I was raised in family that took care of a large garden and who saved cash by investing hard work in horticulture, picking, and canning.

It was definitely the best tasting food I’ve had in my lifetime.

Every dish tasted rich and flavorful. And our jam was to die for…I could go on and on, but I digress.

Needless to say I find it difficult as an adult to find time to garden. And I don’t always love it. But for me, the advantages of eating out-of-garden outweighs the work that I have to put in.

I always helped with the gardening and canning, but I didn’t really have a solid idea of how to do it myself. So I had to have my mom and grandma help me out.

After hours of canning one night, I looked at my mom and asked her, “Is this really worth it?” We laughed, exhausted, and I shrugged. I mean I thought it saved money. But this creeping anxiety filled me wondering if I really was preserving anything with all of the work I was putting into it.

What Does Canning Actually Cost?

Mason jars, lids, and o-rings don’t cost that much, around .50 per jar once all is said and done (thesimpledollar.com is an excellent source for seeing the price all set out for each item). Or, since I come from a family and have buddies who have sometimes have extra jars and lids, it the cost of those materials is free. All jars and lids might be used multiple times, so that brings down the overall cost.

In addition, you want a pressure cooker along with a sizeable pot normally (I got both of these for Christmas at one point). These are excellent to have because you are able to use them for much more than only canning.

 

So it’s not overly pricey to get the startup material.

And then clearly garden veggies are mostly “free.” It only requires some work and, again, a small startup price.

Here ’s the stickler. You undoubtedly save plenty of cash with your own garden-grown material. But if you’re only purchasing veggies and fruits in volume, you going to spend the same amount of money.

 

In honesty, I believe there’s always room for a modest garden.

And in the event you don’t generate enough produce to can, you’ll have some free, fresh veggies and fruits to select from.

Or at the very least, an herb garden can save you some money (and they’re cute!). Go check out my post on making some sweet indoor and veranda herb gardens.

I got a couple buddies that can salsa and love to make it. They go out to a farmer’s field with their infants on their backs and pick for hours—just these enormous baskets of tomatoes. So that’s a great deal!

Or even farms which have excess or “second picks” (the ones that don’t seem as pretty but are still great) that they sell for more affordable prices.

I have buddies who come prune my fruit trees occasionally in exchange for peaches and apples. I have another buddy who comes and helps me weed in exchange for snap peas and fresh corn. Don’t be shy. Folks have been changing fruits and veggies for ages.

Cold Storage

I’d be incorrect if I didn’t mention freezing. I mean, next to canning, it’s super-efficient and simple! I freeze my squash and cucumbers as well as my raspberries and strawberries (those I don’t make into jam anyways, and even then I freeze the jams so they’ll keep longer).

Yes, it does cost to run the freezer, so you could add that into the budget. But it costs under a dollar per bag of veggies. Freezing is just another excellent means to really go for food storage, though be certain to be aware of the changing durations of time that food that is frozen is good for.

Conclusion—To Can, Or Not To Can?

With my garden, it helps my family outside and really does save me money. I also get to help my buddies out.

There are ways around not having your own large garden in your backyard. Everywhere from going to farms to helping out the neighbors or nanny, there are means to get fresh, no cost veggies and fruits. Or, simply keep it simple and save just a little bit with a couple indoor plants or garden.

Purchasing produce and canning or freezing? It won’t be saving you money anytime soon. So keep it simple and take it easy on yourself.