This document analyzes the costs of canning 7 jars of pickles at home compared to purchasing commercially canned pickles. It calculates costs for equipment, jars/lids, ingredients, utilities, and labor. The total cost of home canned pickles is $14.20 or $2.03 per jar, compared to $2.50 per jar for store-bought. Disregarding labor, home canning may save half the cost of commercial products and provides environmental and health benefits.

1. CANIT®:
Cost of Canning
Fahzy, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.S.
Family Resource Management Specialist
New Mexico State University
http://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/mymoney
http://twitter.com/#!/nmMoney
http://nmresource.wordpress.com/

2. Cost of Canning
Item - for 7 Jars of Pickles – 3-4 cucumbers per pint jar Cost/7 jars
Pressure canner (cost/expected 20-yr life) $
Allowance for repair, replacement $
Water bath canner (cost/expected 20-yr life) $
Small equipment (cost/expected life) $
Jars and screw bands (cost/expected 10-yr life) $
New lids $
Water $
Fuel for preparing and processing $
Produce costs $
Added ingredients $
Labor $
Total Food Cost $
Cost per jars *$
* vs. Market value of canned foods: $____ [Regular Price]

3. Canner
• Pressure canner • Water bath canner
• Cost/expected life • Cost/expected life
• 20-yr expected life • 20-yr expected life
• Repair, replacement • Repair, replacement
costs costs
• $100/20 years=$5 • $30/20 years=$1.50

4. Cost of Canning
Item - for 7 Jars of Pickles – 3-4 cucumbers per pint jar Cost/7 jars
Pressure canner (cost/expected 20-yr life); $100/20 years=$5 $-
Allowance for repair, replacement $-
Water bath canner (cost/expected 20-yr life) ; $30/20 $1.50
Small equipment (cost/expected life) $
Jars and screw bands (cost/expected 10-yr life) $
New lids $
Water $
Fuel for preparing and processing $
Produce costs $
Added ingredients $
Labor $
Total Food Cost (7 jars) $
Cost per jars *$
* vs. Market value of canned foods: $____ [Regular Price]

5. Small Equipment

6. Cost of Canning
Item - for 7 Jars of Pickles – 3-4 cucumbers per pint jar Cost/7 jars
Pressure canner (cost/expected 20-yr life); $100/20 years=$5 $-
Allowance for repair, replacement $-
Water bath canner (cost/expected 20-yr life) ; $30/20 $1.50
Small equipment (cost/expected life) $1.00
Jars and screw bands (cost/expected 10-yr life) $
New lids $
Water $
Fuel for preparing and processing $
Produce costs $
Added ingredients $
Labor $
Total Food Cost (7 jars) $
Cost per jars *$
* vs. Market value of canned foods: $____ [Regular Price]

7. Jars and Screw Bands & Lids
• Jars and screw bands (cost/expected 10-yr life)
($15.00/12 unit)x(1 unit/10 year)x1 year x 7
= $0.875
• New lids;
($3.00/12 lid)x7 lid
= $1.75

8. Cost of Canning
Item - for 7 Jars of Pickles – 3-4 cucumbers per pint jar Cost/7 jars
Pressure canner (cost/expected 20-yr life); $100/20 years=$5 $-
Allowance for repair, replacement $-
Water bath canner (cost/expected 20-yr life) ; $30/20 $1.50
Small equipment (cost/expected life) $1.00
Jars and screw bands (cost/expected 10-yr life); ($15.00/10/12)*7 $0.88
New lids; ($3.00/12)*7 $1.75
Water; $0.02 x4.5 gallons $0.09
Fuel for preparing and processing $
Produce costs $
Added ingredients $
Labor $
Total Food Cost (7 jars) $
Cost per jars *$
* vs. Market value of canned foods: $____ [Regular Price]

9. Fuel for Preparing and Processing
• Energy
2,400 watt/hour x 2 hour = 4,800 watts
• Energy cost
$.10/kW x 1kW/1000 watt x 4,800 watt
= $0.48

10. Cost of Canning
Item - for 7 Jars of Pickles – 3-4 cucumbers per pint jar Cost/7 jars
Pressure canner (cost/expected 20-yr life); $100/20 years=$5 $-
Allowance for repair, replacement $-
Water bath canner (cost/expected 20-yr life) ; $30/20 $1.50
Small equipment (cost/expected life) $1.00
Jars and screw bands (cost/expected 10-yr life); ($15.00/10/12)*7 $0.88
New lids; ($3.00/12)*7 $1.75
Water; $0.02 x4.5 gallons $0.09
Fuel for preparing and processing $0.48
Produce costs; 4 cukes/jar x 7 jars x $1.00/4 cucumbers $7.00
Added ingredients $
Labor $
Total Food Cost (7 jars) $
Cost per jars *$
* vs. Market value of canned foods: $____ [Regular Price]

11. Added Ingredients

12. Cost of Canning
Item - for 7 Jars of Pickles – 3-4 cucumbers per pint jar Cost/7 jars
Pressure canner (cost/expected 20-yr life); $100/20 years=$5 $-
Allowance for repair, replacement $-
Water bath canner (cost/expected 20-yr life) ; $30/20 $1.50
Small equipment (cost/expected life) $1.00
Jars and screw bands (cost/expected 10-yr life); ($15.00/10/12)*7 $0.88
New lids; ($3.00/12)*7 $1.75
Water; $0.02 x4.5 gallons $0.09
Fuel for preparing and processing $0.48
Produce costs; 4 cukes/jar x 7 jars x $1.00/4 cucumbers $7.00
Added ingredients (sugar, pickling salt, vinegar, etc.) $1.50
Labor $
Total Food Cost (7 jars) $
Cost per jars *$
* vs. Market value of canned foods: $____ [Regular Price]

13. Vlasic Kosher Dill Pickles - 1 Jar (16 oz)
• Kmart
Regular Price: $3.17
Savings: $0.67
$2.50

14. Cost of Canning
• “Disregarding the value of your labor, canning
homegrown food may save you half the cost
of buying commercially canned food.” (USDA)

15. Cost of Canning
Item - for 7 Jars of Pickles – 3-4 cucumbers per pint jar Cost/7 jars
Pressure canner (cost/expected 20-yr life); $100/20 years=$5
Allowance for repair, replacement $0.00
Water bath canner (cost/expected 20-yr life) ; $30/20 $1.50
Small equipment (cost/expected life) $1.00
Jars and screw bands (cost/expected 10-yr life); ($15.00/10/12)*7 $0.88
New lids; ($3.00/12)*7 $1.75
Water; $0.02 x4.5 gallon $0.09
Fuel for preparing and processing $0.48
Produce costs: 4 cukes/jar x 7 jars x $1.00/4 cucumbers $7.00 $1.00
Added ingredients (sugar, pickling salt, vinegar, etc.) $1.50
Labor $ -
Total Food Cost (7 jars) $14.20 $8.20
Cost per jars * $2.03 $1.17
* vs. Market value of canned foods: $___2.50_ [Regular Price]

16. Vlasic Kosher Dill Pickles - 1 Jar (16 oz)
• $2.50
• Ingredients: Cucumbers,
Water, Distilled Vinegar,
salt, Calcium Chloride,
Sodium Benzoate
(Preservative),
Polysorbate 80, Natural
Flavors Yellow 5.

17. Cost of Canning
Other costs/benefits:
• Expected environmental benefits &
• Perceived health benefits
• Other benefits. E.g. hobby (≈ pleasure)
Thus, even with labor cost:
$(Market canned foods) vs.
$(Home canned foods) + $Labor –
$[E(environmental + health + other benefits)]

18. Reference
• “Disregarding the value of your labor, canning homegrown
food may save you half the cost of buying commercially
canned food.”
http://standeyo.com/News_Files/Food/USDA_canning_guid
e/USDA_canning.all.pdf
• Making Homemade Pickles
http://www.pickyourown.org/makingpickles.htm
• Cost of Preserving and Storing Food,
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/08704.html
• The Cost of Preserving and Storing Food in Alaska,
http://www.uaf.edu/ces/publications-db/catalog/hec/CCM-
00080.pdf
• Home Canning, Cost Benefit Analysis
http://www.ca.uky.edu/HES/fcs/factshts/FN-SSB.109.pdf

19. CANIT®:
Cost of Canning
Fahzy, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.S.
Family Resource Management Specialist
New Mexico State University
http://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/mymoney
http://twitter.com/#!/nmRecurso
http://nmresource.wordpress.com/