Ragu jars for storage

[Midnight Blue]

I see this didn't make it over here so here it is again. I was thinking of storing walnuts and maybe rice. Any other ideas?

[Southwind]

I use empty tobacco (plastic) containers and empty coffee containers for flour and sugar storage. I reuse empty plastic garlic salt shakers for all sorts of stuff.

[Little RedRidingHood]

About two years ago I started saving all glass and plastic bottles. I use old, cleaned pop bottles for water storage. I saved my beautiful blue glass bottles from my 'Bawls' drink for my homemade drinks like wines and beers.
I save all newspapers for winter fire starters, and plant starters for the garden. Large plastic laundry soap bottles are filled with water and stored for emergency toilet flushing, until we decide to use the outhouse or porta-potty.
I also started saving cans from the veggies, etc for plant starters, booby traps, noise makers for the garden, or will flatten and use for a ceiling if needed in the future. Old computer discs are used as 'boogy bears' to scare off deer and birds as the spinning disc in the wind flashes sunlight across their eyes!
I keep all empty cans and bottles for future use. They can all be reused for something as long as they are food grade plastic, glass and such.
Does this take alot of space ... yes and no. Yes, but it is keep in an area where I can not safely store food BUT can be used for this type of storage ... for future usage.
REMEMBER ... that as food becomes more expensive and oil becomes harder and more expensive that these 'SAVED" containers maybe the only ones you can find or keep for future food storage.

[Midnight Blue]

Great ideas! Today after I finish cracking the walnuts from the tree, I'm putting them in some jars.

[Dixielee]

We love to buy the walmart brand salsa that comes in a mason jar. They are just a bit smaller than a regular mason jar, so you have to save the lid that comes with it. They are very strong and durable like regular canning jars, I use them for lots of short term items. Dried beans, rice, seeds for sprouting, spare change, packets left over from Arby's, McD's etc., nuts, left overs from anything that have put in a larger container, left overs from dinner. I have always liked glass because it cleans up well, no food blend over taste, and I can see what is inside.

[Berean]

I use the jars to store extra sugar in. I got real tired of buying plastic containers. When I make refrigerator pickles in the summers, I use jars I have saved instead of my good canning jars. I also use them to keep bacon grease and another jar of various types of grease that I don't feel badly when I throw the whole jar away. Guess I should try to find stuff to make with the "other" grease.

[Sadie]

I use the empty sauce jars to can meat scraps for my dogs. I heat the lids the same as for canning jar lids, and pressure can the same as with regular jars. I have only had a couple that didn't seal in all the years I've been doing it, and that might just have been from grease on the edge that I didn't get wiped off.

[Southwind]

Remember that when it comes time to barter, you can use these empty jars and containers to put a smaller amount of your item in, so you can make it go further.
For instance, an empty garlic salt container full of coffee might be worth 2 eggs. Rather than having to barter away a whole package of coffee.

[Caplock50]

And that cooking grease you've been saving that has now gone rancid...don't throw it out. Put it out in your shop to save for a bit longer. It'll be great for bearing grease for light use bearings...like on a bicycle. Hmmm, I wonder if that's why all the dogs liked to chase me on my bike?

[Homesteader1]

Cappy, you are a hoot!:mrgreen: I save all glass jars, because I refuse to store anything in plastic. The dark colored jars I use for herbal tintures, anything else gets used for storing dried herbs, tea mixtures, pastas, seeds, etc..... The glass jars( mayonaisse, pickle, etc) that you can use canning lids on, be wary because I've found they often blow in a pressure canner. They work well for waterbath canning though. I just hate to see someone loose a batch of good home canned produce because they used thin glass jars not designed for pressure canning.

[Berean]

And that cooking grease you've been saving that has now gone rancid...don't throw it out. Put it out in your shop to save for a bit longer. It'll be great for bearing grease for light use bearings...like on a bicycle. Hmmm, I wonder if that's why all the dogs liked to chase me on my bike?

It will be a sad day without bacon or bacon grease - shaking head.

[Caplock50]

"It will be a sad day without bacon or bacon grease..."


True, very true. I absolutely love the flavor bacon grease gives my grits and eggs. But 'cooking' grease can be gotten from any meat...and it can be used in many different ways...in a pinch. The recommended 'grease' for my old .50 cal. black powder rifle is lard. Yep, the lard you use to cook with.

[Homesteader1]

"It will be a sad day without bacon or bacon grease..."


True, very true. I absolutely love the flavor bacon grease gives my grits and eggs. But 'cooking' grease can be gotten from any meat...and it can be used in many different ways...in a pinch. The recommended 'grease' for my old .50 cal. black powder rifle is lard. Yep, the lard you use to cook with.

Cappy, now don't you know Bacon grease is NOT good for your heart :roll::wink:

My Dh uses Lard( rendered from our pigs) for his BP pistol. :grin:

[Midnight Blue]

So far I have just put some of the cracked walnuts ( I have a bunch and it's just a pain to crack many at a time) in the Ragu jar.

[Little RedRidingHood]

Putting 8 18 egg cartons of eggs into my saved glass jars and put them in one of the freezers. My hens are going crazy and a few are now getting brody. I currently have way too many eggs for just us two so am doing all I can to "save the bounty" for the future.
I'm sure glad I've been saving lots and lots of storage containers lately!

[Caplock50]

Homesteader1, et al, what happens to any food that you put on a plate and just set aside? It spoils and is bad for you. Same thing with the food you have eaten. If it just sits there, it goes bad and does bad things to you. but if you 'burn it off' it can only be good for you. In the days ahead, you'll all be burning food like you never did before. You won't have to worry about whether it's 'bad for your heart' or not because it won't be just sitting there...it'll be 'working' the gardens, or hunting, or building defenses...any number of many different things. But it'll be there and gone well before it has a chance to 'go bad' and harm you.

[Berean]

Putting 8 18 egg cartons of eggs into my saved glass jars and put them in one of the freezers. My hens are going crazy and a few are now getting brody. I currently have way too many eggs for just us two so am doing all I can to "save the bounty" for the future.
I'm sure glad I've been saving lots and lots of storage containers lately!

I'm not sure if I'm reading this correctly. Are you freezing eggs?

[Little RedRidingHood]

A friend of ours lives alone and only can buy food once a month so he buys two 18 egg cartons and freezes all put four or five. He freezes them in different amounts depending on whether it's for a two egg breakfast or a three egg cake and such. Then he just thaws them out and uses them.
So I tried it last month and it worked great. Only I used only a dozen on the first go around cause I wasn't sure what would happen. So far so good. So, this month I saved up the eggs we didn't use daily and did a large amount all at one time.
Has anyone else done this?

[Little RedRidingHood]

Were you asking how I did it? Just crack them, place the eggs in the jar and freeze. I'm going to let each jar sit for a different time and test how long they stay good and how well they cook and such. I'll keep you posted.