Jar Head

I'm going to start with jars.  Why?  Because the trick to having enough jars is to buy early.  If you wait until August to buy jars for your tomatoes, chances are you're going to be prowling every store in 15 counties.  I know.  I've been there.

There are several ways to preserve food: drying, freezing, and canning.  Canning is where you're going to need the jars.  There are BIG jars, and there are itty bitty jars.  And several sizes in between. One size does NOT fit all.  You're going to need a variety.  You might not need a 1/2 gallon jar, unless you are canning juice or cider, or a 4 oz jelly jar, but you will most likely be able to make the best use out of pint & quart jars.  Maybe 1/2 pint if your family is smaller or you are making jellies & jams.

To give you an idea of the size difference in jars, the pictured jars are sized as follows from front to back:

1/2 cup/4oz jar

1/2 pint/8 oz jelly jar

Pint sized jelly jar

Pint jar, regular mouth (also comes in wide mouth)

Quart jar, wide mouth (also comes in regular mouth)

1/2 gallon jar, wide mouth

There are also a few other types of not pictured jars, to include:

 

1/2 Pint sized Wide Mouth

The Ball Elite Collection of Contemporary jars:

 

1/2 pint/8 oz sized wide mouth

 

Pint sized wide mouth

 

 

Canning jars come in many different glass patterns.  Some are plain, with just the brand name.  Others are "quilted", easily recognizable, because these are typically jelly jars.  There are some jars with fruit on them.  I even have one my aunt made apple butter for me in, that is cross hatched.  It's fun to pick-up some of the differnt jars every now and then, especially if you are creating gifts for others.

You can buy canning jars many places to include, but not limited to Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart, your local grocery, bulk food stores, hardware stores (they usually carry the widest variety!), estate sales, thrift stores, and yard sales.  Not to mention online, but the shipping will probably kill you.

When buying used, be sure to look for chips, cracks, a waviness in the glass. Blue glass jars are not considered currently safe for food preservation, because of their age. Modern jars are clear. When in doubt, look for the "MASON" stamp on the bottom of the jar.

Older jars have wire latches and glass lids if they are more than 25 years old, then we have the tall jars that had metal lids that screwed on, and finally, there are the modern jars.

I'm not saying that buying old jars isn't fun.  I love the character in them.  Just don't use them for canning.  I use mine to store tea bags, dry pasta, and on my window sill, I have 3 with herbs planted in them!

 

 

US readily available jar brands include, Ball, Kerr, and Golden Harvest. I do NOT recommend Golden Harvest. They are cheaper priced for a reason. I had a bunch of them explode during a water bathe, and have never had such a problem with Ball & Kerr.

Please don't reuse glass jars from store canned foods, as the glass was tempered for one canning process & is an exploding hazard. Lids are only safe to be used once due to the seals.  I know a million people who say, "my grandmother used all mayonnaise jars just fine!"  Well, my friends, when Grandma was in her canning hay day, store canned jars were better quality, and it was actually considered frugal to do it.  Not so much now.  The jars are thin and unsafe.

A final note on jars, is storage.  When you've eaten the contents (YUM!), you simply wash the jar, either by hand or in the dishwasher, and store it away.  You can store them in the box they came in, in the cupboard, or on shelves.  They don't have to be protected from each other (they can touch), unless you are going to be moving their storage space around.  Then, before using them again, give them another good wash & sterylize them just like you did the last time you used them.  Easy, Peasy!

 

Now, go get you some jars before the the old ladies buy them all up.

 

 

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