# What do you like to can in quarts? Pints?



## FreeRange (Oct 9, 2005)

I'm trying to figure out how many jars of each size to keep and sell the rest in the next garage sale. Smaller house, less room.  Plus, we're getting older and don't eat as much it seems.

Anyway, here's what I can remember from the last time I owned a house/garden. I'm hoping your list will remind me of other things I used to can.

Quarts:
Apples, peaches, tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, pickles, sauerkraut (not really canned)

Pints:
All kinds of vegetables, tomato juice, BBQ sauce, jelly, soup

Jelly jar: (I know I didn't ask about these, just thought I'd add them.)
Peppers and jalapeno jelly

I know there were a lot more pints of stuff, but I can't think of anything else right now.


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

The first time kids started leaving the house, staying a grandmas, going to college, I started noticing how much food I had to give to the dogs.
If our home was a permanent two person household, I'd probably can mostly in pint jars and can items in quart jars that are used moreso in family get togethers.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

I usually can tomatoes and soups in quarts. Corn, green beans and other veggies in pints. Chili sauce with everything but meat goes in half gallons. I add fresh meat (2lbs) on chili day. I also freeze stuff like squash and pumpkin in quart zip locks.


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## mzgarden (Mar 16, 2012)

When the last boy moved out, I moved mostly to pints, even meat. Still do tomatoes/tomato based stuff in quarts. In addition, I just recently got rid of all my small mouth jars in favor of large mouth. A new canner has an inexpensive supply of small mouth jars to get her started and I'm happier with large mouth.


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## jimLE (Apr 18, 2018)

only time i use quarts for food.is when i plan on keeping that food long term.othwr then that. bacon grease and broth in quarts.and everyday foods in pints.i also plan on getting 1/2 or 1/4 pints for vegetables. seeing how i don't eat that many veggies.


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## FreeRange (Oct 9, 2005)

mzgarden said:


> When the last boy moved out, I moved mostly to pints, even meat. Still do tomatoes/tomato based stuff in quarts. In addition, I just recently got rid of all my small mouth jars in favor of large mouth. A new canner has an inexpensive supply of small mouth jars to get her started and I'm happier with large mouth.


I got rid of my small mouth jars too. Just couldn't get my arthritic hands in there to clean them like I used to. I kept a couple of the really old ones (square ones) that I got from mil, but I'll probably let them go now too. I'd rather have the space and my kids won't want them.

...

You all sound like us. When the kids moved out, a quart of something was often half wasted.


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## jimLE (Apr 18, 2018)

i have a 2 brush set i bought at walmart.1 is great for cleaning all canning jars.the other is for cleaning the inside of straw's. i'll post a pic of them when the site lets me do so..


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## birdman1 (Oct 3, 2011)

i use pints for apple butter ,1/2 pints for jam n jelly ,other than that i use quarts


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## TerriLynn (Oct 10, 2009)

Now that 2 of my 5 boys are grown and don't eat at home regularly anymore, they work and one is away at college for 9 months of the year, I have noticed a big difference in the amount of food I go through. I have quit canning jam in quart jars and gone to pints. But everything else is still the same. Juice in 2 quart jars, fruits and veg in 1 quart. Meat in pint jars. One note I do can things for my elderly parents and I have found that canning meat, fruit, soup, and a few other things in jelly jars (8 oz) makes for nice single servings.


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

Pints - only pints and wide mouth ones at that!
I'd rather open two pints than a quart and throw half away. 
But then, I live alone...


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## jimLE (Apr 18, 2018)

same here wolf mom.pints is idea for my dog n me.only time i'll use quarts is when that's the idea route for me to take.like canning chicken broth.but been thinking of getting 1/4 or 1/2 pints to start canning dog food for my dog.


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## susieneddy (Sep 2, 2011)

We mostly use pint jars (wide mouth) since there is only 2 of us. We only can salsa now and give some of it out as gifts. The salsa we make is no where like the local salsa.


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## goatsareus (Jun 23, 2007)

I'm canning right now....dried pinto beans in pint jars. There are just two if us and I can tomato v-8 juice in both quart and pint jars, caramelized onions in pint and 1/2 pints, pizza sauce in pints, chili sauce in pints, chokecherry jelly in 1/2 pints, green chile sauce in pints and quarts.


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

Canning dried pinto beans? Never canned them, just left them in the plastic bag they came in. Beans last forever without canning.


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## weaselfire (Feb 7, 2018)

Can stuff in the size you would use. Nobody uses a quart of strawberry jam but a quart of peaches is about what I need for a decent cobbler. I use quart jars for stock/broth but don't bother canning it and put it in the fridge. Long term I freeze it in ice cube trays and bag the cubes.

Besides jam/jelly/preserves and pickles, I freeze most stuff now.

Jeff


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## IndyDave (Jul 17, 2017)

It sounds like we have already worked out the reasonable conclusion: can food in the quantity you are likely to use at one time.


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## TerriLynn (Oct 10, 2009)

weaselfire said:


> Can stuff in the size you would use. Nobody uses a quart of strawberry jam but a quart of peaches is about what I need for a decent cobbler. I use quart jars for stock/broth but don't bother canning it and put it in the fridge. Long term I freeze it in ice cube trays and bag the cubes.
> 
> Besides jam/jelly/preserves and pickles, I freeze most stuff now.
> 
> Jeff


 I used to can jam in quart jars...of course I had 5 boys eating every meal at home, and snacking.... teenage boys are an endless pit for food disposal. lol


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