Date: August 30, 1997 04:53 PM
Author: Dan Weise (dan_yz@cin.net)
Subject: canning lids

Canning jars last forever if you don't drop and break them. The disposable item in canning is the one-time use lid, ofter called a snap lid or mason lid. It's the circular piece of coated steel with latex bonded seal bonded around the circumference. Tough to manufacture in the basement. Now's the season to buy lids - the stores that carry these seasonal items have them out now.

In the oil crunch of 78-79, there was a run on canning jars and lids. Store stocks were sold out very early, not to be replenished until the following year.

(http://garynorth.entrewave.com/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=16&Message_ID=2016)

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Date: September 01, 1997 11:01 AM
Author: Al Durtschi (rcox@mail.lcc.whecn.edu)


Dan brings up a good point for people who like to can their own produce. He would add to this list if he had carried it on...

1. Plenty of sugar
2. Pectin
3. Salt
4. Maybe even some extra bottles and rings.

Al

(http://garynorth.entrewave.com/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=16&Message_ID=2092)

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Date: September 07, 1997 01:54 AM
Author: Windrow (windrow@mediaweb.gr)
Subject: THE COST OF JARS


There's a table in the Ball Blue Book (a canning guide) titled, "Food Chart: Amount of food to be grown and canned for a typical family of 6 persons."

The vegetables they list are these: Spinach ̣ Turnip Greenṣ Broccoli ̣ Carrots ̣ Sweet Potato ̣ Winter Squash ̣ Tomato (whole & juice) ̣ Peppers ̣ Cauliflower ̣ Peas ̣ Green Beans ̣ Okra ̣ Sweet Corn ̣ Lima Beans ̣ Beat ̣ Cucumbers ̣ Lettuce Leaf ̣ Onions ̣ Radish ̣ Turnips ̣ Pumpkin...

While all the details of the table are way too much to include here, the one thing that may be of interest was their count on how many quarts of everything (but lettuce, radishes, and onions) to can. It breaks down like this:

A family of 6 will need a total of 561 quart jars... That's 47 cases. At approximately $8.00 a case (including the cost of lids), that works out to $374.

Or, figuring it on a per person basis, it would be right around $65.00 per person for jars and lids.

Everyone's tastes will vary, of course, as will quantities grown, and the number and price of jars and lids. And, as with most other cost estimates in life, it would probably be wise to double those figures. But (assumming my arithmetic was correct), this should provide a rough idea or guide to go by. The best idea, as always, is to get a copy of the Blue Book (or its equivalent), and calculate this stuff yourself: It helps make things more real, and it really gets you thinking; there's LOTS of good information in that little book. The one I've got is from 1972: It's one of those editions with fiberglass tape holding it together, but that shouldn't matter when it comes to their charts. The prices of jars and lids are based on what I paid last month.

Although I can't imagine it's that hard to find wherever you live, I happened to notice brand-NEW Ball Blue Books are available for $6.00 in the book section of that Lehman's hardware web site I got steered to here (http://www.lehmans.com).

(http://garynorth.entrewave.com/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=16&Message_ID=2275)

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Date: September 07, 1997 11:52 AM
Author: Will Richards (will_richards@hotmail.com)
Subject: Here is more info from another thread.


I cut and pasted this from inventory and barter. I hope no one minds. MY wife and I just opened a new box Kerr lids(kerr also makes ball) and they are date stamped on the edge. We don't know if this is a convenience date for tracking your canned goods or the date of the lids life. WE are writing Kerr and will let you know.

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Date: August 30, 1997 09:58 PM Author: James Wesley, Rawles (rawles@oro.net) Subject: Moderator: Extending Canning Lid Storage Life?

Do any of you forum subscribers have any ideas on extending the storage life of canning lids?

Most literature suggests a maximum two year storage life.

Aside from maintaining boxes of canning lids at constant cool temperature, what can be done?

Vacuum packing?

James Wesley, Rawles

Clearwater Trading Co.

voice: (916)639-1999

e-mail: rawles@oro.net

Let me know if you'd like my updated and expanded catalog of shootable antique guns (primarily pre-1899 production "No FFL" Mausers and S&Ws), books, gun accessories (mainly clips and magazines), ammunition, and outdoor gear. It will be sent via e-mail.

You can read my shareware survival novel, Triple Ought. It is a piece of speculative survival fiction about a socio-economic collapse and its aftermath. You can download a soft copy of the entire text FREE OF CHARGE from the web site at:

http://www.teleport.com/~ammon/gn/cover.htm

(Eight sister sites in several formats are linked there...)

(http://www.garynorth.com/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=13&Message_ID=2021)

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Date: August 31, 1997 11:38 AM Author: Will Richards (will_richards@hotmail.com) Subject: Don't Vacuum!!!

I tested the vacuum approach and the negative pressure will cause possible failure of the seal. By removing the pressure on the outside of the seal the air in the foam expands and this apears to do damage to the foam. My wife searched and found this site on canning. I pasted a quote from the site. She reminds me that it is not good practice to take info from 1 page as fact and says she will verify from another source as time allows.

Since I first posted this my wife has verified that 5 years is the storable life of lids. The info came from the Utah extension service. http://www.foodsafety.org/he/he203.htm Lid Selection, Preparation, and Use

The common self-sealing lid consists of a flat metal lid held in place by a metal screw band during processing (Plate 2). The flat lid is crimped around its bottom edge to form a trough, which is filled with a colored gasket compound. When jars are processed, the lid gasket softens and flows slightly to cover the jar-sealing surface, yet allows air to escape from the jar. The gasket then forms an airtight seal as the jar cools. Gaskets in unused lids work well for at least 5 years from date of manufacture. The gasket compound in older unused lids may fail to seal on jars.

Buy only the quantity of lids you will use in a year To ensure a good seal, carefully follow the manufacturer's directions in preparing lids for use. Examine all metal lids carefully. Do not use old, dented, or deformed lids, or lids with gaps or other defects in the sealing gasket.

(http://www.garynorth.com/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=13&Message_ID=2029)

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Date: September 01, 1997 11:05 AM Author: G.Foster (gfoster32@hotmail.com) Subject: Re-usable canning lids

I have stored in my cellar about 60 doz packages of a product named 'Reusable Morris Home Canning Lids and Seals' containing 12 each of regular and/or wide mouth lids. They are vacuum packaged, appear to be rubber or latex, have a white seal ring and a blue lid ring included. I purchased them about 10 years ago from a Latter Day Saints mail-order company. The address on the package is 'National Mfg., P.O. Box 700, Ventura, CA 93001 and asks you to send $1 to that address for a 'Morris Way Canning Book'. Have no idea if they're still in business. Maybe they've poisoned all their previous users with botulism. I've never tried them. They were marketed for survival use in an economy where replenishment of regular metal lids would not be available. Anyone else used these? The back of the package speaks of 10 year use with full instructions for substituting these for metal lids.

(http://www.garynorth.com/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=13&Message_ID=2093)

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