Where To Get Glass Jars And Food Buckets For Bulk Food Storage

A lot of people have asked where I get the cheap glass jars for my pantry that they saw in this post here. Well, the simple answer is “the grocery store”. Here’s the full answer.

Go to a local deli, either a stand alone restaurant or in a grocery store. I went to our local Martin’s Supermarket. The employees there are awesome about saving the glass containers with lids for anyone who ask. They are the ones that have the gallon sized glass jars for pickles, jalapenos, etc.

All you gotta do is ask for the empty plastic containers for food. They should just give them to you for free. If they don’t have any, ask to have them save them for you and leave your name and number. Be prepared to call a week or so later to follow up. They won’t usually clean them out for you, so you’ll have to wash them.

What I like to do with the gallon size glass jars is to wash with regular hot, soapy water. Take some baking soda and mix with water until it’s a thick paste and rub all over inside the jar. Leave for 20-30 minutes, and wash again. This should remove any residual smell. If there is some that lingers, repeat the baking soda.

I use the glass jars for bulk food storage of flour, sugar, rice and such as well as kombucha, kefir and getting milk from the farm.

To learn how to make your own kombucha using glass jars, see this post here. 

Best places for getting food  buckets for free is to check with your local bakeries. Either a stand alone bakery or in your local grocery store. They have the large buckets for icings and frostings. Be prepared to leave a name and number and follow up if there are no empties currently.

To learn how to make your own water kefir using glass jars, see this post here. 

They usually won’t wash these, either but hot soapy water once again will do the trick. Make sure you get the lids to these if you are planning on using them for bulk food storage. The large food buckets also make great containers for gardening.

They shouldn’t charge you for the glass jars or the food buckets, as they are essentially garbage when they are done with them. If you are told there is a charge, keep looking and asking. As my mother used to say, “You don’t know unless you ask”.

Where do you find cheap bulk food storage containers? Have you asked for glass jars or food buckets at your local deli or grocery store before? Be sure to pin this for later!

Heather

Heather’s homesteading journey started in 2006, with baby steps: first, she got a few raised beds, some chickens, and rabbits. Over the years, she amassed a wealth of homesteading knowledge, knowledge that you can find in the articles of this blog.