Last Updated on January 18, 2021 by cmoarz

Editors Note: If you are just here for shelving reviews, Please click here to scroll down

 

If you’ve been spending any decent amount of time canning and dehydrating food than you probably find yourself starting to run out of room to put everything you’ve made.

Even more so if you also tend to your own container garden or backyard garden or if you buy a lot of fresh fruit and veggies at the local farmers market.

 

But don’t worry, I’m here to tell you all about storage shelves for canning jars and to help you get started in either making them yourself of how and where to buy the best shelves for the best price.

First thing you have to figure out when your looking for storage shelves for jar canning is how big are you’re jars.

Actually, It’s more like how big is the biggest jar you have? Canning shelves really don’t need to be very “thick”, and only need to be sized to the largest jar you have.

This way you have more space to add more shelving as well as making the shelves cheaper because they take less material to make.

This is especially true if you are making them your self DIY style.

Since this is a frugality blog and website, I’m going to start with the obvious and cheapest options first since that is most likely what you are here for!

Cinder block Storage shelves for canning jars

This is one of the cheapest way’s i know of to make storage shelves.

Basically, it’s nothing more than a board laying across 2 cinder blocks, and than 2 more laying on top of those and so on and so on until you’ve got a shelf as tall as you need it to be.

You can find the wood for the shelf portion just about anywhere, but your best bet is to buy a large piece of particle bored and have it cut down to the size you need for your shelves.

This way you get the best bang for your buck.

Of course particle board really is limited to how much weight it can handle, especially if it’s cut rather narrowly like it would be for shelves, and the more wide it’s cut the more weight it’s going to hold. So be sure to keep that in mind.

As for the cinder block themselves, They cost about $1 to $2 a piece depending on where and how you get them.

You can also make them yourself with a mold and concrete.

Do be sure to research this topic if you want to go that route though, as you will need the right concrete for this sort of project.

That’s neither here nor there on this blog so i won’t go into it here.

storage shelves for jar canning retail options

Sometimes we just don’t have the time for all those fancy diy options, Which is ok.

We can’t always do something ourselves, and that’s what the retail options are for.

In the united stated, most shelving units are very affordable, and once of the best sources for these are going to be places like ikea.

At ikea you can get a half decent shelf for as little at $19.99, and sometimes they even have clearance sales for less.

As long as the ikea memes and bad instructions don’t off put you, these are good options to take when you really just don’t have it in you to make them yourself.

 

Further reading

Proper storage of your canned goods

Once you have your shelves all picked out or made, You still need to know where to put them for the optimal storage of your canned goods.

The best place to put them is going to be somewhere in a cool, dry spot.

It should also be fairly dark with no direct sunlight coming in as sunlight will degrade the food stuffs very rapidly.

You should really emphasize dry as well, And avoid any place that might be damp or humid.

A basement seems like a really good option but unless it’s a finished basement or its a very dry basement, it’s not always going to be the best spot for your shelving units.

You also want to avoid putting near any vent’s or furnaces to avoid any temperature changes.

Never store your cans upside down. Food will settle on top of the list, which will cause it to corrode and either break the seal and leak, or simply go bad.

Not only that but it looks terrible! You may as well have a great looking pantry if you are putting the effort in anyway.

Most importantly, remember to label and date your canned goods before you store them.

Everything has a shelf life, some longer than others and some very very short. You need to know when something is about to expire so you can use it before it does, or simply toss it.

Botulism is no joke and can and will kill you.

 

Storage Shelves For Canning Jars Review

We researched each of the products bellow so you wouldn’t have too. Our goal was to make you’re life easier and to make sure you know what you are getting in terms of quality, cost and functionality. We looked at a lot of shelving units, entirely too many even, but in the end we managed to narrow it down to 4 categories of price and quality.

• Premium Pick
• Best Value
• Best Choice

Premium Pick: For premium pick, our search parameters were pretty straight forward. We looked at the quality of the build (sturdiness, materials, weight limits etc), and a price that was reasonable, Not extraordinarily high, but not super low either. For functionality we always kept in mind what these shelves would be used for, Canning jars and other food storage.

Best Choice: For our best choice option, we once again only kept the main purpose of the shelf in mind, Canning. We looked for the same features as the Premium option, But with a more favorable price in mind. For the most part, It still had to be as sturdy and of high quality as the Premium shelf but something more affordable that we expect the average canner to be able to budget in and be happy with.

Best Value: This one should be fairly obvious, We looked for the lowest price with the most quality. The shelves still had to be as sturdy as possible while being able to maintain the amount of weight many full jars could add to it. Budget here is for someone new to the canning and dehydration hobby and is just looking for quick storage to get his or her ever diminishing counter space back for a very fair and reasonable price.

AmazonBasics 

5-Shelf Storage

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Simple Deluxe

Heavy Duty

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Topeakmart 5 Tier Storage Rack

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AmazonBasics – 5 Shelf Storage

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The AmazonBasics 5 – Shelf was our best choice pick. It’s at an affordable price, gives a fair bit of space, and is very sturdy. Each shelf holds a respectable 350lbs / 158kg, and an overall weight of 1750lbs. Made of steel with a stainless chrome finish, it’s easy to maintain and won’t rust out.

At a managable size of 36 x 14 x 72, it’s perffect for those who are just starting out and need some more storage space, Or those looking to add another shelf to their collection. 

You shouldn’t have any problems storing 2-3 mason jar stacks on each shelf, just be sure not to go over the weight limit.

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Simple Delux – Heavy Duty

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As the best value choice, We kept affordability in mind while still maintaining a safe amount of stability so your precious jars don’t go flying, smashing them and possibly your feet in the proccess!

Luckily this shelf hit just the right spot for what we were looking for. At an incredible price point you get a full steel construction with durability in mind.

Each shelf can hold 252lbs / 114kg for a total of 1000lbs of weight.

At a small 18x12x41, it should fit most closeted spaces and with it’s no tool easy construction you can build it where you need it, instead of trying to carry it down or up the stairs. So if you are just looking for something simple and effective, this is it!

 

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Topeakmart – 5 Tier Storage Rack

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This was our premium pick. This big boy is 4 shelves in 1, and is appropriate for those who are looking for a lot of space, Possibly on a more industrial level while still paying a normal price.

Built out of sturdy metal framing and thick cut wooden shelves, this shelf is made to hold a lot of weight (each shelf can hold 386lbs / 175Kg). It’s dimensions come in at 141.6 x 15.7 x 71″ (LxWxH) and should fit well in most cold rooms or basements along the wall.

Mason jars can be stacked 3 high on each shelf, Or you can add more shelving units for a tighter fit. Overall we gave this a 5/5 for durability and spacious size.

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Related Products

 

And of course, If you aren’t convinced yet about the amazing power of canning and preserving your own food, please check out our article about the benefits of canning and preserving food!