Have a Ball

A Ball jar, that is.

I keep everything in canning jars, both fresh and dry goods. No, I’m not talking about canning or putting up, but just basic everyday storage. Some folks call them Mason jars, to others they’re just plain ol’ canning jars. Even if they’ll never see a water bath or pressure canner, they are still fantastic to keep around in assorted sizes—half pint (aka: jelly), pint, quart, and two quarts. There are two types—regular and wide mouth, which I like because they are easier to fill and to clean.

When friends visit there’s a ritual that goes on as soon as they arrive. They open my refrigerator and examine what jars are there. The adventurous ones may open the lids and sniff and my beloved ones break out spoons and forks for tasting. Once, someone who is into antiques and collectables lamented my use of a vintage and highly sought after jar with a lattice design for storing fresh salsa. “That’s worth money,” they squawked as I dished out a spoonful over the huevos rancheros I’d made for breakfast. My lovely jar was not going to sit on a shelf in a junk shop collecting dust.

Here’s the thing, 90% + of what’s in the fridge or cupboards isn’t processed, it’s simply stored in the glass jars with a tightly sealed lid. Over the years I’ve discovered that canning jars work much, much better than plastic containers.

First, there’s the big glaring climate issue of petroleum based products. Plastic containers, including the ones for food, are made from derivatives in natural gas and crude oil processing. Single-use plastics are being shelved as humanity attempts to reduce hydrocarbon extraction and usage. An assortment of glass canning jars will last much longer than those things sold alongside the plastic wrap on the grocery store shelves. 

Next, do it for your health. There is mounting evidence that plastic containers leach hazardous chemicals, especially when heated. As long as you take the lid off a glass jar first, they can be put in a microwave to heat the contents.

Speaking of high heat and plastic, putting them in the dishwasher will only reduce their use life. How long until they warp and crack? I’ve got canning jars that are older than me that are still in use for simple storage. Now that’s cost-effective and sustainable.

Unlike plastic storage containers, especially those brown, orange, and yellow Tupperware things from the 70’s, you can clearly see what’s inside. No more lifting the lid of the Country Crock container to see what sort of leftovers lie within. Glass jars give an instant 360 view of the contents.

Plastic containers have a reputation for staining and holding odors. I’ve put my glass jars up against curries filled with turmeric and spices yet they still come out of the dishwasher fresh and sparkling clean.

Ever knock one of those plastic containers full of soup off the counter? Those lids snap off as easily as they snap on. Yes, a falling jar also has the capacity to break, leaving a horrendous mess as well, but over the years I’ve been surprised at how often they remain intact with a dull thud.

Here’s a little tidbit of knowledge most people never realize. Most blender blades will fit a regular canning jar. My blender’s carafe broke years ago. Since then I simply screw on the blade assembly to the bottom of a canning jar. Nothing flying out of the top and all over the kitchen plus whatever it is I’m blending is already in a container. Drink that smoothie right out of the jar. Margaritas and daiquiris, too!

If you don’t want the hassle of keeping track of individual bands and lids there are single lids that can be purchased. Yes, they’re plastic. No, they do not create an airtight seal, sometimes leaking if shaken or tipped over.

The airtight seal is the key to using canning jars for storage. Cupboard moths can get through the weak seal of a plastic lid, but not a canning jar lid screwed on tight. Similarly, all the wonderful fruit and vegetables at market right now will keep for weeks when stored in an airtight jar.  Anyone who isn’t taking the time to properly store their food doesn’t get to complain about the cost of it. Last week a patron spied my berries and groused about how theirs always went bad before they were eaten, tossing in rising food costs as an excuse for denying themself. When I explained how to store food in glass jars their face lit up as they exclaimed, “I didn’t know that!” and off they went for a quart of fresh fruit they were going to pass over.

Inevitably someone always brings up the issue of giving away the jars. Rubbermaid sells sets of plastic “Takealongs”, sixteen assorted containers for $22, but last week I bought a dozen quart jars with lids for $14. Never have I felt bad about handing off a jar full of homemade goodies. If I’m lucky, some day that jar may come back to me filled with something equally delicious.