# Moving Jars



## DaisyDuke (Nov 21, 2017)

Any tips for moving a couple hundred mason jars without cracking or breaking them? Most are older jars and I don't have that cardboard fold out grid that goes between the jars in the boxes. I'm trying to minimize space while moving so all the empty jars will have dry foods stored in them. About 160 or so have canned food in them now and I don't want to loose any food or jars. A couple hours of the drive to our new farmstead is on poorly maintained bumpy, pitted paved roads or dirt roads so they will be rattling around a bit.


----------



## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

I have moved full as well as empty jars without the fold out without a problem. Boxes that are not full should have some packing.


----------



## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

It’s not real hard to cut Divider s the length of your box to divide Rows and then short dividers just to separate the jars in the rows.


----------



## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

While you’re at it cut Rectangles to make an extra floor or two in the box.


----------



## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

fold individual sheets of newspaper (lengthwise) about the height of what would have been the cardboard between the jars and weave it between the rows.


----------



## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

In 4000 mile tests (Alaska to Illinois moves)
I found cardboard to be infinitely better than paper. As in not a single cracked canning jar protected by cardboard an several broken jars in ones protected by paper.


----------



## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

You can also use wash cloths and hand or dish towels


----------



## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

My wife of the time tells me I need to elaborate on my previous post. 
We moved back-and-forth between Alaska several times and after the first time of packing canning jars in the boxes they got left in the same boxes even after being filled and stored. 
She noticed that even jars that were not broken out right we’re far more likely to explode or have a bad can. if they came from the boxes that had only paper packing. 
She believes that the multiple 4000 mile trips of rattling against each other lead to micro cracks that we couldn’t see but the pressure canner found.


----------



## Wyobuckaroo (Dec 30, 2011)

We use a lot of plastic milk crates with card board dividers and card board in between layers. 
We also use a lot of liquor store boxes. They are smaller, so don't hold too much to be too heavy. All with cardboard dividers. 

Like said card board seems the better divider product. It takes more time to size and cut to fit, but worth it. 

My 5 cents of experience and opinion.


----------



## Tammy1 (Aug 31, 2011)

I used towels, wash clothes, socks, etc. I needed to pack those things anyway. I ended up using the smallish box at Home Depot so there was about 5 inches on top empty. I filled all that with cloth. I'm a sewer so even used material.


----------



## lmrose (Sep 24, 2009)

We moved twice in a year's time after we sold our house. I had a lot of canned goods and not proper boxes. So we got sturdy cardboard boxes from a grocery store. I found ones not too big and doubled walled that held 8-12 jars. I used face cloths, material, socks and anything else I could find to just keep them steady and not move around and clink together. I didn't wrap each jar but just filled in spaces so they couldn't move. We haven't had any come unsealed. I also got styro-foam boxes that fish come in at grocery stores. They throw them out so are free. I wash them out and one box will hold 12 pint ( half liter) jars or six quart (liter ) jars. There will be empty spaces which I fill with small towels or face cloths which had to be moved anyway. After moving I used those same boxes to store canned goods in the cellar in cold storage. The jars won't freeze in the styro-foam boxes.


----------

