[momto6]

Great article, thank you. We bought a house last year and when we ventured into the basement (ewwww) we found a wall of shelves floor to ceiling full of jarred food. I need to venture down there and haul it all up and dispose of it. I would like to keep the jars if possible though, anyone have any ideas?

[samiam1972]

Oh my! I would be afraid to open them! LOL! But like you, I’d really want to keep all the jars. I’d do it outside if I were you. Who knows how long they’ve been down there. Could be a very smelly job!

[ApplegateRanch]

Just a hint: After you have disposed of the contents and washed them, start separating the jars by maker, then check for any valuable jars in the batch.

Either get a decent guide to canning jars at your library, or buy a recent copy of the Red Book of Fruit Jars.

Also check the Web & eBay for current prices.

The rest, as long as they're in decent shape should be perfectly usable.

See my #67...we've been there; done that.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"...and haul it all up and dispose of it."

Did you start a compost pile at your new house? That stuff would be a great starter!

"I would like to keep the jars if possible though, anyone have any ideas?"

The jars should be just fine as long as you wash them out, then sterilze them in boiling water before you use them again. If any of the jar lips are chipped, throw 'em in the recycling bin; they won't seal properly.

Save any blue jars you find, especially if they have the twist on, one-piece metal tops! You can sometimes get $5 a pop for those at antique shops or flea markets. :)

I have a collection ranging from the smallest to the biggest. I use them to store dry goods, buttons, marbles, candle stubs; all sorts of stuff.

The canning jar is one of those things on my 'useful and beautiful' list along with things like rag rugs, wooden bowls and spoons, ceramic mixing bowls, old milk bottles, etc. ;)

[american_ranger]

Jars cost 90 cents each so save them. Dump food and the flat lids. Save the screw on rings if they are not rusty.
I dishwasher the jars with the preheat, heated dry, pot scrubber, etc cycles all turned on. Any jar that does not come clean can be soaked and brushed.

Toss any chipped or cracked jars.

[CottonBall]

We bought a house last year and when we ventured into the basement (ewwww) we found a wall of shelves floor to ceiling ...

You are SO lucky! I would love to have a basement. Especially one that already has shelves.