Stacking jars?

[savagerabbit]

So, I've hear varying opinions on this so let me ask:

 

How many boxes of full canning jars can you stack on top of each other? I'm WAY out of room to store my canned goods.

[Dee]

I was always told 3 high was it but then I saw pictures of Darlene's once and she had them higher than that. Can't remember how much higher but quite a bit. Maybe she'll see this and give you and answer.

[Amishway Homesteaders]

the main problem as I see it is WEIGHT in the jars not how high.

I mean if you stack them to high then the ones on the bottom have all the weight 'sitting' on the rings and that may be enough to move them a bit and break the seal - AND WE DON"T WANT THAT!

 

Ours are out of the boxes on shelves (for air flow) and we put flat cardboard between some of the stacks.

 

BUT - you know darn well you will NEED the jar on the bottom first.

[Violet]

Rings ? You should not be storing jars with the rings on them.

There is not standard rule, but I never stack more than 3 high.

[savagerabbit]

Good, Ok. That's a good rule of thumb. I always take the rings off mine too. Purely economical.

[Crazy4Canning]

Well, there are photos of my canning pantry posted and I will stack 2 boxes on top of each other.

 

When storing jars, I separate with pieces of cardboard in a tote and stack no more than 3 high.

 

Violet is right - never store with rings on. Too much yuck and bacteria can be trapped between the ring and the jar - and there also never seems to be a Hercules around when you need one to get that jammed lid off.

[LindaLou]

I just found out that you are not supposed to stack jars of your canned goods. Is this true? What happens if you do? Who has the room to not stack...okay...not that I'm stacking... ...just saying. Anybody to chime in would be a help. Thanks.

[ScrubbieLady]

I don't stack canning jars. I put a thin pice of board between.

[Dave Digs Dirt]

Agree with the 3 high rule with layer of cardboard in between if on shelves. Do not stack jars directly on the jar below. Stagger them to distribute the weight. And definitely NO rings left on. That is asking for problems with rust and mold and broken seals.

[Pigzzilla]

I stack jars with the rings on. When the jars have cooled overnight, I check that all are sealed. Then remove the rings and give them a wash in barely warm soapy water with a splash of white vinegar. We are on a well and without the vinegar, I sometimes get a light white film on the jars. Then I swish the rings thru the water, check for any goo and remove and put them on a cookie sheet in a 225' oven to dry. Those rings then go into a box to use later. I put previously cleaned, dry rings very loosely on the dry jars then put them in the pantry.

 

In the pantry, my shelves are spaced that I can stack (from lower shelves to upper) quarts with wide pints, separated by pegboard cut to fit the shelf. The next 3 shelves I stack 2 layers of pints separated by pegboard, and the next shelf has 2 and sometimes 3 layers of half-pints with pegboard. Then my canners go on the top shelf.

 

On the floor under the shelves, I have jars in boxes, stacked 2 or 3 high, depending on the jar size. Labeled and for the new open type boxes, a layer of cardboard to separate. I try to keep the new, open boxes on the top, but sometimes have to stack them. If I can ever figure out how to post photos, I will show my pantry.

 

When my kids were little, sometimes when 'helping' me sometimes they would bump a jar rim and a lid would get knocked loose and sometimes even chip the top of a jar. So I started leaving the rings on. I did have an occasional problem with sticking or rusting rings, but not since I started giving everything a quick wash. And I have mostly lived in fairly dry climates where humidity has not been a problem.........................pigz