The Latest Pandemic Shortage Victim? Mason Jars.

Remember in the spring when toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and bleach just all disappeared off of store shelves? Of course, how could anyone forget that? When all of a sudden your old socks were starting to look very toilet papery, and hand sanitizer became a nectar of the gods.

Months later, are we only now starting to see  the steady return of T.P. and such, but it looks like the latest victim to fall prey to the clutches of COVID hoarders are Mason jars. Around here in Maine, that's a pretty big deal. We are big canning state. With such a short grow season for gardens, it's how Mainers deal with all their summer haul.

Whether it's pickles, hot sauce, dilly beans, salsa, or spaghetti sauce... We Mainers loves to cook things and stick it in jars for later use. How many times have you been rooting around your grandparent's basement, and found that stash of bread and butter pickles from 1971? Not much has changed.

We don't have a gathering on either side of my family, without my mother-in-law showing up with a basket full of jams and jellies to give away to everyone at the party. But now, I'm hearing she's had trouble finding jars locally, and they're getting tougher to find online too, according to CNN.com.

During quarantine, a lot folks decided to get into canning for the first time, because well, what the hell else were they gonna do?! But here we are six months later, and Mason jars are becoming the new toilet paper. Although hopefully, they never become some sort of substitute for T.P.

I'm not suggesting anyone hoard anything, ever. But if you're an avid canner, this is your warning. Again, just like T.P., it's going to get worse before it gets better. I know I can't live without my mother-in-law's jams and jellies, so I might start seeking jars for her. Who knows, maybe I'll see you in Hannaford when we arm wrestle for jars?