Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Canning Jar Shortages: A Major Economic Indicator?

I guess it was a good idea for me to buy a few cases of them a couple of years ago and stack them in the shed, even though I don't can, yet.

"I don't need Money News to tell me that America's economy is in trouble. I don't need the Wall Street Journal to tell me about unemployment figures and I don't need the Center for Economic and Policy Research to tell me that my money doesn't go as far as it once did or that the equity in my house is down 33% over the last five years.

All I have to do is take a trip to the local Walmart.

The first thing you notice is the dwindling stock on the shelves... which is a pretty good assessment of our economy's health, as far as I'm concerned. And have you noticed the packaging? Everything is smaller. They try to sneak it in with fun little euphemisms like "portion size" and "more compact." My favorite is "less fat" or "less calories per serving." They shrink the package, then shrink the portion sizes. Voila! Instantly diet-friendly.

The problem is, the only thing losing weight is my checkbook.

I used to complain about $100 grocery trips. Now I'm whining about $150 to $200 grocery store trips that bring home less food than ever. Before you know it, a wheelbarrow full of money will barely be able to buy a loaf of bread. It's like an inevitable progression from bad to worse.

But do you know what the most telling portent about our economic vulnerability is? At least to me? The canning aisle.

My garden has produced rather well this year. I've been putting up vegetables like crazy, and have started to run out of jars. A few days ago I had my husband run to Walmart to pick me up a "case or two" of pint wide-mouth jars for the wax beans. I told him they'd run about $6 to $7 a case.

There were none. And not only were there none, they cost $9.29 a case. He checked at all the Walmarts, Lowes, Dollar General, and everywhere else he could think about and came up dry. Obviously these folks had only ordered a case or two and hadn't bothered to restock, I thought.

I couldn't have been more wrong. Walmart gets a shipment of jars every day from their central warehouse. By noon, they're gone. The girl stocking the shelves at one of the stores in my town told me they've had to break up fights between people over canning jars. Lowes is restocking constantly and still can't keep their shelves with adequate stock.

I was going to be a smarty pants. I headed for my computer and thought quite smugly that I'd just order them online. I went first to Amazon, because after all, traditionally, Amazon is cheaper than most everyone else on everything. And since I have Amazon Prime, I could probably get the jars here in two days, no sweat.

Oh they had pint-sized wide-mouth jars all right... for $17.62 a case! My bottom lip hit the floor with a thud and I about fell out. $17.62 a case? What in the world was going on?

It's the economy, just like I said. More and more people are beginning to see the signs of the times and have decided that a garden and Mason jars are a pretty wise investment. Folks are beginning to read their pocketbooks like a gypsy fortune teller reads tea leaves, and they don't like what they're seeing. What about you?" - Off The Grid News

Dunno where he is located, but they are easy to obtain all day long here.

Same here in the Springs

Shelves are always stocked here, trying to find them during the summer months can be difficult as everyone is canning, but it has been that way since I can remember.

17.62 per case, ever see how much companies charge you to ship glass? Over half of the 17.62 per case is for shipping costs.

Stupid article IMO...

Not that the economy isn't bad, just that this doesn't prove it.

The article was written for "Off The Grid News". A tinfoil hat comes with every subscription.................

RS

I see canning jars stocked in several local stores, but few seem to be sold (according to the clerks). If there is no demand, production will eventually cease.

I've had several little old ladies give me dozens of canning jars over the years,in addition to picking them up at yardsales over the last 10 years. We raise a large garden every year so we are already into the deal plus the wife's grandmother just 'pre-willed' us another 38 dozen.

I'll say this though, jars don't mean jack squat unless you've a large supply of rings and lids.

It's the lids(like primers) that are the limiting factor. In case any citified people don't know, lids are one-time use only.

Lids are always scarce around June, July, August- duh!!

You can get generic lids from Dollar General or other dollar stores. I have about 2thousand jars and several cases of lids.

stick with the standards- the wides are a bitch to find sometimes an like I said, go generic. Ball will buttrape you on lids.

ya mean people in MD haven't figured it out yet ??

It's good to hear that this person's experience isn't confirmed by you folks who can. Economy must be doing just fine.

Very few people know how to home process anything anymore. Cheetos and Obama bucks are to blame. Plus the general fat, lazy, stupid, slothful American stereotype persists.

Nobody said the economy was doing fine, just that the premise of this article is not a good indicator.

Good news, in any event. I would imagine that if the economy were truly bad, there would indeed be somewhat of a shortage on things like this.

Spot on, locating jars isn't a big deal, all the little old ladies that used to can have kept every jar they ever had and in most cases are more than willing to give them to someone wanting to can. Lids and rings is where it gets costly and hard to find. But most of todays people are too Damn lazy to can and would rather eat a microwaved meal. Worse beating I ever got was for shooting my pa's mason jars with a bh gun. Will never forget that one.

Probably would be, but you would also have to assume that the bottom feeders would get off their asses and can their own food.

I would worry more about lids than cans, I have my wife pick up a couple boxes each month to stockpile.

Well, my wife keeps detailed records of everything we spend. Our grocery bill has gone up 25% from a year ago. Also, have you seen that toilet paper is about 1/2" more narrow on the roll than a year or two ago. If they don't cut sizes, they have to raise prices.

If the inflation rate were figured by 1980 standards, it would be 10% right now. If the unemployment rates were figured by 1980 standards it would be about 12% right now. Is gasoline cheaper now than when Obama took office? Gasoline has gone down recently this summer which I have never seen before because people aren't traveling, but it is still over $3/gallon. Is what you spend at the grocery store cheaper? Have your raises increased to match? Face it we have a stagnant economy. How come we have fewer people working today than 4 years ago with a larger population? It isn't because of retirements. Most older people are working longer and are afraid to retire. I am.

You are right about the lids and rings. Jars can be reused indefinately until they break. Rings can be reused if they don't rust. Lids can be reused for vacuum sealed jars if you are careful opening them. We vacuum seal stuff in jars and it keeps longer. Like cheese and dry goods. We have a vacuum sealer with jar lid adapter. We use the vacuum sealed bags in the freezer and meat keeps two years or more. Shreaded cheese in jars will keep for months if vacuum sealed.

Good point. I'd better stock up on lid parts. Planning to start gardening again.

Canning jars are actually used by some for canning? I thought they were iced tea glasses.

That's been my experience, too.

Nothing beats a vac packed 1911 though....

The economy sucks, but we have lots of jars & lids, the rings are near indestructible. With & daughter are canning this weekend and making spaghetti sauce by the gallon and grape, strawberry and blackberry jam to last several years as well.