Would this work?

[beavercreekmom]

I have a large collection of glass jars that came with peanut butter, spaghetti sauce, salsa, etc. in them. They are carefully washed and dried and have lids with seals. I have friends that use these for canning applesauce, spaghetti sauce and that sort of thing but I'm not really comfortable with that. But I can't seem to let go of them either.

 

I also would like to find a way to store oatmeal, cream of wheat, chocolate chips, wheat berries, etc. that does not involve buying large buckets and having a delivery driver bringing large amounts of food to my door.

 

For instance would it work to fill a peanut butter jar with chocolate chips and store it on my basement shelves with my canned food? Insect-proof, rodent-proof and waterproof? I can get bags of wheat, oatmeal, farina, etc. at our local Amish-owned bulk food store.

 

Edited by PoGo - added Topic Description for title clarity

[FINE]

this doesn't really answer your question, but I'll tell you one thing I do.

 

I save spaghetti sauce jars and reuse them to store dry goods and dehydrated vegetables. BUT I don't just tighten the lids. I use my foodsaver and vacuum seal the jars after I packed them and then store them. Then they are all of the things you mentioned, but also "air-proof".

[CrabGrassAcres]

That would be a good way to reuse the jars. If you don't have a vacuum sealer, rotate the full jars thru the freezer to kill any insect eggs in them. About 2 weeks in a deep freeze should do it.

[NanaX2]

I too save jars and use them to store dehydrated foods and store bought pantry items like you have listed. It works great! I use my food saver with the jar attachment or the cannister(you put your jar in it and it suctions all the air out). For extra protection I toss an oxygen absorber in the jar before I seal it too. I've had no problems with the foods I have stored this way. It is great way to recycle those jars!

By the way, I put a coffee filter in the top of my jars that I'm storing powdery type items in, such as flour or powdered sugar. That way the powder is not suctioned into my food saver, which could harm it.

Best of luck to your food storage efforts!!

[GirlNextDoor]

Nanax2, that gave me an idea. There are only 2 of us here, so, we don't go through coffee fast. I can use my old jars to divide up my coffee so they don't get stale as fast. i would drink it anyway because I am such a fiend, but, if I can keep it fresher... it would also make a decent gift item for a basket, too. Maybe with some muffins or something.

[Violet]

I use jars and throw in an oxygen absorber. Works great for me.

Boy, was I relieved you didn't want to can in those jars !

[Leah]

I keep chocolate chips in the garage refrigerator. They last for years there.

 

I don't have a sealer, so I put a bit of plastic bag over the open jar mouth before putting on the lid. It gives a tighter seal.

[gofish]

What about canning water in them? Would that work? Would it be a way to store water?

[bibliomane]

Classico jars fit regular lids and rings; I've used them. My MIL makes jams and jellys w/ wax (pours it over the top of the jelly w/ no lid) in the other glass jars. She's used the wax method for close to 50 years w/ no problems.

 

Cheryl

[beavercreekmom]

Thank you to everyone for the great ideas. I keep looking around and saying, "That will work in a jar!" Rice, pasta, things that I was afraid to put in the basement before because of the threat of critters.