Duane, that's actually a pretty good price for McClure's. My former employer had them priced at $11.99 a jar in the stores. There's a relish also that we sold for $7.99 a jar.
The garlic dills have at least 6 big cloves of garlic in every jar and lot's of dill and there is also a HOT garlic dill flavor. They are a premium product and made in small batches so I would expect to pay more for the quality.
They sold well even at our inflated price.

We also sold Dilly Beans, about the same story as above.

So Duane, go buy that jar of pickles and also a jar of dilly beans. Enjoy them and recreate them from your garden this summer. That's far less expensive than the overhead of running your own pickle factory......

Nancy

Duane, each summer I start to think I am a pickle factory! Depending on the year I can between 100 - 200 jars of dills alone. David's (Lakebum) family call me the "pickle lady from Canada! LOL

I judge my costs ,jars included, labour excluded, to be under $3.00 a jar. I never look at canning as a money saver, not sure it is unless you can grow all your own stuff. However the quality and taste and satisfaction is worth every minute.

Have never made dilly beans, maybe I should give them a go.

Yes! Try Dilly Beans. Pickled asparagus is also very fine eating.

Now I craving a Bloody Mary with a pickled asparagus spear.

: )
lyra

I agree. That's not a bad price at all. Many times there's no money saved in canning. Even if you have the jars and lids, buying or growing the produce, the cost of utilities and the worth of your own labor bring the cost well up.

Canning isn't always cost-effective. The rewards come from knowing precisely what's in that jar and that you weren't dependent on someone else to produce it.

Carol

Thanks folks! I was telling my dad about the price and he said he was recently having a craving for dill pickles so he grabbed the jar out of the fridge. It was Kroger brand, about 1/5 the size of the McClures and the price was $3.59. So...I guess the McClures isn't a bad price....when you factor in quality especially.

I love dilly beans and I know they are not hard to do when beans are producing in the summer. I'm starting dill in the greenhouse soon and all of my hot peppers are already in the GH...some with baby peppers on them already! I'm gonna try my own garlic spicy dills for sure! And the dilly beans. I have about 12 cases of jars already and I know vinegar is cheap....so I think I can make a lot of pickles and beans much cheaper than the 9.00 a jar.

Chase, I wish I lived closer...I would certainly help! Sounds like fun. I really enjoy canning...it is such a nice feeling putting up your own food....even if it isn't all that cost effective....just satisfying!

Duane

Okay, I now have a jar chilling in my fridge along with some cheddar cheese, garlic pickled bologna and pringles chips in the cupboard LOL !....for some reason my ultimate snack is pickles, cheese, chips and bologna. In case a sweet treat is order had to get a gallon of Stoh's ice cream and Sanders' hot fudge topping.

So there goes any diet I was comtemplating.

Duane

Duane,
Just so you know..........chase's dills are THE BEST!!
I searched for years for that perfect flavor and crunch.
This is IT! And simple to boot!

Sneak on over to the harvest forum and do a search ( or use Google....probably faster) for the recipe.

Deanna (no relation.........just a dill pickle fan!)

OK, so I have a fortune in my basement, LOL.

I agree, if you factor in time and utilities, canning probably won't save much money, if it saves any, but it's so much better and I like to know what's in my food, so I can my own.

Annie