Final Up to date on November 18, 2020
Canning jars are available in all kinds of sizes, and two widespread lid sizes. It’s not a nasty concept to go forward and snag at the very least a few of that selection, as a result of it may give us a variety of versatility. Factoring in our makes use of, the composition of individuals we’re feeding, possible conditions, and prices may help resolve what unfold of sizes is best and efficient.
Lid sizes could make or break canning jar prices
In some places, the distinction in value between common and huge mouth canning jar lids isn’t vital, as little as $0.03-$0.05 USD per lid. Different occasions, although, contained in the U.S. and all over the world, huge mouth lids are as a lot as 2-3x an everyday mouth lid.
These lid prices can add up quick if we’re doing a variety of canning yearly.
Keep in mind the full actual prices of canning, together with these lids, whereas considering canning jar investments.
The prices can affect some to dehydrate extra meals – not solely making a extra compact storage, but additionally one the place it doesn’t matter if one thing gained’t all be consumed shortly. It permits them to make use of bigger jars and fewer lids.
Account for water availability if that’s the plan.
Different homesteaders skip half- and quarter-pint jars – and the additional lids required to can the identical quantities of meals utilizing these smaller jars – sticking as a substitute largely to quarts and pints.
That’s tremendous now, when we’ve fridges and freezers that make leftovers simple and handy. In a catastrophe, nonetheless, widespread or private, our energy sources or our home equipment can go down. We have to contemplate if we’ve persistent snow cowl and deep-cold durations, or double-backup energy sources, and what number of leftovers we’d be taking a look at coping with with out them.
Balancing the associated fee (and canning time) of preserving meals in cheap, readily consumable portion sizes versus greater jars takes a little bit of expertise, as a result of “consumable” is situationally dependent. It’s not one dimension matches all.
Go huge or go house
(Personally, I like my house. Simply saying.)
It may be tempting to snag half-gallon and gallon jars typically, particularly if we’re storing dry items in our jars till we wish them for “actual” canning.
Resist that temptation. For those who can’t resist, go solely as much as half-gallon jars, and don’t sink the financial institution into getting a variety of them.
The most important dimension canning jars most of us want is quart
Exceptions could be if we’re getting greater jars without spending a dime and it’s simply one other storage container, or if we’re already fermenting and producing vital juice/booze/vinegar.
Many house canners simply don’t safely protect meals in bigger jars, particularly denser meals. Some gained’t even maintain greater than a quart’s peak.
We additionally normally don’t want greater jars, even when we’re feeding 12-20 folks or extra.
Too, they’re pretty costly. It’s a long-term funding (normally) however “saving” the price of shopping for 2-6 lids for pints and quarts to carry the identical quantity will take a number of years to repay.
One other consideration: The extra sizes of jars we’ve to account for, the extra “funtastic” our storage space planning shall be.
Shelving could not appear to be a significant factor, however keep in mind: simply canning two cups a day per individual requires 180+ quarts.
Winging it might be an possibility for 30 circumstances of pints so we will eat or share solely these two cups a day. Aiming to can two-each of fruits, veggies, and proteins per day – nonetheless no carbs, syrups/honey, and so on. – bumps that to just about 550 quarts.
That’s 46 flats of quarts or 92 flats of pints we’re accounting for on our cabinets, per individual.
And THAT makes the spacing concerned with storing these jars one thing price precise thought.
Pints, each “slims”, and quarts work effectively on the identical shelving. If there’s room to wiggle quart jars previous one another, there’s additionally normally room to stack half-pints or half- and quarter-pints, in flats or as “free” jars.
As soon as shelving is accounting for half-gallons and gallons, too, your selections are to interrupt away from modular shelving, be stacking much more combos, or waste 4+ inches on each shelf that gained’t fairly match one other layer.
Shorty Jars
Preserving small parts in quarter-pints and mini/pattern jars lets us open useable quantities of meals. That may each restrict leftovers/scraps and allow us to dole out specialty gadgets as a substitute of getting to devour them abruptly. It will increase complete house used, although, and takes 2-8x the lids versus pints and quarts.
Even so, we would need at the very least some small jars for spreads, herbs, lowered inventory bases, juice concentrates, sauces, and high-value “treats” like low-yielding berries or meats.
Relying on household composition and tastes, they’re additionally helpful for consumable parts of spicing onions, pickled beets, and even common ol’ salsa and chutney.
Choosing Sizes by Scenario
Bear in mind: How we will (and prepare dinner) now could very effectively change if we’re faraway from or limiting our energy attracts and refrigeration. A few of us have 3-6 months or extra once we may pack old-school ice chests and buckets, sink a bucket/cooler in a chilly spring, or let an out of doors cooler be our fridge. For a few of us, although, that’s unimaginable or unreliable.
With out refrigeration…
Folks anticipating infants/toddlers may inventory extra quarter-pints (4-5 oz.; 100-125-150 ml) and mini/sampler jars (1.5-3 oz.; 50-75 ml) to allow them to simply protect child meals.
(Plan on ordering the teensy-tiny jars, and virtually 100% the additional lids for them – they’re hardly ever in shops. Additionally, be sitting and attempt to keep away from consuming/lollipops once you do the value examine. It’s “eek” worthy.)
Singles and {couples} will most likely lean extra closely on half-pints and pints, particularly for meats and proteins, and use quarts largely for canning heat-and-eat soups or stews, cumbersome gadgets like potatoes, and a few fruits.
For households and teams of 3-8, a mixture of largely quarts and pints is usually going to be best, with some choose half-pint jars for issues like condiments and moveable meals.
Bigger households and teams within the 10-20+ individual vary would focus much more on quarts, though situations may lend themselves to having some smaller jars accessible for people or pairs.
Be certain the scale is handy
Even with households and bigger teams that may readily devour pints and quarts of every ingredient at a meal, we could wish to snag just a few flats of smaller jars. These half-pints and quarter-pints can facilitate pack-able lunches and overnight-trip meals.
Bear in mind: Trendy humanity has been strolling away from house and munching a noon meal for hundreds of years, farm arms to loggers. We’ve been taking in a single day journeys – and consuming ready meals on them – for millennia.
Additionally keep in mind: Not all disasters are equal.
We may very effectively have had life as we all know it finish inside a household and be leaning on our meals storage and preservation whereas the world continues round us. In Nice Despair or Venezuela situations, some work is obtainable and we’ll nonetheless have to gas that work.
Even being glass, canning jars are a lot robust sufficient for a rucksack or daily-carry bag.
They’re heavier than the MRE’s, tins, and pouches of just-add-water meals we generally use now, but when we’re solely carrying 1-2, it’s not an unlimited weight suck, particularly for “simply” a every day lunch.
Proper now, Ziploc-type luggage and plastic storage containers are cheap and prevalent sufficient to make them extra widespread for multi-day packers and every day lunches. That wasn’t at all times so, although, and canning jars do nonetheless see use for the latter.
In a private or widespread catastrophe that limits our disposable earnings or disrupts regular provide chains both via pricing or availability, jars can simply return to being the extra widespread container for every day and multi-day journey meals.
We are able to set them up a pair methods for our lunches and haversacks.
One, we will water-bath and strain can small parts, offering a cup of soup, applesauce or fruit, a bath of fish or meat that may be consumed with some crackers or bread, or a bean dish to go along with tortillas or bannock.
Two, we will arrange easy mixes that we’ll add water to. That may be something from bannock bread to prompt potatoes, rice, couscous, or different small pastas.
Cooking choices fluctuate by what we packed and any given day. We are able to add water early and allow them to sit within the solar, use water we’re boiling contemporary, or use a small pan or giant mug as a double boiler to warmth meals contained in the jars.
Versatility Provides Resilience
Having the ability to adapt to conditions will increase our self-reliance. A wide range of canning jar sizes can present that in some ways.
Even so, begin with essentially the most economical and commonest sizes. For many people, that’s going to be pints and quarts, with solely the odd smaller or bigger jars combined in.
