Comments on: What to Look for At Garage Sales if You’re Planning to Preserve Food! http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/what-to-look-for-at-garage-sales-if-youre-planning-to-preserve-food Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:50:30 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Lindsey in AL http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/what-to-look-for-at-garage-sales-if-youre-planning-to-preserve-food/comment-page-1#comment-22608 Lindsey in AL Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:26:45 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/?p=2361#comment-22608 I do have multiple canning funnels and I use them all the time, not just during canning. I keep one with my bulk grains for filling jars with the grains I use less of, rather than the 1 gallon pails I keep more common grains in. I would love to have stainless steel but the two plastic ones from Walmart work just fine. Definitely, everyone who even thinks about canning needs a jar lifter! I tried without for one batch of salsa and that was the last time. Whew! It was awful. I have a cherry pitter but I seldom use it. My husband and I picked a lot of pie cherries at my FIL's house last week and we actually left the seeds on the tree. Just squeeze the cherry as you pull it away from the seed; it helps to hold onto the stem as you pull. The fruit should come away without the seed. Another way, less messy, is to pull the cherry WITH its stem from the tree and use the same method to remove the stem and seed together from the cherry, in the house. That eliminates cherry juice running down your arms while you pick :D I wish I could find more canning jars at yard sales but I just haven't. The thrift stores in my area want 50 cents EACH for quart jars and they're nearly always small mouth. When I pay 67 cents each at the most for new jars, that is just not a bargain to me. Someone must think it is though because they always move fast. Weird. Oh, a current Ball Blue book is very important too. Every 3-5 years I think you should get a new one. Mine is way overdue since it was a Christmas present in 2000. Yikes. Thankfully I haven't used it in the last year or two, preferring a few tried and true recipes and some new ones from the Pomona pectin box. I do have multiple canning funnels and I use them all the time, not just during canning. I keep one with my bulk grains for filling jars with the grains I use less of, rather than the 1 gallon pails I keep more common grains in. I would love to have stainless steel but the two plastic ones from Walmart work just fine.

Definitely, everyone who even thinks about canning needs a jar lifter! I tried without for one batch of salsa and that was the last time. Whew! It was awful.

I have a cherry pitter but I seldom use it. My husband and I picked a lot of pie cherries at my FIL’s house last week and we actually left the seeds on the tree. Just squeeze the cherry as you pull it away from the seed; it helps to hold onto the stem as you pull. The fruit should come away without the seed. Another way, less messy, is to pull the cherry WITH its stem from the tree and use the same method to remove the stem and seed together from the cherry, in the house. That eliminates cherry juice running down your arms while you pick :D

I wish I could find more canning jars at yard sales but I just haven’t. The thrift stores in my area want 50 cents EACH for quart jars and they’re nearly always small mouth. When I pay 67 cents each at the most for new jars, that is just not a bargain to me. Someone must think it is though because they always move fast. Weird.

Oh, a current Ball Blue book is very important too. Every 3-5 years I think you should get a new one. Mine is way overdue since it was a Christmas present in 2000. Yikes. Thankfully I haven’t used it in the last year or two, preferring a few tried and true recipes and some new ones from the Pomona pectin box.

]]> By: Laura http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/what-to-look-for-at-garage-sales-if-youre-planning-to-preserve-food/comment-page-1#comment-22495 Laura Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:52:23 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/?p=2361#comment-22495 I will try to share about making cider...if I'm able to get some made this fall. I have a post about making applesauce here: http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/how-to-make-and-can-applesauce or you can find more information about it in my Gardening and Preserving Ebook: http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=54 I will try to share about making cider…if I’m able to get some made this fall. I have a post about making applesauce here:

http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/how-to-make-and-can-applesauce

or you can find more information about it in my Gardening and Preserving Ebook:

http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=54

]]> By: Michelle http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/what-to-look-for-at-garage-sales-if-youre-planning-to-preserve-food/comment-page-1#comment-22487 Michelle Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:50:33 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/?p=2361#comment-22487 I'm a huge fan of the whole buying canning supplies at garage sales idea. People often just want to get rid of their jars, and sell them for super-cheap, or even put them in the 'free' pile. One thing I did buy at a store is a steam-canner...works the same as boiling the jars in a big heavy pot of boiling water, but there's only a few inches of boiling water to create the steam. It did cost a fair bit (I think $50 on sale?), but I'm a klutz and was forever scalding myself by sloshing boiling water everywhere. Plus it cuts the canning time in half as I don't have to wait for gallons of water to come to a boil. It's been a life-saver for me. I’m a huge fan of the whole buying canning supplies at garage sales idea. People often just want to get rid of their jars, and sell them for super-cheap, or even put them in the ‘free’ pile.

One thing I did buy at a store is a steam-canner…works the same as boiling the jars in a big heavy pot of boiling water, but there’s only a few inches of boiling water to create the steam. It did cost a fair bit (I think $50 on sale?), but I’m a klutz and was forever scalding myself by sloshing boiling water everywhere. Plus it cuts the canning time in half as I don’t have to wait for gallons of water to come to a boil. It’s been a life-saver for me.

]]> By: The Working Home Keeper http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/what-to-look-for-at-garage-sales-if-youre-planning-to-preserve-food/comment-page-1#comment-22474 The Working Home Keeper Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:57:09 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/?p=2361#comment-22474 My husband was out on one of his morning runs recently and found three boxes of canning jars someone had put out by the street as free to a good home! My husband was out on one of his morning runs recently and found three boxes of canning jars someone had put out by the street as free to a good home!

]]> By: FishMama@LifeasMOM http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/what-to-look-for-at-garage-sales-if-youre-planning-to-preserve-food/comment-page-1#comment-22471 FishMama@LifeasMOM Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:19:48 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/?p=2361#comment-22471 I second the jar lifter. Finding one second hand would be great for a newby. I second the jar lifter. Finding one second hand would be great for a newby.

]]> By: Kika http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/what-to-look-for-at-garage-sales-if-youre-planning-to-preserve-food/comment-page-1#comment-22468 Kika Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:22:35 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/?p=2361#comment-22468 Will you be sharing more about the process of canning applesauce and making cider? I really want to learn what to do with the apples from my backyard trees. I'm allergic to them raw but can eat them cooked/heated. Will you be sharing more about the process of canning applesauce and making cider? I really want to learn what to do with the apples from my backyard trees. I’m allergic to them raw but can eat them cooked/heated.

]]> By: Angie http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/what-to-look-for-at-garage-sales-if-youre-planning-to-preserve-food/comment-page-1#comment-22465 Angie Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:55:14 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/?p=2361#comment-22465 I'm listeniung and learning. Your site is a wealth of information. Thank you. I’m listeniung and learning. Your site is a wealth of information. Thank you.

]]> By: Heather http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/what-to-look-for-at-garage-sales-if-youre-planning-to-preserve-food/comment-page-1#comment-22464 Heather Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:52:21 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/?p=2361#comment-22464 I would agree heartily with the jar lifter comment! I also want, but do not yet have a lid lifter. It sounds easy enough to make if you can't find one cheap. It is a magnet on the end of a dowel that lifts the lids out of the simmering water. No more burnt fingers and no more scratching around with a fork! Also, a metal ladle. I don't have one yet, but want one just like my mom has. I found a canning colander (what I use instead of a food mill). Actually I found 2 of them in one week! I had been asking and asking for a couple months and am so happy!!!! Applesauce and tomato juice here I come. http://pagesbyheather.blogspot.com/2009/06/frugal-find-friday-canning-colanders.html I've written a lot about my canning adventure this summer and its not even harvest time yet. I canned with my mom as a child, but haven't in years. It has been wonderful to get back into it! Heather I would agree heartily with the jar lifter comment! I also want, but do not yet have a lid lifter. It sounds easy enough to make if you can’t find one cheap. It is a magnet on the end of a dowel that lifts the lids out of the simmering water. No more burnt fingers and no more scratching around with a fork! Also, a metal ladle. I don’t have one yet, but want one just like my mom has.

I found a canning colander (what I use instead of a food mill). Actually I found 2 of them in one week! I had been asking and asking for a couple months and am so happy!!!! Applesauce and tomato juice here I come.

http://pagesbyheather.blogspot.com/2009/06/frugal-find-friday-canning-colanders.html

I’ve written a lot about my canning adventure this summer and its not even harvest time yet. I canned with my mom as a child, but haven’t in years. It has been wonderful to get back into it!

Heather

]]> By: Emily Kay http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/what-to-look-for-at-garage-sales-if-youre-planning-to-preserve-food/comment-page-1#comment-22460 Emily Kay Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:29:48 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/?p=2361#comment-22460 thanks for this post...great information! thanks for this post…great information!

]]> By: Lisa http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/what-to-look-for-at-garage-sales-if-youre-planning-to-preserve-food/comment-page-1#comment-22453 Lisa Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:05:55 +0000 http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/?p=2361#comment-22453 I found some wide mouth jars at the grocery store the other day in with the damaged goods. The only thing wrong with them is that they were no longer in the case and they were marked down to 35 cents each! Also saw a bunch at the thrift store, but they were 99 cents, so I passed :) I found some wide mouth jars at the grocery store the other day in with the damaged goods. The only thing wrong with them is that they were no longer in the case and they were marked down to 35 cents each! Also saw a bunch at the thrift store, but they were 99 cents, so I passed :)

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