@melissasday: 1. Once you process your canned food using the ring to hold the lid on securely, the lid will suction to the jar if the food has been properly canned. I always remove the rings to 1) test the suction of the lid to make sure it has sealed well and 2) store without a ring so it is easy to detect if a lid comes unsealed in storage and is unsafe for my family to eat 3. Expiration/best buy dates have to printed on food here. Salt and sugar can preserve food. Kept dry and clean, they will not expire in a year or two. You can keep them YEARS and YEARS, even salt with iodine. The additives like iodine and anti caking agents will diminish over time but the salt will still be effective like salt. These items don’t need to be stored with an oxygen absorbers either, even if longggggg term. #foodstorage #preparedness #preservation #pantry #prepared #tips #everybitcounts #homesteader #family