Christmas in July Day 15: Start Saving and Washing Jars

Today’s job is to prepare your jars.

Collect jars from jam, pasta sauce, pickles, coffee, salsa, chutney and other pantry items. Wash them well, remove labels and match each jar with a lid.

To remove stubborn labels, soak jars in hot soapy water. A little eucalyptus oil or cooking oil can help remove sticky residue.

Good jars for Christmas food gifts include:
• Jam jars
• Small coffee jars
• Sauce jars
• Spice jars
• Wide-mouth jars
• Small bottles
• Mini jars for spice blends

Store clean jars in one place so they’re ready when you need them.

Cheapskates tip: Free jars are one of the best budget Christmas supplies. Start collecting now and you’ll have plenty by December.