I store some of my canning supplies in the canners, canner lids replaced upside down. My recipes, notes I've made, funnel, jar tongs, extra 5-10-15 pound weights, level (from the days I was canning on a coil burner electric stove and needed to check level), extra timer, extra flat lids. I only keep a minimum rings any more, maybe enough for 6-7 cases of product. I can't think of a time I've processed more jars than that in a 24 hour period in a very long time, and the rings come off after 24 hours. Any dinged or with a rust spot get tossed, excess in good shape go to Good Will.

I store many of my lids and bands on the empty jars (lids inverted) on the pantry shelves. Keeps them all together and the jars clean inside. All the extra boxes of lids and the excess bands all get stored in one big Rubbermaid container in the canning pantry with all the other equipment on the shelves.

In some of the previous discussions here of this question some have mentioned under-the-bed storage containers, bands strung on a loop made from a wire coat hanger, and you can fit 100s of new lids out of their boxes in a 1 gallon zip lock bag.

Dave

I have shelves in my garage, and keep the jars in cardboard boxes stacked on those shelves. The rings, lids, cheese cloth, jar lifter, funnels, etc., are all in a plastic tote box with a lid, which goes on the shelf along with the boxes of jars. Since I had nearly 600 jars full on the shelves last fall, the garage shelves are now filling up with empty jars as I use up my product.

As morz mentioned, all rings come off the jars 24 hours after processing, so I keep a couple of rings in my kitchen in the event that I have half a jar of pickles or jam or whatever that needs to be stored in the fridge, so I can add a ring to seal them up.

My tote box was full a couple of years ago and now I have to buy more rings, when I give away a jar of jelly or salsa, I always add a ring so the person can store any excess that isn't eaten when the jar is opened. Somehow, I never get those back. I don't get jars back either, but consider them part of the gift when I give away a jar of goodies.

Annie

Oh, yes, the jars....I didn't mention the item that takes up most space ;0) I have shelves, cardboard boxes in the garage. Shelves and cabinets with doors for dust in my dry heated basement, no storage shortage here - or there won't be now that my SIL has finished her house. She bought property to build a weekend home just as we bought this one, and started shopping for it before a shovel hit the ground. I've had all her 'treasures' for her waterfront getaway for four years, dishes, bedding, mirrors, cookware, whatever caught her eye. She had her thank you party, see the finished house party, for all the various contractors last month and I have my space back.

Annie, I bought plastic threaded storage caps for leftovers in jars in the fridge years ago. They are going to outlive me ;0)

morz, I bought those lids too, but they leak. If a jar tips over, there's going to be pickle juice in the bottom of the fridge. A ring and flat, though, doesn't leak, so I gave up the plastic.

Congratulations on getting your storage space back. I had to move to get my daughters to take their stuff!

Annie

a flat will fit inside the plastic storage lid. Then you gain a seal that shouldn't leak and lids that are sometimes easier to open than the rings might be.

Compostguy, I tried that, but then I couldn't get the flats out! Which would not have been a problem except that when I washed them sometimes some liquid stayed between the two surfaces and I got some black nasty stuff growing there. I finally broke a couple of the plastic lids just getting the flats to come out. (sigh)

I think those plastic lids are a good idea, and they would be a great idea if they had a seal or some type of "washer". Hmmm, now I wonder if one of rubber rings that are used on old type canning jars would fit inside as a seal, I have some of those that I don't use because I don't have those old jars, and I know I can still buy them at the old hardware store.

Thanks for the idea, both of you, that might actually work. I gotta go out and dig through that plastic tote, see if I can find those red rubber rings...

Annie

Really, they leak? I didn't know, could I have been so lucky in this much time I haven't had a tipped jar? Now I'm going to have to do a test with a jar, cap, and some water - it hadn't occurred to me they could leak but you're right, there is no washer, firm sealing material inside that cap.

Yeah, somehow a pickle jar will always be tipped over in my refrigerator, something about an 11 year old pickle loving grandson.

Annie

I have two plasric totes, one for water bath supplies and the other for pressure canning. Rings are stored loose in the canner of each (wrapped in a thin towel) - in our small shed in the back yard. Everything I need for a specific session in one place - from recipes to extra towels.* Empty jars are stored out there as well in original boxes but upside-down. Plus, I have jars everywhere as I use those on a daily bases! During the busiest canning weeks the two totes are stacked in the kitchen but out of the way. *Flats (always have some on hand, purchase when on sale or as needed) are in the pantry along with the seal from the pressure canner. Otherwise, it is easy enough to grab the tote from outside if I need a canning therapy session :) or find a new recipe I want to try.