Simply Brilliant Canning Labels
I don’t get to brag on my readers enough but let me tell you, y’all are some brilliant people. You are also some of the absolute nicest folks I’ve ever had a chance to know and seeing you gathering around my virtual front porch here on Southern Plate has been one of the most fulfilling joys of my life (aside from my kiddies!). When I say I am grateful, I hope you know that if you are reading this, you are one of the things I am grateful for.
One of my brilliant readers sent me the neatest idea for canning labels and I just absolutely love them. They even gave me permission to share them with you so that you can love them, too! These are so much nicer than sticker labels and there is no residue to deal with. I just know you’ll think this idea is as neat as I do!
From Lee:
These canning jar “lid labels” are made from card stock and they are very simple. The best part is that they are not glued or stuck onto to the jars. If you want, they could even be re-used or laminated. With a little digging on the internet for clip art you can find something for just about anything you want to can.
I have attached my word files I used to print the labels, feel free to have them and share them at will. After you have edited the document, use one of your jar rings to make everything can bee seen in the ring opening. I then print them out on both sides of the card-stock. If you use both documents they will line up when you flip the card stock over. However, I do suggest a quick test print on plain paper to see if it is all set and looks good first.
After you have them printed, use the jar ring and a sharp pencil to trace the outside of the ring while trying to get as close to the “underside” of the curve as you can. The closer you can trace the ring, the easier it is to simply cut along the edges of the pencil line and have it fit inside the canning ring perfectly. If you wish to laminate the labels, print them out, trace the circles and then have your local office store laminate the whole sheet before cutting them out.
Here are the ones I made for my Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam that I am canning tomorrow.
As you see, there is plenty of room for what ever you wish to print inside the lid.
There should be more than enough room for a full ingredient list too!
To download these labels which can be easily personalized to suit your needs, please click the files below.
Download Labels front
Download Labels Back
Thank you so very much to Lee for sending this in to me! Here are the results!
I’ll never use stickers again!
Gratefully,
Christy 
“Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves for they will never cease to be amused!”
Submitted by Southern Plate Reader, Diane in PA. To submit your quote, click here.
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Posted by Christy Jordan
on Aug 6 2009. Filed under Misc.
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Beautiful!
Thank you!
That is such a cute idea! I will have to try it with my strawberry jam!
Thank you! I just love them too! I’ve had fun making them up and it just makes me want to can more!
Gratefully,
Christy
What a neat idea!
Thank you, Alisha! I swear, y’all are the smartest people!
Love them! Thank you Lee and thank you Christy for sharing this idea with us! I just bought peaches today to make your freezer peach preserves!
Bountiful Blessings!
Tina, I always enjoy your comments so much because I just love that “Bountiful Blessings!” send off you give me! Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy that!
I could handle that getting to be a trend! lol
Gratefully ,
Christy
Instead of going to an office supply store and paying to have something laminated just, do what I do. It’s cheap and easy. Get a roll of clear contact paper. Laminate front and back with it. A roll will last a long time. I even brought a roll to my office and that’s what we use whenever we need something laminated.
Margaret
Margaret, we must be related!
Contact paper is my best friend. Y’all would die if you knew all of the things I use that stuff on! lol
Thank you so much for this EXCELLENT suggestion!!!
Gratefully,
Christy
Haha…contact! My mum would contact ALL my school books when I was little. It was one of the essentials to do before I returned to school for the year.
Whoops!! Sorry…meant jam, not preserves!!!
Eh, six of one, half dozen of the other. We’re not perfectionists here at Southern Plate!
Gratefully,
Christy
What a wonderful idea, and it makes them even more special when you present them as a gift later this season. I especially like that you can print on both sides.
Fabulous idea! And, it would be an excuse for me to drag out some of my scrapbooking goodies to use to cut these… hmmmm….. thanks for sharing!
It’s too bad I don’t can anymore!
Rhubarb? Explain why you added it? What does it taste like?
Strawberries needed company?
I’m surprised there’s someone out there who’s never had strawberry-rhubarb something or other. The strawberries give it the sweetness and the rhubarb gives it just the slightest zing that gets ya right in the jaw. My husband loves strawberry-rhubarb everything!
I watched Alton Brown’s Good Eats canning episode yesterday, and he strongly urges you to remove the ring prior to storing your canned goods. The lid stays in place without it, and the ring may make it harder to notice if the contents have gone bad. He goes on to say that once a seal is good, it’s very rare that a can goes bad, but it was still an interesting tip!
Removing the rings also allows you to only buy the lids and keep reusing the rings
I always store jars without their rings for the reasons mentioned. If they are jars I’ll be using at home I just write on the lid with permanent marker. I also can jams/jellies, etc. for sale at our Farmers’ Market. I could use this idea, adding the ingredient information we are required to include, and only add the label and ring when I’m offering them for sale.
I’ve been printing my own labels on full-sheet self-stick address label stock, but I hate sticking the labels on the jar – they are always hard to remove. Plus the ink runs if it gets damp with the rain, or even with our humidity. This way I’ll avoid both problems! Thanks you so much for the idea! (To make it even easier, I have a ‘Crikut’ cutter with a round template that should be able to cut round circles the perfect size!)
We have never removed them, leaving them on is a great place to store them for next time. When my jars are empty, I wash them and put the ring back on without the lid so I know I have a ring for every jar. Those without rings are because their ring got old and dented so I need to buy new ones.
But I have also read in the newer canning books that it is a good idea to remove them once the canning process is complete. The older canning recipes never says a word about the rings and I learned to can from watching my mom who did it the old way. She even did it with the wax for sealing sometimes. That wa when the lids came in 3 pieces. Ring, gasket and glass lid. Wish I had some of her old jars but they went the way of her recipe book. Hope whoever has them makes good use of them.
VERY CLEVER!! thanks for sharing!
That is a really nice touch!
What a great idea! 2-sided, who knew? I especially love the “please return” reminder
This really makes me wish even more that I had asked my granndmama to teach me to can when I was younger. Now, I live on the west coast and only get to see her in the winter. I think her green beans were one big reason my daddy stayed married to my mama so long before they parted ways. He didn’t want to miss out on them : ) I’ll be sure to ask Baba to teach me as well as she can when I go home for a visit. It just a shame that back then I didn’t appreciate all the work that went into making the food on her table. Thank you, Lee, for sharing this, and thank you, Christy, for all of these wonderful recipes and ideas!
Hey Brittney!
Honey, I’ll be glad to teach you! Have you looked at my canning tutorial? Canning: THE MUSICAL!
Yeah, because I prefer to be silly in every possible situation.
Click this link to be on your way to canning greatness!
http://www.southernplate.com/2008/09/yes-you-can-can-canning-tutorial-with.html
Then for more canning recipes, check out my peach preserves and apple butter!
It really is simple, you just need a teensy bit of know how and a decent amount of confidence. You can learn the basics from my tutorial and then you just find the recipes you want!
I actually wing it for a lot of my canning recipes, such as the peach pineapple preserves I have pictured up there.
Holler back on this thread if you have questions!
Gratefully,
Christy
P.S. Thank YOU!
This is one of those fantastic, simple ideas that I love! Plus, you could get all sorts of fancy with the design that you print on the label. Great idea!
Strawberry rhubarb jam is one of the best things you’ve never tasted! I can’t make it but everyone in our home loves it!
Thank you for sharing this unique idea.
Wow, what a wonderful idea! Love it! Will definitely pass onto my family & friends.
Love the label idea! I will put those on the strawberry and blackberry jams I made. Now for the million dollar question…where would I find the recipe for the peach pineapple preservers that I see on your labels?
You do have great readers! These are so cute!!! Thanks for sharing.
I have been looking for something to label my jars with (besides the stickers) and this is perfect and so is the timing. Thanks for all you do. Love your site.
Nifty idea! Will definitely share with family and friends. I so wanted to comment on the request for “weird” southern customes but could not access the link. Tried several times and it simply wouldn’t load – today had no problems! Raves to you Christy for sharing your receipes and ideas and to your readers for such great ideas.
I love this idea and wish it had been around when I did a lot of canning. Now it is limited to small batches of preserves. But they still need labels. Thank you so much for sharing these.
You always create beauty, that is what I used to tell my mama “you make everything beautiful” and you seem to do the same thing. These labels look divine. I have to tell you, though, I am completely intimidated by canning. I know, it’s silly, I’ve even seen so many of my relatives canning and had my step-dad try to teach me and I still haven’t tried it myself. I’m just chicken, I guess. I’m trying to get up the nerve as Fall (my favorite season) approaches and our garden bears more produce.
love the labels cant wait too try them stop by sooon .priscilla
How cool is that? It does make me wish I knew how to can. (I tried once…it didn’t work.) I’m working on becoming a better cook, and your site is great for ideas and recipes!
Try it in small batches first. Confidence is the #1 ingredient in canning. I never thought I could do it, was very intimidated but hubby grew beets a few yrs ago. I love my moms pickled beets. No one pickles them like her and could not find any so have done without for yrs. Hubby grew a small garden, that took off like wildfire, and I got to try my hand at pickling beets. Spent the entire summer looking for a recipe on line since moms books are missing and no hope of getting them back. Finally found one and tweeked it to fit and OMG!!! Every time I bite into one I think.. “mmm mom, dad would have loved these”. No spices, he had ulcers so mom had to learn to make stuff taste good without most spices. I failed a few times. my pickles are horrid, really need a good pickle recipe, but preserverance will preserve. Good luck
Wow, Christy! I am thrilled you used this idea! I did not think it would make a featured post!
I am torn on the lid debate, but for the jam I do keep them on for a few reasons. A) When I give it to someone, they have a way to reseal the jar. B) If I give it to someone to take home without a ring, it may loose the seal and make a mess. C) It holds the cool labels in place!
For those of who that say you wish you knew how to can, well let me put it this way… If “I” a 36 year old male, and by birth a yankee (but named after Robert E. Lee) can can, you can can too.
Hey Lee!
I’m serious, this is brilliant! I’m so glad you emailed it to me. My mother and I are getting a lot of mileage out of this one!
As far as the ring debate goes, I always keep my rings on as well. I’m not an organized person and I don’t want a drawer full of rings. I also give most of my preserves, jams, and butters away as gifts throughout the year. I pretty much can to give things away! I’m awful, I know! lol. I always open up some when guests come but kids like to take things to their teachers and office staff and I have a hard time sending guests home empty handed!!
And Lee, bless you for being a little bit older than me.
Gratefully,
Christy
You are more than welcome!
I have taken to making “gift jam’s” in half pints when I can up our pints. With four children, I really should make it in quarts! I have started only putting the labels on the “gift jars” because we all know what is in them. But they do make quite the show when you present a jar.
I am building a “canned goods” storage cabinet in our cellar as I am taking over my wife’s cabinets with “canned goods”. (Not a bad thing mind you!) However, I have 20 pints (plus maybe 10 half pints) stored away already and the peaches are just coming out! If you get a chance, some ideas for canned pie fillings would be nice. My wife and I want to put away pie filling for each season. (Strawberry, Blueberry, Peach, Apple, Pumpkin, ect)
Oh, and please… I find my self young at heart and only feel old when presented at things like graduations and weddings for people I knew as babies. Only then do I feel old… and now.
That is an awesome idea! I’ll have to print some out for my
apritcot-pineapple jam! Thanks!
The other day everyone was discussing weird things they eat. My husband loves peanut butter and jalapeno sandwiches. So, after searching I found a great recipe for peach-jalapeno jam that makes his sandwiches even better and I can actually fix them for him. I just had this thing about adding the peppers to peanut butter LOL
I have never canned but I want to now just to design the neat labels!!! Both of my Grandmothers canned and I especially loved the Mayhaw Jelly my Granny put up every year. I don’t even know where to get Mayhaws from but I sure loved the jelly! Thanks again for another great idea and for possibly tempting me to try putting up preserves!
Hi,
I just printed these off of blueberry jam, raspberry jam and next will be trying blueberry currant jam.
Thank you, these are perfect!
oh yeah, last night I had your chicken n dumplings-oh so yummy. thank you for the recipes. they are great!
[...] Simply Brilliant Canning Labels | Southern Plate [...]
I did the same thing last year with the front of old Christmas cards when I gave some mixes out as presents
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These are so cute. I just printed the off for my Peach Amaretto Pecan Preserves.
[...] a while back and just ran across it in my saved emails when I was looking for something. Enjoy! Simply Brilliant Canning Labels | Southern Plate Moderator Forum Leader for Organic & Natural Living and Tightwad Tips and Gardening [...]
[...] you are done canning, be sure you check out these brilliant canning labels that you just print out and place in the lids. No more sticky residue to remove and no more [...]
I just made my first batch of home-made jam (ever!) and I was hunting around for an elegant labeling solution. I wasn’t thrilled by the idea of sticky labels either because of the residue, but I didn’t want a “tie-on” label either. This truly falls into the brilliant idea category – thanks so much for sharing it! Will definitely be following suit.
We just got done canning salsa (98 pounds of tomatoes!) and we wanted a removable label because I hate scrubbing the labels off!! So we tried this. I also went to Michaels craft store and bought a 2.5 inch craft punch ($16, but got it half price for $8) that cut perfect circles and makes it super easy! (we had too when we had so many cans to put labels on I wasnt going to hand cut them)
I have never heard or seen more brilliant ideas on one project than I’ve read here. Thank you for all for making my canning projects complete. I love the part about “return the empty jar…”
I tried this and would never go back to sticker labels! I love it! I have been able to personalize it and add my own decorative touch.
Thanks!
Great label idea! I can’t afford to have someone else do my laminating, so I keep a roll of clear contact paper in an empty wrapping paper tube and use it to laminate what I need to waterproof. It’s a cheap option for those on limited funds.
I love this idea, I hate trying to get the stickers off the side of the jars and I think that writing on the lid with a marker looks crummy. I will definatly use this idea, Thank you…. Sheila V. Monroe, Michigan
This is awsome! Thank you so very much for sharing
I have a question on is there more the just the strawberry rhubarb design. I am not all that great with the computer sorry. I just see that there is only a pg 1
[...] found this idea on Southern Cooking, and I love it!! No more sticky stickers, and the back gently reminds the receiver of your gift [...]