Yes, gardening does save money

[mom-from-missouri]

If stuff keeps going the way it is going, before this season is over, I will have canned around 1000 jars of food, and dehydrated several hundred more.

Over the past 30 years or so, I have probably invested $300 or so in jars, canners (I have several) and pressure cooker. Each year I add a few more cans and of course new flats.

Since the drought last year is still affecting this years fruit...I spent $100 today buying fresh apples and peaches. We also have our own peaches and apples, but production is down, so I am adding to it.

According to my math, on the average for all foods, it is costing me about 14 cents per pint of food, and around 20 cents per quart of food to process.

Try buying a pint of food or quart of food in the store for those prices.

This year, from my garden and swapping with others, I am canning or have canned corn, tomatoes, pickles, apples, applesauce, peaches, tomato juice.

An investment that pays back.
I have dehydrated fruit leathers, various fruits, peppers, onions, corn and more.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Remarkable!

Could you please describe where you shelve all these? What your shelves are like?

[mom-from-missouri]

Remarkable!

Could you please describe where you shelve all these? What your shelves are like?

Before I moved here, I stored in closets, under the beds, cabinets..anywhere I could!

But, we have an unfinished alcove (3 walls) in our basement that I have made shelving with boards and concrete blocks. Shelving needs to be sturdy, as a bunch of full jars have weight to them, and if they break, they are gone (not to mention the mess). The first time around I paid for the wood and concrete blocks. Then my dad got some for free that he passed on to me, so I now have 2 walls in shelving, and just need to drag the husband down to do the 3rd wall, as we already have the supplies to do it. Some day we will put sheetrock above this area, but I will never finish the walls. They are cold to touch (we have a natural spring not far from this corner of the basements. The cold just helps to give it that "cellar" effect.

This isn't a recent picture, but it can give you a rough idea of what I use.

http://countrysidechristianacademy.blogspot.com/2009/01/reorganized-basement-pantry.html

Someone else sent me a private message and asked if I also freeze. I do some--but we live in the country and power outages are often in the winter. If I can or dehydrate, it doesn't matter if the power goes out.

[shaggy]

Good for you!

I wish I was more self-sufficient but without a yard and the motivation...

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Tomorrow I'm going down to my own basement to measure how much area a dozen quarts occupy so I can calculate how much area 1000 jars (assuming quarts for simplicity) take up!

1000/12 = 84 boxes of canning jars!

[scfr]

Good for you - That is terrific.

[thesimplemoneyblog]

Great to hear about your success. This is DIY at its finest, and great job on finding a system that works for you and your family to stretch the value of your dollars!

[mom-from-missouri]

I often find free jars (minus my gas to go get them) on craigslist and on our local facebook swaps. When I find them, I grab them. I may want to add more or need to replace ones that are broken.

My last pressure canner I got for free at WalMart, by cashing in my swagbucks.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Pardon my obsession with this, but I figured that one can put 9 quart jars per square foot, so 1000 quarts needs about 112 square feet.

This commercial shelf would hold 72 jars per shelf.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_101933-1281-CR4824_0__?productId=1000527&Ntt=5-tier+steel+freestanding+shelving+unit&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3D5-tier%2Bsteel%2Bfreestanding%2Bshelving%2Bunit&facetInfo=http://www.lowes.com/pd_101933-1281-CR4824_0__?productId=1000527&Ntt=5-tier+steel+freestanding+shelving+unit&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3D5-tier%2Bsteel%2Bfreestanding%2Bshelving%2Bunit&facetInfo=http://www.lowes.com/pd_101933-1281-CR4824_0__?productId=1000527&Ntt=5-tier+steel+freestanding+shelving+unit&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3D5-tier%2Bsteel%2Bfreestanding%2Bshelving%2Bunit&facetInfo=http://www.lowes.com/pd_101933-1281-CR4824_0__?productId=1000527&Ntt=5-tier+steel+freestanding+shelving+unit&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3D5-tier%2Bsteel%2Bfreestanding%2Bshelving%2Bunit&facetInfo=

So 360 jars per unit. Three of those units would be needed for 1000 jars and there'd be space left to store a box of lids and rings.