# How to label jars



## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

So I just had my first foray into canning today. Woohoo! Got 6 pints of fresh homegrown tomatoes stewed and canned... have to wait for the plethora of other tomatoes to ripen to get those done...

My question... what you all of you do for labeling your jars, so that the labels are clean and last, and hopefully can be removed fairly easily. 
I bought some of those dissolvable labels, but once I run out, I don't think I will buy them again, as they will get pricey.

Thanks for your input!


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## fffarmergirl (Oct 9, 2008)

Writing on the jar with permanent marker works well and it comes off easily with alcohol.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

Huh, I hadn't thought of that! How long will it last as long as the jars don't get handled a lot?
Oh, and thanks.


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## fffarmergirl (Oct 9, 2008)

I haven't done it for canned foods but we milk goats and make and freeze baby formula in jars. We write the dates on the jars with a permanent marker and it doesn't come off until we wash them. I imagine if the jars don't get handled much it will stay on as long as you need it to. It might be hard to see the writing on jars with dark colored foods in them.


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## BlackFeather (Jun 17, 2014)

I write the date on the lid and sometimes what's inside. Since you can see through a jar I don't bother labeling the type of food most of the time unless it looks like something else, then I write on the lid. After all canned corn looks like corn and string beans look like beans. Stew tomato chunks are identifiable, but tomato sauce and ketchup look pretty close, for example, so I label them. If you have reusable lids then that won't work.


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## cfuhrer (Jun 11, 2013)

I have used the disolvable labels and found them to be no easier to clean than plain old computer labels from the office supply store. If you actually typed them you could get a novel's worth of info on the label.

That being said I use an indelible marker on the lid - dry erase does not work.

You could also try writing on a piece of paper and clear packing tape, the tape should pull off pretty easily and cleanly.


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

I just write on the lids. If it is my Tattler lids I write it on a label & put it on the lid.


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## TenBusyBees (Jun 15, 2011)

Sharpie on the lid. 

Also helps me identify used lids from loose new lids.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Another vote for sharpie on the lids. I was given a box of labels for canning jars, I used some, but sharpie on the lid is just easier.
Now, if I am making jam or something to sell at farmers market, i use a label with all of the ingredients listed.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

I write on the lid with Sharpie. I have codes-V for Vension, B for Beef,CB for chicken breast, C for mixed chicken meat, V-8 for V-8 ect. If I make something which I can't figure out by looking, I'll use cheep christmas gift stickies.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

7thswan said:


> I write on the lid with Sharpie. I have codes-V for Vension, B for Beef,CB for chicken breast, C for mixed chicken meat, V-8 for V-8 ect. If I make something which I can't figure out by looking, I'll use cheep christmas gift stickies.


Thanks for all the ideas! 7thSwan- this is probably what I was going to do once I got a bigger store put up of items. I very much love to organize things. 

And I like the idea of writing on lids to make them known as used. But lid labeling isn't easy to read when they are all stacked eventually, I would assume. 

Mostly I wanted to be able to read the dates, as right now I am only doing tomatoes. eventually jam, which will need a specific type label.

Thanks all!


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

As you add to you stash,keep it areas that you will reconize. Don't do like I have and just add to the shelves wherever it is empty. Get some chalk paint and paint on the edge of the wooden shelf and use chalk to write. Helps when your hands are full and you need to ask hubby to grab a jar of this or that.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

7thswan said:


> As you add to you stash,keep it areas that you will reconize. Don't do like I have and just add to the shelves wherever it is empty. Get some chalk paint and paint on the edge of the wooden shelf and use chalk to write. Helps when your hands are full and you need to ask hubby to grab a jar of this or that.


Oh, very nice idea! As that is exactly what will be happening!! lol


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

I use those peel-and-stick colored dots from the office supply store. You get a gazillion for a couple of dollars. I write the info I need, usually just dates but sometimes mixtures need more) and they come off the lids readily. I use a different color for each year.


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## Janis R (Jun 27, 2013)

I put labels on top, they just look pretty, My girlfriend and I can together and we are Janis and Julie so our canning jars say Grandma J's
The labels list all the ingredients in case someone has allergies. The Strawberries on top preserves have one piece lids I use a lot. The label helps me know if the lid has been used before, then I use them to dry can or just for open jars.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

suitcase_sally said:


> I use those peel-and-stick colored dots from the office supply store. You get a gazillion for a couple of dollars. I write the info I need, usually just dates but sometimes mixtures need more) and they come off the lids readily. I use a different color for each year.


Very good idea!!  One I will remember.  Thanks!


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## mamawojo (Aug 10, 2010)

I use tattler lids so I grabbed a roll of painters tape and used that for labeling. Not pretty but it's just for my benefit so who cares?!


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

They've got different color Sharpies. You could go through the whole rainbow and more. I've got gold, silver, and black in my kitchen drawer. Right now I'm on a silver kick since that was on clearance a few months back.

I use baking soda paste to scrub the writing off the jars.


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## BlackFeather (Jun 17, 2014)

I should mention when I write on the lids sometimes I purposely misspell, like cat-soup for ketchup, if others are going to see it then I don't recommend my method, it might lend for misunderstandings.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

mamawojo said:


> I use tattler lids so I grabbed a roll of painters tape and used that for labeling. Not pretty but it's just for my benefit so who cares?!


That is a great idea.  Do you keep the rings on to make the tape stay on? It seems anytime I use painters tape it never stays well... including for painting! Ugh lol


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

BlackFeather said:


> I should mention when I write on the lids sometimes I purposely misspell, like cat-soup for ketchup, if others are going to see it then I don't recommend my method, it might lend for misunderstandings.


Oh, I will have to remember that! Just to drive my husband batty.  But he will smile too as well.


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

My father would drink the cream mom got to whip up for a pie or such. She just labeled it breast milk and and jarred it up. Well, it work but as life would happen she normally perfected to be alone in the kitchen but my god mother and her were tight. Nan was in there with her helping when Nan asked where the cream was mom told her to use the jar marked breast milk forgetting to inform her that it really was cream ....Nan followed mom's instructions thinking nothing of it but when Nan committed that she did not know one could whip up breast milk.... mom laughed and educated her as to what she had done to save the cream for dessert. And so the story was a private joke for years to come as to how to out wit a husband....


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## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

mamawojo said:


> I use tattler lids so I grabbed a roll of painters tape and used that for labeling. Not pretty but it's just for my benefit so who cares?!


Oh I really like that idea. I've been trying to use my tattlers on jars where I don't feel the need to label, but this would make it easier. I just put the month and year 10/14 on the lid of the regular jars, for things like stock so I can keep track of which jars are the oldest.


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## campfiregirl (Mar 1, 2011)

With Tattlers: If I only need to date the jars, I write with a Sharpie on the lid - it comes off easily with a green Scotchbrite pad. I just use a newer Sharpie with a finer point and don't push hard. The "greenie" also takes the Sharpie off the jar if I write on that.


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## mamawojo (Aug 10, 2010)

gracielagata said:


> That is a great idea.  Do you keep the rings on to make the tape stay on? It seems anytime I use painters tape it never stays well... including for painting! Ugh lol


I don't put the tape on the lid, I actually put it on the jar. :grin:


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## siletz (Oct 5, 2010)

I write the date on my Tattler lids with a sharpie marker. It comes off easily with a magic eraser. I keep one in the same place all my lids are stored.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

mamawojo said:


> I don't put the tape on the lid, I actually put it on the jar. :grin:


I was wondering.


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## shelljo (Feb 1, 2005)

I really like these from Modern Harvest http://www.modernharvest.net/category-s/1828.htm And, at times, I've written something new on the used label. If you do a ton of canning, these can get pricey. I like using them mainly for Christmas gifts.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

I use painters or masking tape on the lids all the time, and it doesn't come off.


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## OH Boy (Dec 22, 2010)

This is a trick I used when I used to make homemade beer. You can print labels on your computer, simple or fancy, whatever you like, and use milk as an adhesive to apply them to the glass jar or bottle. After you are done with that jar, just wet it down and the label will peal right off. Works best with smooth flat glass.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

OH Boy said:


> This is a trick I used when I used to make homemade beer. You can print labels on your computer, simple or fancy, whatever you like, and use milk as an adhesive to apply them to the glass jar or bottle. After you are done with that jar, just wet it down and the label will peal right off. Works best with smooth flat glass.


Very cool!!!  I will remember that...


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## nobrabbit (May 10, 2002)

Sometimes I write on the lid but when I do need a label I just make them out of brown paper bags and my printer. I just like the way they look


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

nobrabbit said:


> Sometimes I write on the lid but when I do need a label I just make them out of brown paper bags and my printer. I just like the way they look


That is *very* pretty!!! I will remember that if I ever want neat labels. Before I saw the post, I thought you would have put them as circles under the ring. 
That is ever prettier.

So you cut the paper bag down to printer paper size to run it through, I assume?


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## nobrabbit (May 10, 2002)

Gracielagata. Thank you and yes, that's what I did. I did some for as circles under the ring also. There's a downloadable Word doc. with the graphics on my blog if you'd like to download it. Here's some I did on the lids.


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## OH Boy (Dec 22, 2010)

That's cool! But how do you cut those labels so they lay straight/flat on the tapered jars? Is there a trick to it?


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## nobrabbit (May 10, 2002)

OH Boy said:


> That's cool! But how do you cut those labels so they lay straight/flat on the tapered jars? Is there a trick to it?


I just overlap the ends at the back of the jar and cut off any excess. Then a dab of glue to hold the ends together.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

nobrabbit said:


> Gracielagata. Thank you and yes, that's what I did. I did some for as circles under the ring also. There's a downloadable Word doc. with the graphics on my blog if you'd like to download it. Here's some I did on the lids.


Very cool! And thanks for sharing your template! I may go use that for some jams I made for Christmas presents.


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