x2 Rancher! Before I got my canner, I used a big pot I found at a Thrift store for $1. Didn't have a rack that would fit it so I threw in some glass marbles...enough to keep the jars off the bottom...a folded dish towel works as well. Now, the canner is easier since you can lift the whole rack out at once, but that's a convenience, not a necessity.
Our combined income is low enough that we qualify for our local Food Bank. We swallowed our pride and signed up and what a boon it's been! They rarely have any sort of protein, but always have decent produce that's been donated by area farmers or just folks who have extra from their gardens. Most of the stores (big chains, and small independent ones as well) donate their stuff that's past the expiration date. We use some of that bread to eat and some to make croutons and such. We grab up the wilted and not so good looking veggies for the chickens (we don't take stuff we figure people would want). Carrots and potatoes always seem to be in great supply, so I bring them home and can them. They often have fruit too, and I bring home what's allowed...eat some, can some and give the "icky" parts to the chickens. When we have extra eggs, and we do regularly, we take them in and donate them...lots of folks have little children who really can use some good quality protein.
This year, we were lucky enough to be given apples (no idea what kind...but "free" is my favorite kind), so those are going to be made into sauce, butter and pie filling. There are bunches of crabapple trees around town on public land that we gather up. Those will be made into jelly and juice. Craig's list also had tons of posts for free apples and plums and such...there are so many people who have fruit trees and no use for the fruit...for the cost of going and picking them, you get lots of good stuff. I always keep all the odd bits of processed fruit...the stuff where you don't have enough for a whole batch of jam...then when there's enough, I throw it all together and make another batch of mixed fruit. Some odd mixes and you really can't duplicate it, but I've never made a batch that didn't get eaten...and enjoyed!
Even pressure canning doesn't require a "pressure canner". Grandma didn't have one, but she DID have a pressure cooker. I see these for very little $$ at thrift stores all the time. She couldn't fit quart jars in it, but she could fit about 3 pints or 4 or 5 half pints in there. So, she simply did her veggies in smaller jars and batches. Took more time but no additional investment. Gran and Grandpa had a garden, but not a huge one...most stuff they just ate fresh, but she always canned a few green beans and pickled beets. She saved jars in which they bought stuff and often re-used them for canning. This isn't recommended and I don't do it myself, but he was 90 and she was 95 when they passed, so I reckon they managed, LOL. I also save my jars, both the glass ones and the plastic ones. I don't can in them but I use them for all sorts of other storage...dehydrated goods, dry goods like flour and pasta.
You can often find canning jars at garage sales...I picked up an enormous box of quarts and pints at one for $5. During canning season, I find the thrift stores are kind of pricey but during the winter, I often find them for 10 cents or a nickel apiece. I pick them up onsie, twosie...and come summer, I've got another case to use.
It takes time and effort, but there are hundreds of things you can do to reduce your costs. Beside...it's like a treasure hunt!
Our combined income is low enough that we qualify for our local Food Bank. We swallowed our pride and signed up and what a boon it's been! They rarely have any sort of protein, but always have decent produce that's been donated by area farmers or just folks who have extra from their gardens. Most of the stores (big chains, and small independent ones as well) donate their stuff that's past the expiration date. We use some of that bread to eat and some to make croutons and such. We grab up the wilted and not so good looking veggies for the chickens (we don't take stuff we figure people would want). Carrots and potatoes always seem to be in great supply, so I bring them home and can them. They often have fruit too, and I bring home what's allowed...eat some, can some and give the "icky" parts to the chickens. When we have extra eggs, and we do regularly, we take them in and donate them...lots of folks have little children who really can use some good quality protein.
This year, we were lucky enough to be given apples (no idea what kind...but "free" is my favorite kind), so those are going to be made into sauce, butter and pie filling. There are bunches of crabapple trees around town on public land that we gather up. Those will be made into jelly and juice. Craig's list also had tons of posts for free apples and plums and such...there are so many people who have fruit trees and no use for the fruit...for the cost of going and picking them, you get lots of good stuff. I always keep all the odd bits of processed fruit...the stuff where you don't have enough for a whole batch of jam...then when there's enough, I throw it all together and make another batch of mixed fruit. Some odd mixes and you really can't duplicate it, but I've never made a batch that didn't get eaten...and enjoyed!
Even pressure canning doesn't require a "pressure canner". Grandma didn't have one, but she DID have a pressure cooker. I see these for very little $$ at thrift stores all the time. She couldn't fit quart jars in it, but she could fit about 3 pints or 4 or 5 half pints in there. So, she simply did her veggies in smaller jars and batches. Took more time but no additional investment. Gran and Grandpa had a garden, but not a huge one...most stuff they just ate fresh, but she always canned a few green beans and pickled beets. She saved jars in which they bought stuff and often re-used them for canning. This isn't recommended and I don't do it myself, but he was 90 and she was 95 when they passed, so I reckon they managed, LOL. I also save my jars, both the glass ones and the plastic ones. I don't can in them but I use them for all sorts of other storage...dehydrated goods, dry goods like flour and pasta.
You can often find canning jars at garage sales...I picked up an enormous box of quarts and pints at one for $5. During canning season, I find the thrift stores are kind of pricey but during the winter, I often find them for 10 cents or a nickel apiece. I pick them up onsie, twosie...and come summer, I've got another case to use.
It takes time and effort, but there are hundreds of things you can do to reduce your costs. Beside...it's like a treasure hunt!
Still took hours!
