How & Where to store zink pre-wicked jars

[Judy, USMC]

I have quite a few cases of jelly jars that I pre-wicked. I'm taking a pouring break for a couple of months and want to get them out of the way. It will get over 90 degrees outside temp and the storage trailer gets as hot as the inside of a car. And the humidity can be consistently high. So I have these questions -

Should I store them with the lids on or off?

Should I keep them in the house or can they go into the trailer?

Any other advice greatly appreciated.

[Bernadette]

I don't know if this will help you or not because I live in the southwest and we don't have the humidity, but it does get over 100 degrees here consistently in the summer. I would keep them in the house.

I remember running short of containers and buying a few at Walmart and storing them in the plastic bags for a few days. When I went out to get them, the plastic bags had melted onto the jars! What a mess...and it was harder than heck to get the plastic off. Anything I have where there's the slightest question about melt, I've kept in the house since.:tiptoe:

[Judy, USMC]

Thanks for the input!

I still have them stored in the original cardboard boxes. But you bring up another point I didn't think of - I'm almost positive that the wick wax will soften (maybe even melt.)

[topofmurrayhill]

I wonder if humidity might rust the wick tabs.

[Judy, USMC]

I wonder if humidity might rust the wick tabs.

I think I could deal with surface rust on the tabs. The warning label goes on the bottom so it wouldn't be visible from that side and I dye my paraffin a fairly deep color ... I'm assuming it would not affect the burn, either.

More concerned about how the wicks are affected ... and it's looking more like indoors would be best.

Just have to figure out if the lids should be on or off.

[Candybee]

If you tape up the boxes the wicked jars should be okay. I would probably store them indoors in a climate controlled building like your house in a closet or dark space. The lids I would also store wrapped up in a bag to keep dust out.

You can lid the jars. If you do you can straighten the wicks out before using them to pour wax to make candles. If you use wick centering tools that will help.

I've done it both ways and prefer with lids off. I store my lids seperately in a plastic bag and pull them out as I need them.

[TxSioux]

I'm thinking you might seriously regret storing them outside. I'm familiar w/ that area of NC & you're right on the water, so humidity is a big deal. I ordered zinc wicks from Cajun Candle a couple months after Hurricane Katrina & couldn't get any of them to burn correctly. When I called they said they had elevated or moved their stock & didn't sell anything that had water damage, but I have to think the humidity is what did a number on the wicks. The tabs weren't rusted at all, but they wouldn't burn. I'm just guessing, but I wouldn't want to risk it. If you absolutely have to put them out, you might just turn the containers upside down so they won't get dusty & can still have air ... or would that be worse!?! Now I'm over thinking it.

Susan.