Canning season can be a great way to bond with your family while making your food storage escalate substantially for the winter months. From delightful jams to zesty pickles, you can make your pantry shine during the less than fruitful months of winter. This seemingly frugal activity can cost you a bundle if you’re just starting out though, which might detour you from trying it when you’re already on a tight budget. There’s a lot of ways you can make this hobby cost you less and less though. With a few frugal tips, canning might become your new favorite kitchen based hobby. Your family and friends will love your tasty treats too, so don’t let the initial cost scare you away from this exciting money saving activity.
1. Know What You Need
A lot of beginners tend to go for kits that have all of the essentials for anyone just starting out. These kits can be amazing, but aren’t exactly cost effective, so if you’re looking to save then skip this step entirely. Instead, with a little basic research you can find out all of the essentials that will get you going. For starters, you’re going to need mason jars in order to store your food. These can be found just about anywhere, so all you need to worry about is finding the best price. Before you purchase these items make sure that they are actually canning jars rather than decorative or simply used for beverages. You’ll also need lids and rings. Now, you can purchase reusable lids, but these can be pricey so you might want to stick to lids and rings until you’re sure you want to invest in this hobby. Lids need to be replaced every time you use them, so the cheaper you find them the better. You’ll also need a pot. You can easily use the stock pot you already have for this, rather than spending extra money on a canning pot. If you find all of these items at a low price then you should be well on your way to canning for around $30, which isn’t bad at all!
2. Go Second Hand
Getting your supplies used is one of the cheapest ways to start out on your canning adventure. Before you spend a penny ask friends and family if they have any supplies they’re not using. Many people will be happy to get rid of old supplies they may not be using, but some may charge you a small fee. If you can find the goods from the people close to you then you’re ready to go! However, if you can’t find anything then try to post on Craigslist with your request or seek out the supplies on Ebay. Another simple place to look is yard sales and thrift stores. With a little searching you might find your items for a lot less than you would buying them new. However, when you do buy or inherit used goods it is very important to examine the items to make sure there is no chips or cracks that could compromise your food.
3. Buy in Bulk
If there’s one hobby the requires bulk buying it’s definitely canning! Once you’ve gotten the hang of canning then you may want to build your supply with more cans of food. This is easily done by buying your jars in bulk. There’s a lot of craft stores that offer these items in big boxes, but you may have to take to the internet to fulfill your needs. A lot of the time you can easily find lids to your jars in bulk. This is always the most efficient way to buy them, even if you only create a few jars a year. Having them on hand will cut down on your yearly expenses for canning and will ensure you have the supplies you need when the need to can arises. You may also consider buying food in bulk. You can easily buy large batches of fruit from the farmer’s market or bulk stores like Costco and Sams. This will help you cut down on small purchases that end up costing you more and more as the season progresses.
4. Shop Around
Canning involves a little shopping around. Although you may think you’ve found a good deal at one store there’s probably something even better lurking at another store or online. A lot of stores will have sales on these items, especially if they’re not selling well in your area, so make sure to call around and ask before you make any purchase you might regret. When shopping for these items you should always check your local dollar stores. You may be surprised to find all of the supplies you need here for just a few bucks opposed to the larger amount you may have to pay at a department store. The internet might also surprise you when it comes to pricing! If you’re feeling a little lost with the shopping then you might check out a canning website. There’s a lot of clubs that talk about the best prices on supplies that could help you make the right move a lot faster.
5. Free Tutorials
Many people who begin to can feel like they should take a class, buy a DVD or a book to help them understand the basics that they need to start the process. This isn’t the case though! So, save yourself some money and stay away from these products. Rather than purchase an item to help out simply look online for free tutorials. There’s so many online that you may not know where to start. If you prefer reading what to do then try downloading a couple of simple tutorials online and go with the piece that makes the most sense to you. If you’re a visual learner then there are ample video tutorials on sites like YouTube. This will allow you to pause the lesson whenever needed so you can catch up with the process. There are even free online courses for canning that might help you become an expert in no time. So, browse around and find what works so you won’t have to waste time and money on expensive hobby classes or instructional books and DVDs!
6. Buy Supplies in the Winter
Canning season tends to last when there is an abundance of fruit and vegetables available. Thus, during the winter people tend to can a whole lot less unless they live in an area that flourishes throughout the year. So, during the winter supplies for canning can actually be a whole lot cheaper. This is largely because stores want to move them so you’ll luck out if you wait to shop during these times. Although this might not help you with canning this year, it can start you out on the right foot for the next season that comes along. However, if you still want to can this season then it won’t harm you to buy a few supplies to work with now. This will allow you to figure out if you like canning so when winter does come you can buy a lot more supplies for next time you get to can. As your canning hobby grows you can also use this off season to invest in more expensive items like a canning rack or those reusable lids you were looking at!
7. Find Recipes
One problem a lot of new canners run into is not having the recipes to make delicious canned goods. One batch of so-so food can turn off some new canners for good. So, make sure you have some recipes before you dive in. If you’re lucky a family or friend will pass down some recipes they’ve used for years, which is perfect especially if you’ve tried some of their canned goods and enjoyed them. There’s also a lot of amazing recipes online you can try. It might be wise not to make big batches of recipes at first. Instead, try a few you’re interested in and see how they turn out. If you enjoy them then keep the recipe, if not then toss is out and move on to the next one. This might take some exploration time on your part, but having recipes can help save on the culinary disasters just winging it might cost. Try to avoid purchasing recipe books though as there’s ample free online recipes to try before you spend money on such an item.
8. Shop in Season
Food is obviously a major part of canning and can be one of the most expensive aspects of the hobby if you’re not careful. To avoid going overboard on canning expenses you should always shop in season. Try to look online and see which fruits and vegetables you should be looking for during each individual season. You can also go on the pricing of your grocery store. If you tend to find items for cheap then they’re most likely in season and will provide you with a burst of nutritious flavor to work with. Shopping in season will also make buying produce in bulk much easier as you won’t have to worry about importing prices or high demand of the item.
9. Garden
Nothing is more rewarding than using your own home grown food to can. This can be one of the best ways to save money on your hobby as well as your grocery bills. Make sure to do a little research to figure out what items grow best in your climate. You may also want to consider growing seedlings indoors during the cooler months. There’s endless options to make a garden work in your home, so have a little fun with it. Whenever you have surplus food then look around for a recipe for it. This can make a delicious treat for the family during the colder months and may even encourage your family to eat healthier. The more you garden the more variety you’ll have to can and the more your budget will thrive!
10. Invest
After you’ve tried out canning for awhile you may want to consider investing in your hobby a little. If you enjoy canning and want to do it more often then items that make it easier will certainly make the hobby more fun for you. So, as you progress in your skills think about ordering the reusable lids or the special canning pot and rack. These items will allow you to make more of your canned goods without having to worry about the mess in your kitchen or the time it takes to can. Try to do a little research on the items that will make your canning hobby even better. You may even consider adding the items to your holiday wish list. As you begin to get more equipment you can stock your cupboards for times when your budget might be too tight to buy nutritious foods. You may also want to gift your jams and other treats as holiday gifts which will cut down spending during this tight part of the year!
Canning can be a great way to feel like a bigger part of your household’s food preparations. The delicious foods you create will help nourish your family and friends while making your shopping expenses go down immensely. So, don’t let the initial start up cost of the hobby keep you from buying what you need to begin. With these ten tips you’ll be ready to can your first batch of food in no time at all.
