Labeling Canning Jar Boxes

I do a lot of canning which means I use a lot of jars.  As a result of the amount of canning some filled and empty jars must be stored in the original boxes.  I'm rather protective of my boxes because they are perfect for storing jars waiting to be put onto the pantry shelves.  I don't like writing on the boxes because they are used over and over until they fall apart.  That means the contents are constantly changing.

Pictured is 2 of the filled box stacks when I started organizing.  Part of the top is cut off so there were actually 15 cases of 12 jars each (180 jars) of food.  I previously had been using a post-it note method for labeling (right) then changing the numbers with respect to content as the jars moved to the shelves while filling the empty spaces with empty jars.  While the system made a lot of sense to me what ended up happening is I would have part cases of food and occasionally a jar or two would be missed so would go beyond my 2 year comfort level for storing home canned foods.  Even worse is in trying to maximize space jars of food from 2 different years sometimes got mixed into the boxes.  So with the help of my husband we came up with a better plan.

In the lower right hand corner is the black shelf unit that was were the boxes are now stacked.  It is now holding the few plastic containers I still use.  The Tattler reusable canning lids (full review) I was testing out presented a labeling issue.  Since I could no longer use my method of writing on the lids with a Sharpie and writing on the jars wasn't working for me I rummaged through the utility room where I found a roll of painter's tape.  That solved my lid labeling problem but then I thought it would be a low cost way of labeling the stacked boxes as well.

My husband moved all of the empty cases of jars to the other side of the pantry.  They he started stacking the filled cases.  I'm now using painter's tape to label the boxes (left) which should pull cleanly off the boxes without damaging them.  This method gives me a good visual of what is in the box and what needs to be moved to the shelves.  I like that it is neat, tidy, cheap and effective!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Benefits of a Well Stocked Pantry

I recently read that the average family keeps a 3 day supply of food in their home.  That really surprised me!  I am a firm believer of keeping a  well stocked pantry so a fair amount of energy goes into to stocking a maintaining my pantry for a 2 year food supply.  Between the months of April and October jars and jars of home canned foods are added to my pantry as each type of produce comes into season.  Jars of dried fruits, vegetables and herbs are also added.  Mid spring we pick up our beef on the hoof to restock the freezers and a bit later meat from our pig will be added along with a few pieces of home cured meats.  During the nice weather any fish we catch that isn't used fresh is frozen for use in the winter months.  If we're lucky a bit of venison is added to the freezers as well.  Of course I take advantage of grocery sales for staples like pasta, rices, flours and baking needs.  The question many ask of anyone who keeps a well stocked pantry is why?  The quick answer to this question is there are a multitude of reasons so I'm just going to highlight a few reasons why keeping a well stocked pantry is a prudent idea.

• saves money -  A well stocked pantry saves a considerable amount of money by removing the temptation to eat out or pick-up take-out food.  Home cooked meals and foods from scratch are almost always less expense than eating out or even convenience foods.  In the time it takes to go out of your way to go through a drive-thru for take-out you can easily make an inexpensive, healthier home cooked meal. 
• guard against inflation -  A well stocked pantry serves as a guard against temporarily inflated food prices that occur due to produce and grain shortages caused by regional weather.  Recent examples of this has been inflated prices for rice and wheat products.  Use your pantry stocks of temporarily inflated food items until the price returns to normal then restock your pantry.
• garden failure - A well stocked pantry can help lessen the blow of a year's garden failure.  The weather patterns have been changing which has resulted in violent weather in some areas that quickly can wipe out a garden in a few moments.  In other areas gardens have been wiped out by an unexpected frost.  This is one reason why keeping a two year supply of home canned fruits and vegetables is often recommended.
• unemployment -  Unemployment can happen at any time as a result of a variety of factors.  A well stocked pantry helps to keep good healthy food on the table during periods of unemployment allowing you to focus on finding employment and freeing up money needed for other necessities such as utilities. 
• emergency preparedness - Emergency situations can happen anytime, anywhere and when you least expect it.  Part of your pantry storage should include emergency preparedness food supplies.  Additional foods that you may not normally use on a regular basis (eg. powdered cheese, powdered milks) should be part of your emergency preparedness food supplies along with any special needs foods (eg. baby formula).  Your emergency preparedness food supplies should be in the amount that could support your family's needs for a full month and should include safe drinking water. 

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Well Stocked Pantry

Even though I can year round, this is the time of year where I begin to see my efforts from preserving over the busier canning season. There's new foods that I haven't canned before put up along with the old, tried and true. I'm no where near finished yet but progress is being made.

The first reaction I get when someone first sees my pantry is sheer surprised usually followed by why? Keeping a well stocked pantry is important to me on many levels. First and foremost, it is a way of putting wholesome foods that are not laden with excess salt, preservatives and refined sugars. Many of the vegetables are home grown so storing the excess becomes a concern. It is a huge money saver because the food is right there ready to use instead of having to run to the store. This was very convenient when the kids were small and now we live in a rural area even more convenient. The pantry also saves money because I only stock up on certain foods when in season or on sale. A well stocked pantry is environmentally sound practice as well. Finally there is security in knowing there is enough food to feed ourselves comfortably for extended periods of time as well as help others if needed.

My goal is to maintain somewhere between a one to two year supply of food in the pantry. I'm pretty much on track. So here are a few pictures of my pantry as it is as of yesterday. There will be a few changes as the canning continues and we stock up on apples, potatoes and root vegetables to be eaten fresh. We will also be doing a restock on a few things from Sam's Club

The pantry is on the lower level under the stairs. It is a nice size room but the ceiling is low and has duct work running through it. The open beams will be perfect for hanging drying herbs next year! To the right as you enter the pantry there is a small supply of beverages (1). The paneling slide hides a nice storage area for empty jars. A small metal shelf unit beside the freezers (2) holds miscellaneous odds and ends. The space between is just perfect for cases of bottled water. The two freezers hold mainly meat, poultry, fish, vegetables and make-ahead meals I prepare in bulk. As you can see, I even use the floor space. In front of one freezer is a box of salsa, flour and rice (3). The shelves hold a wide variety of home canned foods with every thing from beans, fruits, vegetables and meats to soups and stews. The smaller white shelf unit will be replaced shortly with an industrial version of the smaller metal shelves giving me more storage space. A smaller shelf unit (4) holds more home preserved foods along with a few of the commercial items I need. In front are potatoes, squash and pumpkin waiting for processing.

A microwave stand (5) fit perfectly just inside the door facing the entry. It was ideal for storing cookbooks and some necessary equipment the the essential pressure canner. Hanging racks increase the storage. Pasta is temporarily being stored in the breakfast island base cabinets (6) on one side and spices (7) on the other side. The pasta is waiting to be vacuum sealed as soon as I have time. Then it will be moved to the pantry as well. My dried pasta supply is on the low side right now so I need to do a restock. A good supply of spices along with other seasonings like hot sauce (8) make food interesting so I keep a good store on hand.

This is my actual herb and spice cabinet. I consider this part of my pantry stores even though it is not stored in the actual pantry. It houses a host of dried herbs, mainly home grown. The top shelf holds a range of dried vegetable powders to be used as flavour boosters or in the case of dried zucchini as a natural thickener. The other shelves hold a variety of home dried and dried herbs and seasonings.

There are two more food cupboards in the kitchen, one for teas and coffees the other for commercial products like tuna, oils and mustards. I didn't take pictures because by now this entry is getting long and you are likely getting bored. As you can see from my pantry, the emphasis is on homemade and buying in bulk. Both will save you a considerable amount of money while they put good, healthy food on the family table. You can also see that a well stocked pantry need not be fancy but it does need to be well organized.

Well, my jars of ground beef are almost ready to take out of the canner so I best end this lengthy entry. Hopefully this has helped my readers understand the importance of a well stocked pantry. I do hope you will set up a pantry of your own. You won't regret it!

Garden Gnome
© 2007