I wouldn't worry overmuch. I mean, you lick envelopes to seal them don't you? I seriously doubt that any glue used on labels meant for canning would be so highly toxic that such a little bit would be a problem. I would open one jar and give it the smell and taste test.

gosh, valeree, I discover a bit of leftover label and/or glue still on a jar all the time, and sometimes end up with a jar or two that's a bit sticky as you describe. So if that's toxic I'm in trouble!

I think rachelellen makes a good point about envelopes. Most ordinary household glues aren't toxic (even most carpenter's glues---I know because my husband makes turned salad bowls out of lots of different pieces of wood glued together, so he's careful to check that his glues and finishes are safe).

The ickiness of a gummy jar bums me out, though. A little citrus-based cleanser usually gets it clean.

Last year I bought a few sheets each of several kinds of lable from labelesbythesheet.com, and have discovered that the kraft-coloured ones seem to have a less sticky glue; those lables come off beautifully and easily when I wash a jar. So I think I'm going to use those exclusively from now on, to avoid that glueyness!

Zabby

I switched from labels on the jar to labels on the lid. I got tired of fighting to remove some of the stickier labels.

But getting to your question, I doubt very much that it's an issue. The canning process expels air (and sometimes liquid) outward, it doesn't suck inward.

If the jars sealed, I'd leave them just as they are and wouldn't worry about it. I have a "worry limit" LOL, and this definitely wouldn't be on my list.

Carol

Acetone, nail polish remover, and WD 40 remove the gummy glue easily - both before and after processing. ;) And no, it's not toxic in any way.

But I'm with Carol - we switched to lid labels years back.

Dave

Carol, I don't believe I'll be using jar labels any more. :D I was sitting there thinking, "Duh. Why label the jar when the jar gets reused and the lid gets thrown away?"

I've never done so much canning that I needed to worry too much about labels. Hard to mix up strawberry jam, dill relish, and tomatoes! I only labelled things if I had leftovers from the previous year when I made a new batch. I'd label just the old stuff to make sure I'd use it first, and I used whatever labels I had -- if it was a jar label, I labelled the jar. But last year I canned a lot more and got into the habit of labelling everything, and it wasn't until about two months ago that I realized what a hassle all those jar labels were goig to be!

Well, good to know there's no concern over the glue having coated the inside of the jars before I canned. I did manage to clean them off, but I don't think I'll be giving any of this batch as gifts. :D

Most old-time canners just used a marker and wrote on the lid; if nothing else they'd write the year so product could be rotated and old used up before the new is consumed.

I use lid labels because I can a lot of different things and I can keep track of batches, spice mix variations or make a note of which book and page number I used for the recipe.

I also hate to write things by hand, so I purchased round labels for small and large lids and have it all set up on my printer. I can insert the info and print out 2 or 3 dozen in no time.

But I freely admit I'm kind of obsessive about identification; it's certainly not necessary.

Ooooh! On the printer! Did you find the blanks at an office supply store?

GOO GONE!! Its the BEST. It gets rid of all glues, except the moisten soak of with water types. Harmless to people, and plastics. I use it on computers to remove all kinds of stickys. Its been around a long whle. Smells like orange oil, which it is. If you have dried hard grease in the kitchen, with a little rubbing it will get all that off too. A LOT better than ANY spray cleaner! No ist not an ad, just the read deal.. Its at places lilke Home Depot and elewhere.. The residual label adhesives are quite safe today, and will not usually 'migrate' much'. Acetone, WD40, and others WAY TOO HARSH and NASTY to breath!!

My solution for labels is print them using the template for business cards only on plain paper. Make the label as fancy as you like then after printing, cut them to size with a cheap paper shear. Attach with a glue stick.

These come right off with hot water when rinsing the empty jars.

Don't use self adhesive lables on any jar that will go through the dishwasher until you remove all traces of the label! The paper fibers can plug up the small filters in the 'washer. Costly to repair. (Don't ask how I know!)

Reused jars should always be inspected for chips, cracks, and any foriegn materials before they are washed, and used again. The adhesives (self types) are not usually sulfuric based anymore due to drying out and corrosion. There are semi-sticky types too, but because I hate sticking any label on a bumpy jar, I stick them on the lids instead. Toss the lid after use and it saves a scrubbing job Mine are all 2 inch rounds.

valeree, here's a link to the source I use, but if you do a search on "labels" you'll find quite a few past threads about various print programs and suppliers.

Everyone here seems to have a favorite.

Must go. I have pie cherries to pit.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Online Labels Dot Com

I'll second Goo Gone. I use it on my stove and some of my pots when there's burnt spillage. It rocks my world. Yeah, says something about my world. :^S

Its almost like you would want to pour the ornage Goo Gone over orange sherbet..! Nah, no much waste there

LOL Ken. Weirdly, I'm one of those people who can't abide citrus flavor other than fresh eating or good quality juice. When I hear people smacking their lips over lemon chicken or duck a l'orange I smile and try not to visibly gag. HeHe Cooked citrus, citrus candy, soda, liqueur even preserves hold no appeal. (shrug) So, while the scent is tempting, I think I'll stick with the Goo Gone on the outside of the pots not the inside. ;^)

Yeah, I was testing you! I figured someone would see that post and actually attempt using it as a flavoring in cookies or something. YUK! A long while back I had bought 3 small bottles of citrus oils. Lemon, lime, and orange. Each was way too bitter due to the maker using way too much of the white pith. Still can't use it for much of anything. For really bad pots a spray of Easy Off can soften and get rid of the hard baked on greases. Its a bit harsh and can damage non stick coated pans, and if left on aluminium for too long it will stain and then etch. I use the Easy Off for my always greasy aluminium filter in my exhaust over the stove.

There is also another product used to remove fresh paint drips. Its stiil a solvent and can damage plastics. I used the Goo Gone to get realy nasty stickers off plastic notebook computer cases.

Citrus oils are incredibly strong and have to be used in tiny quantities. It's very easy to overdo with essential oils. Add to recipes with a dropper, not measuring spoons.

Carol

I like goo gone too.

I lived in a city apartment once, and woke in the middle of the night to find cockroaches all over my kitchen counters. I was up the rest of the night, bleaching every surface I could reach and throwing out all food stuffs that weren't in the refrigerator or sealed in glass jars. Ever since then, nothing in my pantry stays in a cardboard box or plastic bag...all get opened and contents go into screw top jars or plastic containers with snap on lids.

I had a fit getting the labels off jars to use them until I found goo gone.

I can write very small, so I just stick one of those 1/2"X 3/4 " labels you get from the stationary store on the lid of my canned goods jars for a label. I only put an actual label on the jar if I'm donating it for a church raffle or something and want it to look pretty.

1 drop per quart.. still a bit bitter. Sometimes the heat of a blow dryer will soften the glues enough to release lhem too. Im like reusing those resturant jars with shaker tops for some spices. I fill them with hot water, peel off the labels, and then use the Goo Gone to get rid of the rest of the sticky stuff, then wash a bit.

"Weirdly, I'm one of those people who can't abide citrus flavor other than fresh eating or good quality juice."

I'm the same way with cherries - if it isn't fresh with a pit and stem I have a tough time muscling past the gag reflex. So you see, you just aren't that weird after all! :-)

You should see what clove oil does to styrene plastic!! I used a weed killer product with the clove oil and clear plastic cup tunered white and into jelly. The citus oil can mes a few plastics too, so they always tell you to test before you wipe. No problems with glass however. Its even strong enough to wipe off magic markers, and some printing on the metal canning lids. 'Void If Removed' stickers are no problem either, especially if plastered all over a notebook PC!