"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Ted Mittelstaedt" > wrote:
>
> > What I can't figure out for the life of me is why in blazes that Jardin
> > has a lock on this market. There are hundreds of glass jar
manufacturers
> > out there who make commercial glass jars and commercial lids that spin
> > on with the industry standard 1/4 and 1/2 turn, all competing with each
> > other.
>
> > Ted
>
> Sure there are but nobody else markets to the home consumer, Ted. I
> don't know why, but you know they don't. Maybe it has to do with
> distribution. IdaKnow.
>

I think that with grocery bills rising as a result of fuel increases
that more and more people are canning.

3 years ago I was able to find a fair number of canning
jars at Goodwill. This last year though I've found a grand total
of about 10 1/2 pints. Even the quart jars aren't common anymore.

And in the supermarket display cases where the stores put the jars,
the shelves are often empty which is another new one.

A couple years ago I also was able to pick up old jars in the free
section on craigslist. Nowadays, nothing. What I see on craigslist
these days is people listing Mason jars as sweetners for their
garage sale advertisements. And the few garage sales I've stopped
at I've asked the sellers about jars and they tell me that they
sold out of their Mason jars almost as soon as they opened.

3 years ago I was able to buy boxes and boxes of lids 1/2 price
on closeout at Walmart in Sept. when Wallyworld wanted to clear
their inventory.

Last fall though, nothing. They sold completely out of jars, lids,
and pectin in late August.

Of course this isn't any kind of scientific study but my gut feeling
is that there's more canning activity, at least in this area.

Ted