1986
Canning with Dots
July 1986


“Canning with Dots,” Ensign, July 1986, 64

Canning with Dots

I remember canning season well. As a young girl, I had the job of writing the year on pieces of masking tape and applying the tape to the jars of newly canned fruit so that we could be sure to use the older bottles first. After I got married, I decided to find another system, one that would save me from writer’s cramp.

Many office supply stores carry an assorted selection of colored adhesive dots (about the size a paper punch would make). These come in boxes, and peel off from a long strip of paper. I use these dots to help me organize my canning. Attached to our storage shelves is a chart with the years 1982–1987 written on it. For each year, I have assigned a differently colored dot. Red is for 1982, blue is for 1983, and so forth. As the fruit comes out of the canner, I simply attach a small dot to the lid. We also attach these dots to products we purchase from the store in great quantity (soups and tuna, for example) so that we can use the item within its proper shelf lifetime. Carol S. Beck, Pocatello, Idaho