My electric co. says the cost of running a load in the dishwasher (to sterilize the jars), including heating the water, is about $1 per load. They say the cost of running my stove top burner is about 15-20cents an hour per burner.

If I figure 120 minutes total – 100 for the canner and maybe 20 min for boiling lids (just to get round numbers) I’m using 30-40 cents for the stove top.

Lids are whatever they are – I plugged in 16 cents apiece. For me to run 16 jars at once in my canner, one D/w load, 2 hrs stove time, and 16 lids would cost about $3.96, or 25 cents a jar for processing and lid. Plus my time. (free, of course :( ) That’s the figure I was looking for – 25 cents per jar, approx. (or less) Your costs may be different.

That does NOT include the produce cost, nor the cost of the jars, rings, or pressure cooker, all of which I already have.

For your first question, it’s not something I’ve really thought much about, though you may very well be right. If the price of eggs gets any higher, I may cry. Either that or start raising city chickens.

And I don’t know about the coffee grinder either. I grind flax seeds in my coffee grinder with no problem, but I think it would be pretty time consuming to grind enough flour for bread, etc. I promised myself if I get into a good bread making routine, I’m going to invest in a grain mill. It’s certainly a lot less expensive to buy wheat berries than ground wheat, and they last longer too.

As far as canning, I think it’s probably less expensive to buy canned foods in the grocery store. For me, canning is more about knowing exactly what food is going into the jar. I’ve never run the numbers though.

I hope others throw out some questions also.

Question: Because of the rising fuel costs, which also makes the grocery costs rise, and the feed corn ground being diverted to fuel corn ground, what do you think will be the next thing that will be rising/short? And what are your plans to minimize it or deal with it?

My thoughts – for what they are worth… :)

Corn fed animals and their by-products will drastically rise in price or there will be a real shortage of them. As I’m not a Vegan, this will affect me. I predict great rises (more than already) in the price of Eggs, Chickens, Pork, and Finished Beef. I especially think that in 6-12 months Beef and Pork will be actually in a shortage.

I think Grass fed beef, as opposed to Grain finished, will be more common. But chickens and Pigs need grain or milk, or some substitute.

Short term – I am stocking the freezer when it comes on sale – but that is something that I always do anyway. Eggs can be frozen, but I really don’t want to go there. Eggs were my ‘cheap protein’ of choice – a chef salad for dinner, etc.

In my garden (NOT something new) I will be changing my focus to try and grow some greater protein veggies, and more starches. I may even try some grains if they’ll grow in this soggy place.

Question: Will a food processor or coffee grinder work for milling grain into flour? Such as amaranth?