# Buy things to can ?



## Redeemed98 (Feb 4, 2004)

How many of you buy things to can rather than just what you grow or make? If so what and Why. I am eager to get started with some canning and am just wondering. Thanks


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I bought the apples I canned this year. I didn't have any apples on my trees. Mom bought stuff she couldn't grow or didn't grow enough of. Nothing wrong with buying produce to can.


----------



## Charleen (May 12, 2002)

Last year all our tomatoes died from blight, so I bought those, I bought apples for applesauce (young trees are planted), bought peaches to can (young trees planted). I've even picked up green beans from the side of the road when I watched the over-filled truck hit a bump and they went sliding off. No, nothing wrong with buying/trading/gleaning the produce to can.


----------



## arrocks (Oct 26, 2011)

We grow most all our own except for meat. But if we do see a really great price at the Farmer's Market or store we grab them up too. Home canners learn to be really creative shoppers - orchards, pick-your-own, farmer's markets, barter/trade with neighbors, trips to country farms, etc. Grocery store? Not so much.


----------



## kenworth (Feb 12, 2011)

When I can't grow it on my own or raise, I look for deals on all types of quality food to preserve. It's nice to have a variety!


----------



## blynn (Oct 16, 2006)

I hit the Amish farmer's market for cheap produce to can. This year I wouldn't have gotten any pickles made at all without the farmer's market, because my cukes failed miserably. Bought some tomatoes for salsa, and hot peppers because mine didn't do so well. Bought peaches, too. And some apples. Now that I think of it, I probably bought more things than I grew myself, my garden is just getting off the ground and somewhat small still.


----------



## praieri winds (Apr 16, 2010)

if I cannot grow it for some reason I will get it from the market or from someone who does have it never had any probs with it clean it real good before working it


----------



## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Rarley do I buy anything to cann,but have bought tomatoes(blight) and peaches. But Always buy chicken breasts on sale and cann them.


----------



## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

We grow most of our own but there are things I can't or don't grow enough of so I buy those. Blueberries, Cherries, etc. I buy local, in season.


----------



## Packedready (Mar 29, 2011)

We grow a lot of what is canned, but last year I got pears for .25 lb bought about 25 lb and canned, I also bought pickling cucumbers because ours failed and then I had problems with the pickles because the cucumbers were too large, I made 45 pints of strawberry jam from strawberries I bought at .75 lb, I bought bananas and made 8 quarts of dehydrated banana chips which are great at .25 lb. 

When I buy I try to get a good price.


----------



## Stephen in SOKY (Jun 6, 2006)

I don't recall buying produce at a grocery specifically to can, however, 20 lb boxes of locally grown tomatoes sell for $2.00 at the produce auction, I do buy them rather than grow. Incredible sweet corn at $1.25/dozen, I can't grow it for that. I also fill in with many other things from the same auction. Our farmers markets are far too expensive to buy from for putting up.


----------



## HilltopDaisy (Feb 26, 2003)

We have a large outdoor produce market nearby, and I've bought bushel baskets of stuff when the price was just too low to pass it up. I sometimes share with my Sis if it's more than I can put up right then.


----------



## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

I buy stuff all the time to can. My garden isn't that expansive and sometimes I just don't get enough at one time to process.


----------



## derm (Aug 6, 2009)

Also, you buy stuff to can you cant grow. Aldi's has mushrooms for 0.59c again this week.


----------



## wanda1950 (Jan 18, 2009)

I buy peaches to can & preserve & strawberries to freeze or preserve. One yr bought green beans when ours failed dismally.


----------



## rancher1913 (Dec 5, 2008)

I buy a lot of things on the mark-down rack and can them. Also, if I have #10 cans that I have extra from, I will can it. This last year, I was given 2 #10 cans of tomato puree. Even with our family, that's too much to use at one time. Opened them, took out enough for one meal, and canned the rest.

moldy


----------



## cc (Jun 4, 2006)

Most definitely! There is always something at the Farmer's Market that I either can't or don't plant. My neighbor has an organic tomato farm so that is where I get all the tomatoes I can. I usually grow enough for us to have just to eat fresh or cook with during the summer.


----------



## Fae (Mar 9, 2005)

Since we don't have room to grow enough of some things to eat and to can, we go to a u-pick just over in Mississippi that is great. We buy purplehull peas, butterbeans, strawberries and tomatoes for canning and freezing. We grow tomatoes for eating, cucumbers, squash, english peas, peppers, carrots, snap beans, lettuce, onions and other things that don't take so much room. We use a lot of raised beds.


----------



## kenworth (Feb 12, 2011)

derm said:


> Also, you buy stuff to can you cant grow. Aldi's has mushrooms for 0.59c again this week.


I can never find them for that amount! Grrrrr!


----------



## Limon (Aug 25, 2010)

There's nothing wrong with buying stuff to can. If you go to farmer's markets or orchards, ask for "canners" or "seconds" - it's perfectly fine produce, but it doesn't look good. You should be able to get it a lot cheaper that way.


----------



## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I buy peaches from the Amish to can fr $12 a bushel. I don't have to buy apples, but sometimes I have purchased 50lb bags of potatoes. Last year they were $8 for 50lb. Some years I buy several bags and can them. The Amish also sell cherries, pears, apples, and things for reasonable prices. If you can get them to can, then do it.


----------



## margoC (Jul 26, 2007)

I buy meat on sale to can. I don't can my garden produce, it's a small garden and I prefer eating the stuff fresh or giving it to my neighbors. 

I plan on being more diligent at noticing when the U-pick fields are ready. I've just started making jam and would like to make some more.


----------



## aftermidnite (Dec 8, 2005)

Since I live in town in a half double with a very large walnut tree on the property line that prevents me being able to utilise my yard for gardening I buy a lot of things to can ..
Last year I bought tomatoes for sauce and salsa and stewed...peaches for spiced and regular and jams .I buy meats on sale to can and freeze and i intend to do more of that this year.I grow tomatoes and green beans but find with the space available I have to also buy .I am planning on making raised beds down the center of my back yard this year to maximise my growing space and will use the square foot gardening premise to increase my yield ..


----------



## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

I can and dehydrate from my garden, but my small lot doesn't produce enough for a full year and not everything grows this far north. So I buy sale produce a lot and can it or dehydrate it to save money. I just finished big batches of winter items like grapefruit, pineapple, and apple pie filling.


----------



## Faith (Jun 13, 2008)

We've always went to PYO places to get the items we don't grow. However, in Many cases it is no longer cost effective because canning can be very expensive when you have to buy everything. Hopefully I won't have to do that after this year.


----------



## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

Stephen in SOKY said:


> I don't recall buying produce at a grocery specifically to can, however, 20 lb boxes of locally grown tomatoes sell for $2.00 at the produce auction, I do buy them rather than grow. Incredible sweet corn at $1.25/dozen, I can't grow it for that. I also fill in with many other things from the same auction. Our farmers markets are far too expensive to buy from for putting up.


Where's your produce auction at? The folks at ours go nuts on bidding. About the only thing I can get at a good price is summer squash.

I just bought stuff this past week to make salsa. I also buy from Sam's and can/re-can the things. I'm doing a 10# bag of pintos now. I also get the large cans of crushed tomatoes there for sauces and salsas to can. I can't process tomatoes myself as it tears up my hands to do so. I also buy the large cans of cheese and break it down to pints.

I don't raise my own meat, so every time I go to Sam's I get what marked down meat I can to process.

So, like others, if I find stuff at prices to good to pass up, it comes home with me.


----------



## Packedready (Mar 29, 2011)

Terri in WV, I have thought about breaking down the #10 cans of nacho cheese. How long do you process for and do you have any problems?


----------



## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

I process at 10# for 25 minutes for pints. The only problem I have is keeping enough of it. My oldest boy could live off it if I'd let him.

I do thin it down a little as I think it's too thick, but no, I've never had a problem with it being canned. It's so much cheaper to do this than buy the cheese whiz stuff. Not really good for you, but so nice to have on hand!


----------



## Packedready (Mar 29, 2011)

Thanks Terri in WV, it tastes a lot better than cheese wiz also. Are you pressure canning?


----------



## kenworth (Feb 12, 2011)

I'm buying a canner worth of boneless beef English roast this week @ $2.49 a lb. It's hard to find beef at this price in my neck of the woods.


----------



## JohnL751 (Aug 28, 2008)

Anything I cann, I have to buy, so I'm sure I don't save any money. The cost of the AA canner, jars and lids, it would take years for a payoff.
I am canning for just myself, so I would have to save a lot for it to be profitable.
The green beans I bought at the farmers market last summer were so good. I canned 7 qts. of them and eat abouts 2 qts. more fresh.


----------



## stormrider27 (May 31, 2011)

We have a comercial produce shipping area down the road from us. I buy a lot of stuff to can. Some stuff I cant grow like mangoes for 5$ a flat or strawberries. Onions are another big one. Then there are things like tomatoes that I cant grow enough of. I can usually get a box for for between 4 and 6 bucks.

Storm


----------



## birdman1 (Oct 3, 2011)

Sure I buy lots of good things in season and usally at a great price and so should you a large varity of canned goods keeps the menue from getting boring to much of just one thing soon becomes tireing vitamins and nutrition face it some of my neabours aer much better at blueberrys and yearbeforlast the cows got in the tomatoes instead of going without and theres a grower that has ripe tomatoes at 10$ a bushel .with all the other things going in the summer I could never pick all the blackberrys i like for canning and wine making there is a huge straberry farm near and they sell berrys at a great price apples and I have a standing order for the higest Quailty peaches that only come in for a short time in the summer the same for those extra sweet oranges in the early winter .this is how to become great friends with your local farmers and produce market owner I gladly hand out honey eggs fresh milk half runner beans ect.from my farm in return ;kindness has many rewards .my canning shelves and root cellar are loaded a rainbow of colorful fruites and meats with apple butter and sourgum molasses .This is all part of being a member and friend in the comunity ,Also my sisters brothers necies nephews all love to visit the farm and always bring spichal delicacies from the city chicago hot dogs and pizza are things i miss from my former life.


----------



## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

I just took 10 trays of dehydrated strawberries out of the dehydrator...they were on sale, from the good old USA, and a good price....we have had such a drought this year, no fruit was available...even the nut trees gave very little this year....hopeful this year will be better....


----------



## ronron (Feb 4, 2009)

Found a good deal on whole fryers yesterday so I bought 20 of them @ $.69 # I will be freezing about 12 of them the rest I will can I have always boned out my chicken and canned the meat then strained the broth cooled it to remove the fat and canned the broth.... I always cut up my chickens before freezing, might go back in a day or two and see if they have any more to freeze. I really have no use for chicken fat so have never saved it.


----------



## my3boys (Jan 18, 2011)

I prefer to grow what I can because I don't use pesticides. While we are waiting for our house to sell and looking for our future farmette, however, I don't have a lot of choices. I am limited by space and I will only be able to grow tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and pickling cukes.

Thankfully, we live in an area where fresh produce is plentiful and cheap so right now I'll be relying on my local produce stands and markets. I have a good relationship with one family in particular that will harvest for me the day before or morning I need it and their prices are great, especially when I buy half and full bushels.

Can't wait to grow my own (mostly) though.


----------



## kenworth (Feb 12, 2011)

I finally did mushrooms this week, they were .69 for 8 oz. at Aldi. I got a flat, and put up 13 half pints. Spaghetti sauce and pizza will be that much more yummy!


----------



## Karenrbw (Aug 17, 2004)

I can get peaches (seconds) and apples (seconds) from the orchard for about $10 a bushel. They are smaller than what they can sell at the roadside stands and may have a few bruises, but taste great when canned. I bought 60 pounds of potatoes this week for less than $.20 a pound and we canned this weekend. During the winter, potatoes can run almost $1.00 a pound. Sure makes things go quicker on weekday evenings when you just have to open a can and pour it in homemade soup or warm it up. I buy leg quarters when they are on sale to can chicken soup starter - chicken, celery, onion, carrots. Just add noodles or rice.


----------



## DYngbld (Jun 16, 2009)

If we can get Apples, pears, peaches, etc. at a really good price, we will buy to can.


----------



## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

I think people have always bought to can, especially fruit, unless you're totally isolated. And you can't grow everything, so if you want variety you have to go out and get it. I love finding new varieties of plums at the farmer's market for jam, and a whole flat of perfectly ripe strawberries is dreamy. Sometimes you just can't beat the specialists.

I think the trick of buying to preserve is to take advantage of smaller amounts throughout the season. It's nice to get a big bargain, but you don't need big volume. I make most of my jam & marmalade in a 2 qt. glass saucepan, and boil my jars up in a spagetti pot; I save the marathons for blackberry picking and San Marzano plum tomatoes.


----------

