Labeling Jars

I like when things look neat and orderly, though if you were to look at my workshop you'd probably laugh at that notion. Okay, I like the idea of being organized even if I'm not always good on the follow through.

But to help my prepping efforts from getting out of hand and to keep it all looking good, after vacuum canning a few more jars of dried beans (and beef jerky!) I decided to label the jars with the design I posted yesterday. I also wrote up instructions on how to prepare the various items so that a year, two, or five down the road if it comes down to it, I won't have to rely on my memory to remember where I need to soak the beans or not.

I then affixed the item labels to the front of the jars using packing tape to completely cover them to provide a level of protection from moisture and affixed the instructions to the back using the same method. I figure if I do it each time after canning an item, it will prevent it from becoming an overwhelming task while keeping everything looking nice and neat.

I also planted some peas in the garden under my cold frame that protected the soil from the few inches of snow that fell yesterday. The soil was still warm and crumbly, which made it an easy task to pop the seeds into the soil.

Last I made wood shelves for my PVC gro-light system. It allows me to start my seedlings indoors under fluorescent lights helping me to extend the growing season, but also makes the process, yes, neat and orderly!