I had never used mason jars before I moved to the south and let me tell you, they are wonderful.
They are the number one most used item in my house during the vegetable growing season.
I use them for fresh water bath canning of vegetables, sauces,fruit jams and the like.
It would not be unusual to go to visit a neighbor and be served a iced tea in one of these jars as well.
Not a gardener?
Want are some other ways to use them?
Candle holders...
Lightning bug holders..
Or
How about creating a handmade gift?
Mix up your favorite brownie or cookie recipe (dry ingredients only) put it in one of these jars. Attach handwritten directions and a bow and you have created wonderful hostess or holiday gift.
Have you ever used them?
Tell us what for...
I don't can, but have used mason jars for a number of things, mostly iced tea, but also for keeping things in, like nails, tacks, buttons, etc.
ReplyDeleteI have seen many uses of Mason jars on Pinterest!
ReplyDeleteI use them for canning and making jams (of course) and occasionally drink out of them. I also keep my fabric paints and some spices (the ones I have a lot of) in them. They also make a great sugar bowl in a pinch ;)
ReplyDeleteI store leftovers in them, mix up salad dressings in them (shake, shake, shake), even use them for small vases. They look great with short-stemmed flowers in them. We use "Ball" jars, though. Hee-hee
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of them but they are very pretty and useful.
ReplyDeleteI've used them for jellies and for candles and ingredients with attached recipes. My youngest daughter named her newborn son Mason. My husband calls him Mason jar. :-)
ReplyDeleteDeb@ http://debioneille.blogspot.com
I've never used them, but I know of their existence mostly from literature and even a country song ... I think it mentions something like drinking from a mason jar (don't know how that's possible by looking at your pic. :). Interesting how they're used mostly in the south.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Mason jars. Last year for Christmas, I bought each of my kids a case of 1/2 gallon Mason Jars--they are getting hard to find in the large size. They are so versatile. I can spaghetti sauce in the quart jars, beans and applesauce in the pint jars, and jelly and preserves in the half pints. This year we're making Mason Jar lanterns with wire, strings of glass beads, and citronella tealights for a wedding on our property. We want to hang them from low tea branches. Gosh, what else? They've been part of my life since I was old enough to help with canning when I was a little girl.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Jen! :-) Have you started your garden? We walked through ours yesterday. The ground has finally thawed. The collards survived the winter (we leave them in for the flowers ) and the rhubarb is emerging. My husband is anxious. The ground is pretty wet, though.
Mason Jars are a Southerners kitchen cabinet staple for as you say...Sweet Tea, canning and BUTTONS. Yep, I have lots of Mason Jars full of buttons. You mentioned gifts...one year for my Grandson Mason's birthday, he got a vintage Mason Jar filled with vintage marbles and coins collected by his grandfather and great grandfathers. Great photo...love the black and white. Enjoyed reading all the comments here, too.
ReplyDeleteSue at CollectInTexas Gal
I have to admit, I've never had a need for mason jars, but I'll remember that recipe + ingredients thing. That sounds like a great gift idea.
ReplyDeleteYou listed great uses for them, Jen. I haven't done anything much with mason jars, but I know if you go on Pinterest, there are TONS of ideas for their uses; so verstile :)
ReplyDeletebetty
I have a high window with my antique mason jars sitting across the shelf catching the sun light.
ReplyDeleteYears ago when I did have a garden, I made sweet pickles and used mason jars to store them in.
Yes! We love mason jars in our house. We use them for flowers and to store bulk dry goods. They're so pretty!
ReplyDeleteWe have a shelves full of mason and bell jars, many filled with fruit, pickles and jams. Many are empty awaiting new products. I too have given jars filled with cookie mix and others filled with soup ingredients as Christmas gifts. My daughter spent an entire summer working on a pencil drawing of an assortment canning jars . . .it's pretty awesome. But then I'm not at all prejudiced. :)
ReplyDeleteI love these jars.
ReplyDeleteMy mom uses them for canning & her chocolate fudge topping.
I would NEVER throw one out! xx
Great ideas. I especially like when Mason Jars are given to me already filled with someone else's homemades. Yum! Thanks Jen. Maria from Delight Directed Living
ReplyDeleteOooOOOoo...my girlfriend from the Netherlands (she's a crafty blogger)...sent me a tiny mason jar and filled it with wood chips (white ones) dried mini rose buds and buttons that had inspirational messages on them. It was half full. I love it. It sits in my kitchen :)
ReplyDeleteMason jars have become super trendy.. pinterest is full of ideas... have yet to use them though
ReplyDeleteWish I had invented them! I have used these when I made grape jelly, strawberry and blackberry jam/jelly. Can't beat them! Always have a few handy....just in case.
ReplyDeleteHi Jen .. we used to use these all the time when we were growing up and many still do now - with whichever fruit or pickle is in season .. I never really got into bottling as we call it - not having children and using the freezer meant I never became totally housewifely .. So good to see them here - to remind me of pleasures gone by .. cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteI love mason jars. I use them for storing all sorts of things like buttons and small pieces of games as well as rice and other foodstuffs.
ReplyDeleteI've heard of them but don't think I've ever used one for anything, other than to drink the occasional sweet tea at a restaurant. :)
ReplyDeleteMadeline @ The Shellshank Redemption
Minion, Capt. Alex's Ninja Minion Army
The 2014 Blogging from A-Z Challenge
Hey Girl....I've been missing you for Letter's K-L-M-N-O-P and today's Q. Hope all is O-K with you.
ReplyDeleteSue at CollectInTexas Gal
I turned one into a sewing kit for someone. I used the lid for the pin cushion and the jar for needles, tiny scissors etc.
ReplyDeleteI've used them for lots of things....drinking glasses, containers for hairbrushes, loose change, pencils, etc, They make good measuring cups or containers for nuts, too. Visiting late from the A-Z.
ReplyDeleteShells–Tales–Sails
Hey Jen, is everything okay? I have lots of ideas for Mason jars. But right now, I'm wondering where you've roamed off to? The garden, I hope. :-)
ReplyDeleteHello, I loved this post on Mason Jars! Hope everything else is okay xx
ReplyDeleteMars visiting from A to Z
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Hope all is well Jen....
ReplyDeleteStopping by to check on you. How are you doing? :-)
ReplyDeleteWhere are you Jen? Getting worried.
ReplyDelete