# Canning Gasoline in jelly jars



## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

I have several hundred gallons of old gasoline, so several months ago I started canning it in old jelly jars. Then putting them into ziplock bags, then about six jars into a box, then shrink wrap the box so it is water tight, then add a few boxes to each cache site.

This first started as a need for a cleaning solvent for the firearms and tools that get coated with grease or heavy oil coat before shrinkwraped and going to cache sites. The old gasoline can also be used for adding 50/50 with used crankcase oil for assisting with starting fires at remote fall'back cache sites.

I set the jars with the lids loose in the sun on a black surface which safely heats the contents. Once the lid is tightened and the fuel cools, the pop'up on the lid pops'down sealing the contents. The Jars are 18 oz. jelly, and likely hold about 20 oz. of gasoline.


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## InTownForNow (Oct 16, 2008)

Well, be sure to label them so no one thinks they are something drinkable . Seems dangerous to me. But in theory a clever idea


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

No one would ever find them.......Talking serious wilderness. Huge massive serious wilderness.




InTownForNow said:


> Well, be sure to label them so no one thinks they are something drinkable . Seems dangerous to me. But in theory a clever idea


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

Yep, your area.... is extremely wilderness... sour used to live in the big city with a population in the double figures.... but now.... he is not going to see a human till he wants to... which brings mind to how many days notice would you need to meet up at sunrise.... seem las anchorage is calling for a road trip in two weeks..... how is the pass... heard termination fell. Also will you have internet this winter...


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

That sounds a little crazy to me.

There are far better materials for storing flammable liquids, and the jars could have been used for food

But they are yours, so carry on


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

I think I would cache it separately from anything else I was caching - just in case.


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## InTownForNow (Oct 16, 2008)

Doesn't gas have to be vented ?


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

InTownForNow said:


> Doesn't gas have to be vented ?


probably not an issue if your burying them in permafrost 

actually the new carb compliant gas cans are just that sealed no vent , didn't you know that your killing people by letting gas fumes in the air even in tiny quantity 
I wonder if they did a study on how many people died of old age waiting for the gas to come out of the carb compliant can or the gallons of additional gas spilled trying to use one


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

The jars came with jelly in them, they are just store bought jelly that I save the jars, hell, I save everything. I even take old boots apart and use the eyes for spacers or washers, and the leather for hinges, the laces for debris shelter construction.

So I had about thirty-five of these empty peach jelly jars, and several hundred gallons of old gasoline (I inventory about 2,000 to 2,500 gallons of fuel).

This was simply a way to cache cleaning solvent and fire starter. I have about 45 or 50 caches the fuel is NOT in with the other stuff. The goal is that when everyone is Bugging out to the wilderness, I will have about 18 months of every supply I would ever need cached. I have about 100 gallons of propane and five propane cook stoves, etc.

There is hundreds of gallons of "PROPERLY" stored gasoline for Coleman lanterns and Coleman cookstoves. There is lots of so called one gallon and five gallon cans of gasoline cached. This is just extra gas in little jars for just in-case. If it all evaporates somehow, well so-what.....it is just old gas, in old used walmart peach jelly jars.




Bearfootfarm said:


> That sounds a little crazy to me.
> 
> There are far better materials for storing flammable liquids, and the jars could have been used for food
> 
> But they are yours, so carry on


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Sounds like, for you, it's a perfect way to re-use some "spent" gas. Finding a way to use "spent" items is what we all need to learn! Agreed, for those of us in less remote areas where other people might get into our jelly jars we might need to go a different route. 

But we have a 5 gallon jug of gas that never got Stabill in it and has gone bad.....never thought to set it aside as a cleaning agent. It has gotten into the mower accidentally a few times (what a pain)......but if we were to mark it as solvent....it now has a purpose and no longer a "problem" in the shed.


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## Fennick (Apr 16, 2013)

I have a friend who tried storing gas in canning jars and it was a failure. He discovered 8 months later that the gas had dissolved or otherwise acted as a solvent and degraded and changed the composition of the seals on the jars. The seals went liquidy (like honey or syrup) and it all ran down into the gas inside the jars and mixed with it and ruined it. And much of the contents evaporated as well because the seals were destroyed.


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

So does that make it useless for assisting with starting a fire.........??? Does that make it useless for cleaning grease or oil or pine pitch.......??? Me thinks NOT.

In a survival situation in the wilderness tools that are less than "PERFECT" are still better than NO tools.




Fennick said:


> I have a friend who tried storing gas in canning jars and it was a failure. He discovered 8 months later that the gas had dissolved or otherwise acted as a solvent and degraded and changed the composition of the seals on the jars. The seals went liquidy (like honey or syrup) and it all ran down into the gas inside the jars and mixed with it and ruined it. And much of the contents evaporated as well because the seals were destroyed.


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## Fennick (Apr 16, 2013)

I guess it's not useless for _something_ if some of the contents still remains and hasn't all evaporated away.

I only mentioned it for in the event you or anyone else wants try the same thing with canning jars they'll know that the sealer will corrupt within a relatively short period of time.

Personally, if I was going to store any large amounts of fluid of that nature for any length of time I'd want to use only all metal containers with tight metal screw on lids. Then I'd seal and protect the entire container externally with a coating of wax, pitch or tar to help prevent corrosion during long term storage.

If I have to use force to break into the top of it later on, that's okay. It's easier to break a hole into a metal container and not break the entire container than it would be to break into a glass container.

My other alternative would be glass bottles like wine bottles or large lager bottles or 1 gallon glass jugs with a narrow neck that has a screw on metal lid/cap or that can be easily corked and then sealed by dipping the neck in wax, pitch or tar.


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

Boy am I glad the "canning" procedure was clarified. When I saw the thread title I had a mental image of jars of gas under pressure inside a canner and I thought it was nuts.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

My mind went there to at first, MO cows. But then said no way that can't be what they are doing so I opened the thread and read. Was a bit of a jolt to the brain pan at first, though!


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## JeepHammer (May 12, 2015)

If I'm going to store any liquid 'Fuel', its going to be Eythel Alcohol,
Properly stored in a charred white oak barrel!


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## tab (Aug 20, 2002)

Lol, there are sure lots of safety conscience people out there. I think that sounds like a great idea. If someone breaks into a cache a drinks a stinky, awful tasting (ever siphoned gas by sucking on the line?!?) liquid well, too bad. On store bought jelly jars, there isn't much "sealant" to dissolve. At a cool temp, bet the seal stays good for a long time. If you check a cache later on, an update would be great. Some slivers of soap in your cache might be useful to help wash the oil and gas off you if you are "cleaning".


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## cfuhrer (Jun 11, 2013)

Do you suppose this "canning" method would work with yeast?

I need to buy yeast and was eyeing the bulk bag but was worried about whether I would use the bagged quantity fast enough. However, I have a ton of saved yeast jars that I could put it in if this "dry canning" method would work.


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

Try and report your out come... yeast is important here in our home...sourdough works but I like the commercial yeast too.


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## cfuhrer (Jun 11, 2013)

kasilofhome said:


> Try and report your out come... yeast is important here in our home...sourdough works but I like the commercial yeast too.


I will. Now the gamble is getting a day warm enough to do it. I guess I could set them on the stove top the next time I bake.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

cfuhrer said:


> Do you suppose this "canning" method would work with yeast?
> 
> I need to buy yeast and was eyeing the bulk bag but was worried about whether I would use the bagged quantity fast enough. However, I have a ton of saved yeast jars that I could put it in if this "dry canning" method would work.


I buy yeast in bulk. 3-5lbs or so lbs at a time when it's on sale. I keep it in the freezer except for a cup or so that I keep in the refrigerator. I've never had a problem with it, even after its a couple of years out of date. The bag I'm using now is dated Dec 2013.


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## JeepHammer (May 12, 2015)

Yeast isn't hard to cultivate,
But I do suggest you bake the base material you are feeding it before you feed/propagate the Yeast culture you are starting with...

Nothing like starting with a fine bakers or brewers yeast and in a few generations winding up with more 'Wild' yeast that rode in on the starch you are feeding it.

I keep my yeast cultures separated on different shelves/cabinets, 
Only takes ONE FINGER stuck into the wrong yeast, then realizing it's wrong, then sticking that same finger into another jar to get cross contamination...


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## cfuhrer (Jun 11, 2013)

cfuhrer said:


> Do you suppose this "canning" method would work with yeast?
> 
> I need to buy yeast and was eyeing the bulk bag but was worried about whether I would use the bagged quantity fast enough. However, I have a ton of saved yeast jars that I could put it in if this "dry canning" method would work.


RESULTS:

Two pound package of fleischman's active dry yeast.

Five empty/clean yeast jars and one small cherry jar.

Five yeast jars filled with 150g of yeast (I didn't think to measure the head space but it was well under one inch), the cherry jar filled with 140g of yeast (head space was almost two inches). Yeast and jars at room temp. I placed them on a cookie sheet. 

I pre-heated my oven to 300 and put them in for ten minutes. Only one of the 150g gram jars sealed.

Once everything cooled off I put the remaining five jars in the cool oven. When the oven reached 300 I started the timer for 15 minutes. The remaining four 150g jars sealed.

The cherry jar with 140g of yeast failed to seal each time and when I pulled them out the second time noted that it had begun to gather condensation in the head space area and have decided that I will not try and seal it again. As in all things canning head space makes a difference here too. Once the condensation dries that jar will go in the fridge and be used first.

BOTTOM LINE:
Small head space.
Cool oven.
300 degrees for 15 minutes.


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## Vickie44 (Jul 27, 2010)

I dont understand, isnt that temperature going to ruin the yeast ?


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## cfuhrer (Jun 11, 2013)

Vickie44 said:


> I dont understand, isnt that temperature going to ruin the yeast ?


My source said 140 but I decided to take a chance and try it.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

terri9630 said:


> I buy yeast in bulk. 3-5lbs or so lbs at a time when it's on sale. I keep it in the freezer except for a cup or so that I keep in the refrigerator. I've never had a problem with it, even after its a couple of years out of date. The bag I'm using now is dated Dec 2013.


I just wanted to say that this is brilliant. I never thought of doing this, but I will do it now. I guess I am kind of slow sometimes.LOL.


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## just_sawing (Jan 15, 2006)

Good Idea. I wonder since it is a cleaning solvent how mixing up some mixes would work. If you mixed soup that would break down the volitiles and probably become a stable. Yes I know what nathpalm is. 
If you mixed grease (probably 1/3 grease 2/3s it would be good)
The other thing about old gas is that you can take it to make diesel from burnt motor oil.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

mekasmom said:


> I just wanted to say that this is brilliant. I never thought of doing this, but I will do it now. I guess I am kind of slow sometimes.LOL.



we also freeze yeast , we buy the vacuum packed pounds bricks when the mason jar we keep in the fridge runs out the jar takes about 2/3 of the brick , refreeze the full jar work off the 1/3 full jar until it is empty then grab the full jar 

there is a yeast measuring spoon I think it is 2 1/4 tsp , not sure my wife picked it up some where but it is the same as a packet of yeast is , we just leave it in the jar 

I haven't bought a brick in over a year and the stuff in the jar is still plenty active we don't make near as much bread as we were but my daughter uses it to make pizza crust and it works fine yet it has got to be nearing 2 years old


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

mekasmom said:


> I just wanted to say that this is brilliant. I never thought of doing this, but I will do it now. I guess I am kind of slow sometimes.LOL.


No one has ever accused me of being brilliant before!! Thanks. :spinsmiley: I'm just cheap and lazy. I hate shopping and won't buy stuff thats not on sale if I can help it. I put it in the freezer without ever thinking about weather or not it would harm the yeast. Just got lucky that it doesn't bother it.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

Vickie44 said:


> I dont understand, isnt that temperature going to ruin the yeast ?


That's what I was wondering. I know if you add water that's to hot to your bread dough it will kill the yeast.


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## cfuhrer (Jun 11, 2013)

Vickie44 said:


> I dont understand, isnt that temperature going to ruin the yeast ?


Yup! It killed it. But now I know that to get the jars hot enough is too hot for the yeast.


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