylar bags.

But if you can give any more information about preserving and storing dry goods in mylar bags I'd be interested to know in case I want to do something like that in the future. Can mylar bags stand up to the heat of the oven? How do the bags get an air-tight seal? How long will foods stored in mylar bags stay fresh?

You don't do dry oven canning with mylar bags.

The answer to your questions about mylar bag storage are easily found with a simple search of the interwebz. You wouldn't even need to leave INGO though. Countless threads about mylar bag food storage on here. Not trying to cop out on the request, but I can't do justice to the information that's already available. The cost is relatively minimal. And the outcome is a whole lot better with none of the uncertainty of an unproven method.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

I've put up lots of dry goods with mylar bags and O2 absorbers. Like 88GT said, there's tons of info on that.

But if you have glass jars with lids, you could give it a try. I've known people in the past who used to save mayonnaise jars to can acid foods like tomatoes that don't require the highest heat to can in a water bath. Of course with those you could use standard canning lids and rings. I've never tried to re-use old jars for anything but jellies, jams, and fresh honey.

Some of the jars that you're gonna use might have the kind of lid that will tell you if it's sealed. Try those first.