A few days ago, wandering through my local supermarket (in the Kroger
chain) I noticed the preserving products. With a sinking heart, I
saw packages of Sure-Jel (one-batch size) for $3.89! OMG, after you
factor in the price of sugar, even if you grow your own fruit, the price
of jam making is no longer a bargain.

Of course, when you look at commercial jams and even the farmers' market
locally made, they are hovering at $5-10 per jar.

Ball pectin, in their online store, is still listed at $.99/pkg.
I may have to plan ahead and buy online this year.

gloria p

gloria p wrote:

>
> A few days ago, wandering through my local supermarket (in
> the Kroger
> chain) I noticed the preserving products. With a sinking
> heart, I
> saw packages of Sure-Jel (one-batch size) for $3.89! OMG,
> after you factor in the price of sugar, even if you grow
> your own fruit, the price of jam making is no longer a
> bargain.
>
> Of course, when you look at commercial jams and even the
> farmers' market locally made, they are hovering at $5-10
> per jar.
>
> Ball pectin, in their online store, is still listed at
> $.99/pkg. I may have to plan ahead and buy online this
> year.
>
> gloria p

You're right, it is painful to see.

I've noticed price increases on all sorts of ingredients over
just the past few months.

It's to the point that it's no longer a savings to make/do things
yourself. The quality of the homemade product is usually better,
but the price no longer is.

Just one more reason it will be harder and harder to teach the
next generation how to do things like canning, preserving, and
baking for themselves. They won't see the value in spending
the time or money on all of the ingredients and the equipment.

Nyssa, who still tries to do a lot homemade anyway

On Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:14:47 -0700, gloria p >
wrote:

>
>A few days ago, wandering through my local supermarket (in the Kroger
>chain) I noticed the preserving products. With a sinking heart, I
>saw packages of Sure-Jel (one-batch size) for $3.89! OMG, after you
>factor in the price of sugar, even if you grow your own fruit, the price
>of jam making is no longer a bargain.
>
>Of course, when you look at commercial jams and even the farmers' market
>locally made, they are hovering at $5-10 per jar.
>
>Ball pectin, in their online store, is still listed at $.99/pkg.
>I may have to plan ahead and buy online this year.
>
>gloria p


Guess I will have to check my local sources. But I did score on sugar
for $1.98/4 lb bag. Stocked up.

Preserving your own fruits and vegetables is not just about price but
quality. And the fact that you know just what went into them.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

gloria p wrote:
>
> A few days ago, wandering through my local supermarket (in the Kroger
> chain) I noticed the preserving products. With a sinking heart, I
> saw packages of Sure-Jel (one-batch size) for $3.89! OMG, after you
> factor in the price of sugar, even if you grow your own fruit, the price
> of jam making is no longer a bargain.
>
> Of course, when you look at commercial jams and even the farmers' market
> locally made, they are hovering at $5-10 per jar.
>
> Ball pectin, in their online store, is still listed at $.99/pkg.
> I may have to plan ahead and buy online this year.

ouch! that does sound too extreme a price.
perhaps a result of the last season poor
apple crop.

i'd call around, i'm sure there are better
prices than Kroger (hardware, coop, health food
stores, other grocers, etc.) and on-line is
a last ditch.

harvesting pectin isn't far beyond the skills
of someone who makes jams/jellies.

crabapples, apples, grapes all have enough
pectin to use, underripe green is best, varies
by species and season.

take fruit, cut up into small enough chunks
to cook through, add some water to just cover
cook thoroughly and then strain through cheese
cloth or old shirts. what drips through is pectin.
don't press as that makes pectin cloudy and
gives more off flavors.

testing for clumping is done by using rubbing
alcohol and cooled pectin.

all directions/descriptions available on-line
or at local library (using keywords harvesting
pectin).

i have been making more fruit spreads without
pectin and don't care if they are runny at
times. if i want it thicker at use i can heat
it with some corn starch to make a glaze.

concord grape jam/jelly are easy to make without
pectin, just harvest some of the green grapes along
with the more ripe grapes. i never have to use
pectin for this...


songbird

On 2/12/2013 11:14 AM, gloria p wrote:
>
> A few days ago, wandering through my local supermarket (in the Kroger
> chain) I noticed the preserving products. With a sinking heart, I
> saw packages of Sure-Jel (one-batch size) for $3.89! OMG, after you
> factor in the price of sugar, even if you grow your own fruit, the price
> of jam making is no longer a bargain.
>
> Of course, when you look at commercial jams and even the farmers' market
> locally made, they are hovering at $5-10 per jar.
>
> Ball pectin, in their online store, is still listed at $.99/pkg.
> I may have to plan ahead and buy online this year.
>
> gloria p
Another heads up Gloria. Just got home from the local Kroger store, Sure
Jell was $2.99 a package and the Kroger Can-Jel same size package was
$1.99. As I said before, I've been using the Can-Jel brand for several
years with no problems.

Spotted a "garage" sale sign at a nearby church, starts tomorrow. We
live in what is basically a rural area with lots of subdivisions for
people who work in town. I'm going to the sale at 0800 tomorrow with an
eye out for jars and canning equipment. I've picked up a lot of stuff
from church sales over the years.

George

On 2/22/2013 11:47 AM, George Shirley wrote:

> Another heads up Gloria. Just got home from the local Kroger store, Sure
> Jell was $2.99 a package and the Kroger Can-Jel same size package was
> $1.99. As I said before, I've been using the Can-Jel brand for several
> years with no problems.

Thanks for the recommendation, George. I have a few boxes of pectin
left and will buy the Kroger brand in early summer when I am sure
whether we have an apricot crop this year.

>
> Spotted a "garage" sale sign at a nearby church, starts tomorrow. We
> live in what is basically a rural area with lots of subdivisions for
> people who work in town. I'm going to the sale at 0800 tomorrow with an
> eye out for jars and canning equipment. I've picked up a lot of stuff
> from church sales over the years.


Good luck at the sale! Do you have Big Lots nearby? They have had
decent prices for lids in past years.

gloria p

In case nobody has noticed..everything is going up except our paychecks. That is called voting for democrats. Let us consider getting a life here.