I have a bit of a love affair with mason jars.
They are sturdy, they come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, they can often be found inexpensively, and best of all? They are a completely non-toxic way to store things in my kitchen!
We all know by now that plastics usually include dangerous chemicals, particularly if they are heated at all, but even when they are used for any sort of food or liquid that could absorb the toxins that the plastics leach out. Some plastics are safer than others and it's prudent to learn which ones are which.
This month, we're actually looking at a variety of ways to "Spring Clean the Toxins" lurking in your home. What better place to start than in the kitchen, particularly with items that are touching the food you put straight into your body?
When it comes to the kitchen, one of the best and simplest ways to avoid dangerous plastics and the toxins they contain is by switching to completely safe, clean options like glass! Enter the ever practical mason jar...
Image by RecoilRick
How to Start a Mason Jar Stockpile
First of all, never turn down an offer of mason jars. If you see them free at garage sales, if your aunt has extras she is getting rid of, if something you buy comes in a genuine re-usable mason jar. Any size, style, shape, even color-- they're all worth having.
Personally, I like to get mine free (who wouldn't?). It's easier than you think. Some places to start looking:
- Craigslist. Look in the Free section and search for jars, canning, etc. You'd be surprised what people give away.
- Garage sales. I have picked up so many free or very cheap boxes of canning jars from garage sales. It's one of the first things I look for when I stop at a sale.
- Family or friends. A lot of people have jars that they just don't know what to do with, especially our mother's generation, or perhaps grandmothers that used to do canning but have since given it up.
If you can't find them free, and I will be the first to admit that this is getting just slightly harder now that canning and preserving is coming back into vogue, here are some other cheap options:
- End-of-season clearance sales. Starting around the end of August and all through September, I keep my eyes open for the brand new boxes in the grocery or hardware stores to go on clearance. Once they do, I buy as many boxes as my budget and storage situation can handle.
- Thrift stores (and garage sales). Sometimes you can find them in complete box sets, other times you have to buy them by the jar. Either way, it's usually worthwhile.
Image by rcakewalk
Mason jars come in many sizes and shapes. The first distinction is in the mouth size (or the opening of the jar). The two most common sizes are Wide Mouth and Regular. There are some more random sizes out there, like Gem, but these are few and far between and difficult to find rings and lids for. I would stick to the first two to keep things simple.
The second distinction is in their size. They can be as small as 250ml (or I have even seen on very rare occasions jars that are half this size- so small!), and then you can commonly find jars that are 500 ml (or about 1 pint) or 1 L (same as quart). Then there are the 2 L (or 2 quart/ half gallon) jars. Among all these different sizes, the shapes vary slightly depending on the size of the jar's mouth and the style of the jar.
In my experience, every variation on size, shape and style is useful in some way or another. Don't restrict yourself. Collect as many different types of jars as you can, and I can pretty much guarantee you'll find a use for them all.
Fermenting salsa, telling me when it's ready to go in the fridge
Making Jars Even More Useful
Did you know you can purchase these incredibly handy-dandy plastic screw-on lids for mason jars? They come in both regular and wide mouth size and are very inexpensive.
What makes them even more perfect is that you can use a wipe off marker to label them, and simply wipe it off when you're ready to use the jar for something new. Labelling, and thus avoiding a fridge full of mysterious mason jars is a good idea (unless you want them to turn into mason jar science experiments... which could be a fun use, come to think of it).
Another great find is sprouting lids intended to fit wide mouth mason jars. I have a set of 3 sprouting lids, each with a different size mesh (some for smaller seeds, some for larger ones). Love these!
I have purchased my lids through the natural foods co-op I shop at, Azure Standard. If you've seen these types of lids in other locations, please let us know where in the comments for the sake of other readers. Edit: You can get both the plastic lids and the sprouting lids at Amazon!
31 Ways to Use a Mason Jar in Your Kitchen
1. Leftovers. Perfect for soups or stews, grains like rice, chopped veggies, scrambled eggs... endless possibilities.
2. Smoothies. Make extra and store it in the fridge for later in the day, or use the jar to bring the smoothie when you're on the go.
3. Drinking water for day. Need a way to visually measure how much water you are drinking throughout the day? Try using quart or 1/2 gallon mason jars to put your daily water out on the counter, then use it to refill glasses until it's gone. You'll know for sure whether you hit your water target or not.
Soaking seeds for sprouting
4. Sprouting seeds or grains. With the sprouting lids I mentioned, this is a breeze for making fresh green sprouts. But even without fancy lids, I've been using jars for sprouting for years. Works for sprouting grains, too.
5. Soaking nuts or seeds. Soaking overnight reduces enzyme-inhibitors in nuts and seeds.
6. Store nut butter. After you soak your nuts, make homemade nut butter!
Bubbly sourdough starter
7. Sourdough starter. I like pint jars for creating new sourdough starter, then I'll transfer it to a quart or 1/2 gallon jar for storing and maintaining the starter long term.
8. Making/storing kombucha. This healthful, fermented drink can also be flavored.
9. Homemade yogurt. I like making mine directly in jars, either in my oven or in my Excalibur dehydrator. Another option is to make yogurt in your crockpot, then transfer to jars once cool and set for easy fridge storage.
10. Mason jar meal. This creative idea would be great for a picnic!
11. Flower vase. Simple, quaint, beautiful.
12. Making milk kefir or water kefir or coconut milk kefir.
13. Storing homemade juice or iced teas in fridge. The large 1/2 gallon jars are particularly perfect for this, and even for brewing the tea, especially with the screw-on plastic lids.
Image by striatic
14. Keeping herbs fresh in the fridge (green onions, cilantro, etc.). Fill a jar 3/4 full with water, place your bunch of fresh herbs in it, then store in the fridge for herbs that keep much longer than they would in your produce drawer.
15. Spice mixes. Making your own spice mixes is cheap and easy. The small jar (1/2 pint or smaller) make ideal spice jars.
16. Dry pantry staples. I like to buy in bulk, then store staples like sea salt, baking soda and baking powder in jars.
17. Dried vegetables from garden. Not only is it practical, but dehydrated summer produce looks beautiful in jars.
18. Canning. Whether you stick to a batch or two of jam each season, or you want to get serious about preserving the season's bounty, this is the season to think about stocking up on jars if you plan to do some summer preserving.
Image by keithhopper
19. Storing dry beans, pasta, rice, etc. in the pantry. There's something particularly pleasing about a pantry full of mason jars.
20. Mixing salad dressings. I use 1/2 pint or pint jars with lids to mix up salad dressings, then store them in the door of my fridge to make salad eating simple. You could do this with homemade marinades or other types of sauces as well.
21. Homemade syrup. Our two favorite syrups (aside from genuine maple syrup, our number one choice) are honey butter syrup or a more typical syrup made with Sucanat (unrefined sugar) or coconut sugar. A perk of using glass is that you can soften extra honey butter syrup (since it will harden in the fridge) by letting it warm up in a pot of lightly boiling water for a couple minutes.
Image by Paula from Salad in a Jar
22. Mason jar salads. Love this brilliant idea!
23. Homemade cough syrup or other cold-kicking remedies.
24. Fermenting foods like salsa or pickles or sauerkraut. Leave them out on the counter while fermenting, then add a lid and store in the fridge, while you enjoy these digestion-boosting foods.
Image by twodolla
25. As a drinking glass. I've seen many people actually build up a collection of various mason jars, purely for the sake of using as drinking glasses. Great for everyday, or fun for a party or special event.
26. Dry baking mixes like bread, pancakes, etc. Making your own homemade baking mixes saves money and time. Store them in amounts that are just right for one morning of pancakes, or two loaves of bread, to simplify the baking process even more (no measuring!).
27. Culture your own creme fraiche (or sour cream).
28. Soup broth. Store your homemade bone broth for a few days in your fridge, or in your freezer (but make sure to leave a good amount of headroom so that your jars don't crack).
29. Food gifts. Layered food mixes, like dry bean soup or cookies in a jar, look so lovely and homey in a mason jar. Add a pretty fabric or decorative paper label to the lid to make it extra special.
Image by maureen lunn
30. Decoratively. Aside from their practical uses, they're also just plain old pretty. Try doing a search on Pinterest for Mason Jar. You won't believe how many amazing ideas you find. Candles, lanterns, party decor... the possibilities are endless!
31. Edible beauty products. Did you know that you already have a kitchen full of beauty supplies? Try making some of these edible beauty products, or homemade scrubs like the ones in Simple Scrubs to Make and Give.
This is probably only the tip of the iceberg... how do you use mason jars in your kitchen?
Mason jars fit some of the old blender, so if you want to blend something that you want to store for awhile after, just screw the mason jar onto the blender blade thingy and pop it on!
Hi! I'm wondering about lead in glass. I recently learned its in almost all glass (a way it's made) & was wondering what your thoughts are. I know a lot of plastics can be bad, but have found some I love that are close to glass in make-up but w/out toxins. Any thoughts/advice on safe glass? Online research states older mason jars def. have lead & should be avoided. Do you know any safe brands? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
Well Hello. I had no idea there was anyone out there who loved canning jars as much as I do. My dad laughs at me and says he has never known anyone with more canning jars. I have even seen jar light fixtures and it's on my projects list. Fun reading, thanks.
They are great for flowers, for mixing up food items, storing parts, making stone-milled oatmeal, making pudding (kids will love shaking their own pudding), etc. You can often pick up free jars on Freecycle. I also love the Weck jars, I found at Crate & Barrel. I got rid of all my old Rubbermaid and Tupperware and use only jars for storing leftovers. No more waste or possible BPA leeching.
I love mason jars as well and use them for a million things around the house. When I juice fresh produce I store the juice in sealed mason jars in the fridge for the next day. I also keep my kale fresh in the fridge in a mason jar with fresh water.
Some time ago, jar dome lids and bands came in all sorts of colorful patterns. Does anyone know if they are still available?
I'm glass jar crazy myself...have boxes of them...I keep all my dried beans, lentils, spices, seeds in them...the ones I've gotten from my SF Smucker Jam days I now use to make my own low sugar freezer jam & banana butter (m-m-m-m - good on top of toast and p.b.)...they're wonderful to make "gifts in a jar" for friends and family...top with some pretty gingham and they're so cute! Thanks for your many ideas...they are now on my desktop in a Word document!
You can also use a wide mouth quart size mason jar to attach to many blenders so they become a "bullet" type blender. I have a Breville blender and it works great!
Besides the obvious things mentioned... here's what I use mason jars for. Rubber bands, twist ties from bread wrappers, tea balls ( I have several different sizes), fruit carving knives - used to do the tiny details when carving squash and fruits, matches, bamboo skewers, those condiment packets from fast food places, I grow my herbs in them on the window sill. assorted faucet parts like washers, bushings, etc, and tooth picks.
We use the jars for homemade finger paints for the kids. We also use the back sliding glass door for the canvas many times because it washes off and doesn't hurt the environment. Storing the paints in the jars is really pretty. We also store our homemade playdough, crayons, and legos in mason jars. Its a great way to get preschoolers sorting by having different colored or sized items in different jars--easy for them to see the results.
i re use mason/ canning / pretty pasta sauce jars - love them !!!!
this idea may not be 100% safe -( however, i have been doing this for a number of years with no problem !!! ) ----- wash , rinse ,dry the lids from jars like
mayonaise , peanutbutter , etc - some of these will fit the mason jars ---
good on a pinch !!!! just make certain the lid is deep and has a
good * twist * screw -
I have a question for anyone whos willing to answer. I recently bought some ball canning jars and i read and watched a video and heard some scary things about botulism and was wondering is it safe to drink from them? If so what do i have to do before im able to do so?
Hi Vanessa,
Botulism is a potential risk in canned food...not the jar the food is canned in. Wash and dry used jars, and you should be good to go for drinking.
Incidentally, the risk of botulism in home-canned food that was canned using proper guidelines is practically zero. Read up on the proper guidelines at the National Center for Home Food Preservation's website: http://nchfp.uga.edu/index.html
Do you have to sterilize mason jars/lids if you are using them to store dry pasta, flour, sugar, etc? What about when you are cooking a cake in a jar?
Thanks:)
You don't need to sterilize them for dry storage, just wash and dry them as you would with any other dish or food storage container. Same goes for cooking or preparing food in one.
LOVE LOVE LOVE your site... I will be promoting it when my new sit is up and running. Thank you.
If you own an Oster blender, you may appreciate knowing that you can screw off the blade from the glass pitcher and put it on a regular mouth mason jar, attach it to the blender as you would the pitcher and blend away.... This is great for making smoothies, processing nuts, making crumbs, etc. - you simply take off the blade and replace with a lid to store. We burned up 3 Magic Bullet motors before we came up with this - you may want to give it a try! - ENJOY -
That is so awesome! I just checked and it worked on my Cuisinart too. Now I just have to find something to blend.
I use the 1/2 gal. size in my pantry, using a large "fender washer" and a large screw, through the center of the metal lids. I hang them from the under side of the shelves. This way, the lid stays securely in place and I just screw and un-screw the jars to them. I keep beans, pasta, cornmeal, rice etc as well as syrup, vinegars and some other liquids that do not require refrigeration. It looks really nice in the pantry and i can still use the shelf space below the jars for canned goods etc. I also use the really small jars in the same way for spices.
You can find them at TRADER JOES filled with pasta sauce. Just soak the jars in warm water for a bit, and the labels scrub off easy. And you'll know which ones they say mason at the top. I use them for drinking water. Still don't know if they are safe as far as lead goes.
Great ideas! Have you seen the reCAP lids? I found them here http://recapmasonjars.com/ and have really found them to be an asset! I love displaying God's creativity by putting my legumes in all their variations in Mason jars and storing them in a row across the top of my cupboards. Saves space inside and looks homey, but they are useful and don't collect dust. :-)
Are mason jars a specific kind of jar or could you also wash out a spaghetti sauce jar and use it as one?
Neat ideas - great site. I'm still finding new uses for my jars and only have about a dozen in 3 sizes, so don't have a ton of them.
Just a FWIW for those who plan to get the plastic lids, they are NOT water tight like the 2 piece lid. If you ever have to store some liquid in your fridge and want to lay a jar on its side, you will have a mess to clean up later. I do like using them for other things though and use both the plastic and the 2 piece lids.
What kind of lead Mason Jar has? The one that has 2 parts?
Great article! I love mason jars and you definitely gave me a few more uses for them. Thanks for sharing!
We also use the jars for gifts, like layered brownie mixes ...
I've used them for candleholders, and I have one which oddly enough has a hole in the bottom so I use it to store all my sharpies!
At the grocery store recently, I was purchasing a few new packages of jars that were on sale. In one of the packages there was a shattered jar; so I asked the manager if he'd negotiate a discount for me. He dropped the price by about half again, so I was pleased!
I use these canning lids sometimes, too, because they are reusable; they are available from Amazon, as well! http://dotalanecdotes.blogspot.com/2010/12/reusable-canning-lid-home-canners.html
We use our half-gallon sized jars for our raw milk cow-share here in Virginia! I'll skim off the cream sometimes, and put it into the pint jars :)
I have some gallon-sized jars (not mason) as well, which are wonderful for kombucha, dry goods, etc.
Oh yes - AND layering jell-O or trifle treats in jars .... so convenient!!!
http://dotalanecdotes.blogspot.com/2011/12/jell-o-in-jars.html
Just like you, we use Mason jars for just about EVERYTHING in our kitchen! I've accumulated well over a thousand so far, and by the end of canning season they are all full ... so for a short while, I don't have much wiggle room. Agreed, never, never turn down canning jars! I shop for them at garage sales, mostly I get good finds in the rural areas. (I even bought a bunch once which included a dozen or so that were still filled with 10-yr old applesauce! The owner said, "Are you sure you want these!?" I said, "I'm sure!!") When you visit garage sales, be sure to ASK if they have old canning jars they want to sell! I've only actually seen them out on the lawn for sale a few times ... usually, I just ask, and they say Hmm ... come to think of it, I do have a few boxes in the garage ...
You can also bake small pies in the pint or half-pint (wide-mouth) size, and then just screw the lid on and husband can carry to work!
And, I recently found THIS incredible lid, which blows my mind!!! http://dotalanecdotes.blogspot.com/2012/05/i-like-convenience-mind-blowing.html
I so love canning jars for their amazing versatility! I have purchased an abundance of jars at yard sales. Many are the old bail style wire and glass lids, which are fabulous.
A local hardware store also has begun carrying the 1/2 gallon sized jars. My canner isn't large enough for them, but they are indispensible for food storage! It is such a easy step toward greater simplicity and guests always oooh and aaah over the decorative appearance!
HELP....I'm new at this canning stuff, but I just read on here that you can "freeze canning jars" is that true? I always thought that if you put glass in the freezer it would crack. Is that just like Kerr and Ball jars or can I use like old Ragu jars in the freezer too? Thanks!
If the jars are shaped like drinking glasses--no "shoulder" between the bottom and the top--they can go in the freezer. The jars that curve in at the top, with the lid a smaller diameter than the wider sides of the jar, are not freezer safe.
I use canning jars all over my kitchen too from the pantry to leftovers. I just made a wonderful salmon stock but one of the jars cracked in the freezer... I have had several do that when full of liquid but I guess it's because I didn't leave enough room. I'll keep a closer eye on that!
I put all different sizes in the freezer, mostly I use the "classico spaghetti sauce" type jar (with "shoulders"). You do need to make sure to leave an inch or three of space to allow the liquid to expand as it freezes. The only time I've had jars break is when I've tried to rapid-thaw the contents by immersing the jar in too-hot water, or when I've put a jar with hot contents straight into the freezer.
I like mason jars for dry goods storage (being mouse-proof is a big deal in an old house). I use a trick from stained glass for labeling the jars - Sharpie. It will come off of the glass pretty easily. This also allows me to date the jar contents without marking up the lid.
My Food Saver has a Mason jar attachment, so I can vacuum seal my jars. Great for coffee, grains, chips, crackers etc.
I just found your site, and really enjoyed looking around. I have to say that I totally agree with your love of Mason jars! We switched off plastic last year, and since then I can't get enough jars. I never thought to look for them for free- Thanks!
I have 5 of them in a row on my counter. 2 filled with nuts, 1 green pumpkin seeds, 1 organic popcorn kernals, 1 dried cranberries. These not only look pretty, but they are what got me off the nibbling-bad-things habit. With these in plain sight, I'd nibble on the healthy option instead! Wish I knew how to send you a pic. :) (I love mason jars for yogurt and tea as you do, too!)
I have really enjoyed reading all of your wonderful suggestions. I have many, many jars already in use but you have inspired me to look for even more ways to use the humble mason jar.
I only use Mason jars for all my storage. They are wonderful to freeze in. Buy the white plastic lids, fill the jar to about 2" from the top and freeze whatever you want to save. The jar goes directly from the freezer to the microwave, no problem.
There are no ugly, unsafe, discolored plastic containers in my kitchen. I love the way my freezer looks when I open the door, all the jars of food lined up like perfect soldiers. I can see exactly what I have at a glance.
The tiny jars are perfect for that 1/2 can of leftover tuna, a little bit of roux for the next batch of gravy, those few olives that are left, cloves of garlic, etc.
Can't live without them. You can find the fancy decorative ball/mason jars at estate sales and tag sales. Love Love Love them.
LOVE these ideas and I save a lot of mine for these reasons!
Janette
I too, love mason jars. I use them for everything in the kitchen. I also use any jars (pickle, sauce, etc) But I was not happy with all the writing on the lids so I spray painted all my lids (even the mason jar lids) with chalkboard paint. My friend liked it so much she's bringing her lids over to paint them also. It's handy and looks nice =]
Great idea! Did you ever have it come off, though? (contamination?)
As I try to keep track of my water intake, I use Mason jars with measurements marked on them. The fact that they are sturdy and cheap (I never buy any... just use recycled pasta sauce jars, etc) is a bonus with kids who frequently break my "nice", store-bought drinking glasses. But my favorite way to use Mason jars is for blender jars. The threads fit most blender bases and the jars are perfect for making personal smoothies/shakes for each member of the family. Better than everybody getting stuck with the same exact recipe made in the larger blender jars.
I too am a lover of mason jars. I have several antique ones in different colors. They are my pride and joy. I too use them for many things, but you gave me more ideas. Love your site!
Thank you for this post it was informative and inspired me to go out and get some mason jars! I'm curious, any info on the plastic for the screw on lids for the jars? Do you think they have toxins in them? Thanks! :D
I have the same question!
The platic ball jar lids are BPA free. Even the two piece cannong lids have BPA in the lining, but the plastic lids don't. Plus in my book! I harly use the two piece anymore.
I bought a couple of boxes each of the regular size lids and the wide mouth lids. I love them. They are of hard plastic that doesn't discolor even with the toughest food like red sauce. They are shiny and they stay that way. I use them on jars for the freezer and have never had one break. Don't hesitate to buy them, you won't regret it.
I bought honey in bulk (plastic bucket) used some & decided it needed to be stored in something smaller (some to keep in kitchen & the rest in our extra food storage/out of the way). I sterilized canning jars (in the oven) and then scooped up the honey & storing it in quart sized canning jars (labeled it with masking tape, what was in it & the date stored in jar).
Being that the honey is in glass, if it crystallizes, I can easily heat it up in the future...to re-liquify it.
I just started mixing together, in pint jar, honey & butter to make Honey Butter (less mess, than the children buttering their toast & then adding honey) and then I store it in that same pint jar.
I also make a Butter Spread (butter/coconut oil & olive oil) that I store in the pint sized jar. I use a wax pencil to mark on the plastic lid. Wanting to get my spices switched over to the small 1 cup sized jar & use the plastic lids (they come in 2 sizes, I've found mine at Walmart) to store spices in a kitchen pull-out drawer.
We use mason jars for several of the ideas listed! LOVE them! That salad idea is really neat, I think I'll try it!
I have found the plastic storage lids at small hardware stores like True Value.
Congratulations! Pinned this article to my Pinterest board and got a whopping response.
You're welcome. :)
New subscriber via Weekend Reading post at Organizing Your Way. Love the ideas for Mason jars!
I love Mason jars (actually, any glass jar) too. They have such a nice minimalist asthetic. I use them for drinking (a quart jar helps me drink more water), food storage, storing homemade skin care products, to hold pencils and pens, to culture kefir, and as vases.