Food Storage Containers

Food storage containers are expensive purchased new especially when there are so many free resources.  The only food storage containers I don't mind buying are mason jars (ongoing as needed) and Anchor Hocking glass bowls with lids (twice in over 20 years) and Starfit glass rectangles with hinged snap lids (once).  These are used for storing leftovers as well as hubby's lunches.  I did spurge this year and buy two Chef's Path 7 qt (6.5 L) storage containers with hinged snap lids for easy access to wheat berries.  

Mason jars can be found free or very low costs at estate and yard sales.  I found just putting the word out I need jars to family and friends works well.  You really have to watch the resale store prices and Facebook Marketplace as quite often they are more expensive than new.  If buying new, I comparison shop and wait for them to go on sale.  Sales tend to run as strawberries come into season through the tomato season here, so end May through September.  Also, in Canada, our main brand is Bernardin (was made in Canada but now USA) but Golden Harvest (made in USA) is also available at a lower price point at Canadian Tire.  Canning lids here tend to be Bernardin.  Aside of those sold on Amazon, I haven't seen any other brand available.  Tattler reusable lids are available on Amazon and if you are lucky you can find glass inserts online.  I will say, I will not buy or use canning lids made in China.  Many of the lids have very low performance ratings to the point some home canners have lost their entire season of canned foods to seal failure and buckled lids.  As far as I know only Home Discovery brand of canning jars were made in China, sold for the y2K demand and they disappeared as quick as they appeared.  I have just under a dozen of these jars in use. 

Whenever we get groceries, the preference is for foods packaged in glass jars or bottles.  Glass is so much easier to re-purpose than metal cans and the shelf life for especially high acid foods is longer in glass than either metal or plastic.  High acid foods in metal cans can develop a metallic taste and sometimes rusting occurs if the acidity eats through the plastic lining.  This is not a problem with foods stored in glass jars.  While we seldom buy commercial tomato sauce, some is packaged in glass jars that fit the mason jar lids and given their weight can be used for home canning.  I carry a snap lid in my purse just to check for this.  Pickle jars are another very useful storage containers especially the 1 and 2 gallon sizes.  Some salad dressings still are available in glass jars and also fit the mason jar lids so they are good for jams and jellies.  We no longer buy salad dressing but friends and family save the jars for me.  Any jar that fits a mason jar can also be vacuum sealed, so perfect for storing dry foods or other dried goods like buttons.  

Five gallon buckets are very popular for food storage.  Here, I can buy a 5 gal (19 L) bucket for $5, the lid with gasket for $5 or a gamma lid for $20.  Or I can get a used 5 gal bucket with lid from a local restaurant free.  I like free!  My absolute favourite buckets are the free ice cream pails with lids from a local ice cream shop.  The are 11.4 L (3 gal) so won't fit gamma lids but are easier for me to handle.  I use them for food storage, container gardening, garage storage, craft supplies, anything else I need to store, utility pails, and hauling produce from farmers.  

Heavy plastic totes are another favourite but only three are used for temporary food storage and a couple for hauling food, the rest for my yarn stash.  I know we bought the food storage totes on sale but the rest were free.  Totes can easily be found inexpensively on Facebook Marketplace and the online auction HiBid.

Larger containers for water are available in the camping section of most stores.  Fifty gallon drums and IBC tanks are available use at multiple source or new at Uline.  If you buy used, be sure whatever was in the drum or IBC tank was potable water, nothing else.  Be warned that both 50 gal drums and IBC tanks are current targets of theft even if they are filled.  If you decide to use either, make sure they are stored out of eyesight of neighbours or folks going by.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2022