I was checking out Cragislist, sorta looking for food grade barrels and / or gamma lids, more to get an idea of availability and cost versus buying them new when I was browsing around and came across a listing for canning jars.  There’s lots of overpriced vintage jar ads, but this was different – clearly from a family who are no longer canning, not some re-saler looking to make a profit.  50-some 1/2 pint, 50-some pint, 40-some quart and a handful of 1/2 gallon jars, for a total of 152 jars, all stored in 4 Rubbermaid roughneck totes for only 25$ !!  The totes alone, if I purchased them new would cost more than that!

I emailed them right away, and they got back to me today.  They wanted to make sure the jars were going to someone that actually wanted to can with them, and I assured them that this is a skill I really do want to become proficient in.  I rushed right over to get them. They even threw in a bag of rings and unopened boxes of lids! A 12 pack of quart jars, new, I haven’t seen for less than 30$ and I’ve see them for 50$ or more on amazon.  Half-Pints and Pints are a bit better at 10-15$ a dozen (but about half my half pints are the decorative cut glass looking ones).

The wife, who had been the canner, looking a little frail and very sweet, said she went through and recycled any jars that had chips or seemed unsafe.  I still will check them of course, but even if a few were unusable for actual canning, I can find a use for it.  (I love me some mason jar crafts)

Unless Santa brings me a Pressure Canner, I probably won’t get any use from my jars until next year, but I am absolutely giddy with excitement to have these supplies that I can fill with food to build the pantry.