Moving and Storing Canning Jars

I have been reluctant to unpack and use my canning jars because they are such a pain to pack, unpack, and store. And because we move so often, they don't always get packed right and I usually end up losing a few with each move. So I haven't done much canning beyond applesauce and jam since I lived in Washington (over 3 years ago). I have been putting money aside since being in the UK to buy food storage and emergency supplies for when I returned back to the States and I recently found a solution to storing my canning jars. They are called jarboxes. They are a little pricey, but they will protect my jars during our moves over the next few years. I can even store jars with food in them. There is a great video about them on www.jarbox.com. I bought mine on amazon.com.

They only have quart-size storage boxes, but I found an inexpensive solution for smaller jars. I found these small white storage baskets at Walmart near the canning stuff. One size fits 12 pint-size jars perfectly, and the other one fits 1/2 pint-size jars. I cut strips of cardboard to separate the jars to keep them from banging against each other. I used to store them in cardboard boxes, but sometimes the movers individually wrapped each jar and threw out the box I had them stored in. These baskets stack on top of each other and are more sturdy than cardboard boxes, and much easier to carry. They look nicer and more organized than what I had before. Too bad I missed most of the canning season this year.