Where's the best place to get canning jars in Round Rock or north Austin?

[TheDan]

I just bought a pressure canner and need to get some jars so I can try the puppy out.

 

[matefrio]

My super walmart has them on sale. My Ace Hardware carries them as well. Craiglist if you want them super cheep.


What canner did you get?

 

[TheDan]

I had looked in walmart before, but didn't see them. What section are they in?

I didn't get anything fancy... A Mirro 22-quart. The main reason I picked that one is because it's cheap and I can double stack pint jars in it. If this turns out to be something I enjoy and do more of, I'll upgrade to something better when this one blows out

 

[matefrio]

Oh, I'm wrong, it was Target I saw them at not Walmart.

As your next one I highly recommend the one I got for my wife: http://www.amazon.com/All-American-921-2-Quart-Pressure/dp/B00004S88Z

 

[matefrio]

Here's the book to get as well: Amazon.com: Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving (9780778801313): Judi Kingry, Lauren Devine: Books

 

[Acera]

My WalMart has a shelf section dedicated to it. They have the paraffin, jars, books, etc.

I would call your local store and check before making the drive. I've also bought them at Kroger.

 

[Texan2]

i get mine at WM.

 

[TheDan]

I checked two walmarts and they didn't have any. I was told by one manager that they are seasonal and they don't carry them all year. I did find some at HEB.

Made some chili and successfully canned my first items ever! I put it into half-pint jars thinking that would be perfect for a single serving size, but it left me wanting a little bit more. A whole pint would be too much, however... Do they make 12oz jars for pressure canning? I've seen some 12oz jelly jars, but are jelly jars safe for pressure canning?

 

[zembonez]

Possibly Tractor Supply?

 

[Acesn8's]

WM carries 1/2 pint, pint, and quart size jars so does HEB less the qt. Then there's this outfit/Jar Supplier: Wholesale Glass Jars and Candle Containers

 

[drob]

HEB

 

[Dcav]

HEB as stated above saw em yesterday. Same aisle as PB and J

 

[Wolfwood]

Every so often i pick some up at walmart if i find myself in there.

alberstons has them usually if there is one near you.

Man were they ever cheap when albertsons was having their closing sale here in NB

 

[TheDan]

Then there's this outfit/Jar Supplier: Wholesale Glass Jars and Candle Containers

Sounds good, but I didn't see any actual product there... just marketing spiel.

 

[Charlie]

Dollar stores? Just a guess.

 

[texasmc]

Walmart's good of course. HEB also has them, as people have mentioned.

If you ever need larger quantity, you can check Restaurant Depot - just call and ask for a day pass. They're awesome. 35 and 183.

 

[TheDan]

If you ever need larger quantity, you can check Restaurant Depot - just call and ask for a day pass. They're awesome. 35 and 183.

Interesting... didn't think about them. Thanks!

BTW, I'm digging this canning thing. I found some chuck roasts on sale. Bought three of them... Cut them into large chunks big enough to fit one per jar, and then prepared them just like I do for pot roast. Stuffed them in the jars with potatoes, onion, bell pepper, carrots and a chopped up serrano for a little warmth. They turned out great! Like little individual sized pot roasts. Perfect for me to take for lunch and of course they'll last a long time on the shelf.

 

[texasmc]

Interesting... didn't think about them. Thanks!

BTW, I'm digging this canning thing. I found some chuck roasts on sale. Bought three of them... Cut them into large chunks big enough to fit one per jar, and then prepared them just like I do for pot roast. Stuffed them in the jars with potatoes, onion, bell pepper, carrots and a chopped up serrano for a little warmth. They turned out great! Like little individual sized pot roasts. Perfect for me to take for lunch and of course they'll last a long time on the shelf.

No prob! And especially if you're into preparing large amounts and stashing some away for later meals, they're a good place to go for that =) Awesome food.

Now, I've never canned before, and the closest I've gotten is reading about it in kids' books about American life in the 1950's =) But, do you have to suck out all the air before you seal the cans? And, does canning kind of make the contents mushy, kind of like a roast? Like breaking down the fibers/proteins...

Because, having several days' worth of pot roast for lunch, made in one sitting does sound good.

 

[TheDan]

No, you don't have to suck the air out. In order to can meats and low acid foods (everything except fruit basically), you have to use a pressure cooker. What happens is as the water in pressure cooker turns to steam it forces all the air out of the cooker and begins to sterilize everything. Then as the contents of the jars heat up the same thing happens in them... The air gets forced out around the lid.

Once you have a good steady stream of steam coming out, you close off the vent and let the pressure start to build. Once the pressure is where it needs to be, you hold it there for however long you're supposed to for the contents. Meats are generally 90min. This ensures that all the bacteria are dead...

As the jars cool, the pressure inside decreases compared to atmospheric and it "sucks" (more accurately, pushes) the lids down quiet tightly. The gasket stuff on the lids are soft from the heat, and that seals to the jar's mouth. ...or at least it should. I had one jar not seal for some reason. I just ate that one right away

You can get a lot of good info here: National Center for Home Food Preservation | How Do I? Can
Go figure... the same government that says we're probably terrorists if we store food, put out an excellent resource on how to store food

As for consistency... I wouldn't say its mushy at all, but this definitely works better for things you'd cook in a crock pot for 4 or 5 hours. That's why all I've done so far is chili and roast. Chili is kinda of forgiving on cook time so that's hard to tell, but the roast turned out perfect. I actually had it in the cooker for 2 hrs because I didn't think 90min would be quite enough time to cook the roast to my desired consistency.

 

[texasmc]

Cool, thanks for the info! Didn't realize you actually cook with the glass and contents inside a pressure cooker. Neat idea.

I'll check that link out! =)