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Post Info TOPIC: Dear Abby: I Want My Jelly Jars Back


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Dear Abby: I Want My Jelly Jars Back
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DEAR ABBY: I do a lot of home canning, and last year our farm was very profitable. I canned more than 300 jars of jellies, juices, apple sauce and soups. I gave many of these away as gifts.

My dilemma is, most of the time no one gives me the jars back. Canning jars are the most expensive part of canning. Would you please help me get the word out to return the jars when they are empty? -- DEBBIE IN DERBY, N.Y.

DEAR DEBBIE: I'm glad to put out the word. But don't you think it would be more effective if you simply asked that the jars be returned if the recipients want to continue receiving these generous gifts from you? Attaching a "Please return to (blank)" label might help.



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Itty bitty's Grammy

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Dear Abby:

It appears that I have no backbone or brain.

Can I procure one on Amazon? Do I qualify for free shipping???????

flan

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On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

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How about - Lady, you gave them as gifts, why isn't the cost of the jar part of the gift?

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I'm sure since it was given as a gift, the recipientsame didn't realize they were required to return the jar.

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Lindley wrote:

I'm sure since it was given as a gift, the recipientsame didn't realize they were required to return the jar.


 Exactly. 

Farmers are thrifty and reuse things a lot. If her farm is profitable I am sure she does the same. But when one gives a gift, one cannot ask for part of the gift back. I am surprised that Abby didn't address this. 



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It's amazing how much we spend on gift wrap. The thing is in this case , lw is buying them in bulk so the total cost of all the jars hits her hard. If true gifts, she needs to suck it up but if she is being generous and sharing her homemade goodies she could tell people if they want more next year she will need the jars back.

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Itty bitty's Grammy

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I guess I equate it to taking home leftovers? If I was given jam or jelly as a gift, I'd ask about returning the jar.

flan

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Sniff...sniff, sniff. Yay! A Bum!

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If she is truly running a farm for profit, giving away the bounty of her farm's production is going to run her into the ground. She should be selling this stuff at a farmers' market. It would be like taking money out of the cash register and handing it to people if you owned a store.

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FNW


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Personally, I might have no use for a canning jar so I would ask if they wanted it back, particularly if canning/farming was their livelihood. Otherwise, I might assume it was part of the gift.

I also think it depends on how the "gift" was given. Was this in a beautifully crafted gift basket given at Christmas time, or did the neighbor simply come by and say, "I had an abundance of cucumbers this year, would like you a jar of pickles?"



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If i had to return the jar i wouldn't want it. I have enough crap to remember as is.

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I would recommend attaching a "Please consider returning empty jar to (blank) rather than throwing it away"

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I bet she is giving to people who don't can and don't realize how expensive those jars are.

We always return jars.



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Great cook-happy wife-superb fisherman

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I print up labels saying "Please return container to St. B Church" to use when the altar flowers are delivered to shut-ins after Church. Even wholesale, they cost a minimum of $3.25 each. LW should do the same - Avery labels are available at Wal-Mart, and cost $3.49 for 300.



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Ode-to-a-canning-jar-hero-480x320.jpg



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FNW wrote:

Personally, I might have no use for a canning jar so I would ask if they wanted it back, particularly if canning/farming was their livelihood. Otherwise, I might assume it was part of the gift.

I also think it depends on how the "gift" was given. Was this in a beautifully crafted gift basket given at Christmas time, or did the neighbor simply come by and say, "I had an abundance of cucumbers this year, would like you a jar of pickles?"


 Agree. When my sister gives us stuff, we give the jars back. But if it was truly a gift (as in wrapped up for a gift giving occasion) I would assume the jar was part of the gift and use it for something myself. 



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Momala wrote:

I print up labels saying "Please return container to St. B Church" to use when the altar flowers are delivered to shut-ins after Church. Even wholesale, they cost a minimum of $3.25 each. LW should do the same - Avery labels are available at Wal-Mart, and cost $3.49 for 300.


 And masking tape and a sharpie costs even less!biggrin



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My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

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A simple "return to sender when empty" would be enough.

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My dog name is Sasha, too!

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I never eat the jelly. I usually can't get the darn inside flat lid off so they are lined up on the door to my fridge. I have peach, some sort of pear that is pinkish & some other berry that my aunt gives me every year. A different kind every year I mean.

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FNW


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I have one that I use to store home made salad dressings. They stay fresher longer.

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Itty bitty's Grammy

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Plus, IF you return the jar when it's empty, you may get it returned to you FULL!

flan

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My granny (my dear friend who is in her 90s now) once told me it was bad luck to return a dish empty. Maybe it was an Irish thing.

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I usually get my own mason jars back and sometimes other peoples because they think it's mine. I give away a lot of honey so it can get expensive replacing the jars all the time but I wouldn't give them away if I couldn't afford to replace them.

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Lexxy ~

Use the rounded end of a church-key (bottle cap remover) to open the lids! But first, unscrew the outer ring!



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Momala wrote:

Lexxy ~

Use the rounded end of a church-key (bottle cap remover) to open the lids! But first, unscrew the outer ring!


Thanks!  Do you think 3 year old jelly is still good if it is sealed & in the refrigerator?  I know canning is meant to last a long time but is 3 years pushing it? 



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wait wut? I thought canning something meant it was good for like... ever. I guess I am wrong?

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Lexxy wrote:
Momala wrote:

Lexxy ~

Use the rounded end of a church-key (bottle cap remover) to open the lids! But first, unscrew the outer ring!


Thanks!  Do you think 3 year old jelly is still good if it is sealed & in the refrigerator?  I know canning is meant to last a long time but is 3 years pushing it? 


 As long as the seal hasn't been broken, it should be fine. 



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Tinydancer wrote:

I usually get my own mason jars back and sometimes other peoples because they think it's mine. I give away a lot of honey so it can get expensive replacing the jars all the time but I wouldn't give them away if I couldn't afford to replace them.


 Mmmmm honey!

I take it you got your hives set up?



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My mom cans salmon, she gives me some every year, and every year she says "if you want more next year, return the jars".

I do.

The end.
:)

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Lexxy wrote:
Momala wrote:

Lexxy ~

Use the rounded end of a church-key (bottle cap remover) to open the lids! But first, unscrew the outer ring!


Thanks!  Do you think 3 year old jelly is still good if it is sealed & in the refrigerator?  I know canning is meant to last a long time but is 3 years pushing it? 


 Open it.

If it is still gelled and isn't grainy it's fine.

Sometimes there might be a little film of stuff on the top. Just scrape it off.

We were still eating granny's apple jelly and green beans for years after she died.

I remember we opened the last jar of her jelly on Christmas morning about 4 years ago.

It was still fine and we had stored it in the pantry.



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Lexxy ~
Since it has been in the refrigerator, it should be good.
Take the jar out, and see if you can push the center of the lid down. If it moves at all, toss it. If it doesn't move, take off the screw ring, and open the flat lid. There might be a little liquid on the top of the jelly - that's OK.
Enjoy!



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Itty bitty's Grammy

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apple wrote:

My mom cans salmon, she gives me some every year, and every year she says "if you want more next year, return the jars".

I do.

The end.
:)


 I DO TOO!!!!!!

biggrin

flan



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Thanks ladies!

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Learn something new every day, I had no idea the jars were so expensive.

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My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

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The jars are $8-$12 a dozen for just the simple Mason or Ball canning jars. Depending on the size of the jar.

The cute little jelly jars can be that or more.



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Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

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VetteGirl wrote:

Learn something new every day, I had no idea the jars were so expensive.


 Jars have jumped in price recently because everyone is using them for these dumb DIY projects. 



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You can still get a case here for about $6.00 at Kroger.

I have hundreds of them. Anybody want to come and get them?

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Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

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I would take them in a heart beat ohfour. I do a lot of canning.

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Nobody Just Nobody wrote:

I would take them in a heart beat ohfour. I do a lot of canning.


I used them at DDs wedding.  I painted their initials on them and placed floating candles in them.  



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Ohfour wrote:

You can still get a case here for about $6.00 at Kroger.

I have hundreds of them. Anybody want to come and get them?


 We get them at the dollar stores or ACE hardware for about $8 for the 1 pint.

The quart jars are more.

We have a good many of both.

We use them for drinking glasses when we need extra.



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Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

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Ohfour wrote:
Nobody Just Nobody wrote:

I would take them in a heart beat ohfour. I do a lot of canning.


I used them at DDs wedding.  I painted their initials on them and placed floating candles in them.  


That's cute.  I know here people are trying to get their hands on them for all kinds of things.  They don't want to pay for a whole package of jars.  Just a few.  Hey, that would make a good business.  I could buy a big package and then sell the jars for a jacked up price!  biggrin



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Rib-it! Rrrib-it!

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And our dollar store sells them cheaper than the grocery store. Wal-Mart has them too but believe it or not our big chain grocery store has a HUGE selection of canning items.

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I am so embarrassed. Momma, do you want your jar back?blankstare



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I'm in the they were gifts camp. It wouldn't occur to me to ask for them back.

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