Mass-produced glass canning jars
, also known as Mason jars
after their inventor John L. Mason, Ball jars
after one of the earliest manufacturers of the jars, and fruit jars
because many are decorated with a fruit pattern, have been manufactured since the early 1850s.
An earlier British jar is known as the Kilner jar. Mason jars are made of glass, and come in a variety of sizes including quart, pint, half-gallon, and cup sizes, as well as in wide-mouth and regular mouth shapes.
Modern glass Mason jars are sealed with a flat metal lid, held on either by a vacuum seal (created during canning), or by a metal band that screws onto the neck of the jar. The lids are sold separately so that the jars and bands can be reused.
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MASON JAR TICKETS
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Use
In home canning, the food is packed into the jar and the flat steel lid with an integral seal is placed on top. The band is screwed loosely over the lid. The jar is
heat sterilized in boiling water, if Boiling Water Bath (BWB) canned, or steam, if Pressure Canned using a
canner. The band's purpose is to hold the lid's seal against the top of the jar during the canning process, while the heat from the canner causes air in the jar to expand and be forced out through the seal. When the jar has cooled from canning, the band is then removed to prevent residual water trapped between the jar threads and the band from rusting the band. If the jar seal is properly formed, internal negative pressure will keep the lid on the jar. A "popped up" lid is a sign of microbial growth, including potential
botulism. Some old Mason jars used glass lids with rings, instead of steel, these are now considered unsafe for canning use.
History
The earliest glass jars were called wax sealers because they used
sealing wax, which was poured into a channel around the lip that held on a
tin lid. This process was complicated and error-prone, but was largely the only one available for a long time, and widely used even into the early 1900s.
By far, though, the most popular form of seal was the screw-on
zinc cap, the precursor to today's screw-on lids. The earliest successful application of this was discovered by Mason and patented on
November 30 1858, a date embossed on thousands of jars. Jars with "Patent Nov 30th 1858" were made in many shapes, sizes and colors well into the 1900s. Since they were made in such quantity and used for such long periods, many of them have survived to the present day.
Another popular closure was known as the lightning closure, named after the first jar to use it, which was embossed with "Lightning" on the side. More commonly, this is often known as a
bail closure
, or
French Kilner
- it consists of a metal wire that leverages a glass lid down when pressed against the side of the jar. While these jars are still sold for storage, they are now rarely used for canning.
The heyday for jars was probably 1860-1900, when an explosion of patents for various closures were issued, ranging from the effective to the absurd. The more absurd closures were quickly abandoned and often fetch high prices in today's market.
Collecting
Antique mason jars are eagerly sought after by collectors, and are bought and sold not only through antique stores, but also on auction sites such as
eBay. While most jars sell for only a few dollars, some have sold for as high as
$30,000. The value of a jar is related to its age, rarity, and condition.
The age and rarity of a jar can be determined by its color, shape, mold and production marks, and closure. Most antique jars that aren't clear are in some shade of aqua (in particular "Ball blue," named for the company that made them). Colored jars were considered better for canning use as they block some light from reaching the food, which helps to retain flavor longer. More rarely, jars will turn up in amber, and occasionally in darker shades of green. Rarer still are cobalt blues, blacks, and milk glass jars. Some dealers will irradiate jars to bring out colors not original to the jar.
See also
- Food preservation
- Home canning
- Canner
- Sterilization
- Screw cap
Media References
- The radio show Loveline has a "Mason jar call" as code for a fake call.
- In the music video of "I Love this Bar", by Toby Keith, some people drink their beer from a Mason jar, in reference to the lyrics of the song.