Glass Jars

When I first encountered glass jars and started using them for myself, I only ever considered them to be an item belonging in the kitchen. However, over the years since then, I’ve met people who have put glass jars to other applications. I have to say, the two most common areas of use I’ve come across is to store food and for decoration. In this article, I’ll present an overview of how glass jars are used in these two areas and the various types of glass jars available in the market today. Along the way, I’ll explain any relevant terminology for those who are new to the idea of glass jars.

A particular range of glass jars designed for preserving food is the Mason jar, which was named after the inventor, John Mason. This jar is also often called Ball jars, named after the American glass canning jars manufacturer, Ball Corporation. Traditionally, the essential components comprised in a Mason jar include the glass container, the ring threads around the neck of the container, the lid and the rubber gasket on the insides of the lid. The gasket (also called a washer) is the primary mechanism that provides the air tight sealing of the contents.

These jars are very common. When you go on your grocery shopping and buy jam in a jar, it is sealed in a Mason jar. You’ll probably notice a depressed dimple on the center of the lid. When you first open it, you’ll hear a popping sound and the dimple becomes raised. There is a practical purpose behind this dimple. When it is depressed, it usually means that the jam is properly sealed and hence less likely to be exposed to contamination from micro-organisms. If you see that the dimple is raised on the jar you pick up, you are better off putting it back down and moving onto another one.

When you cook a meal especially for a few people, it can be expected that not everyone will arrive at same time, or perhaps the timing of your cooking is not in sync with their arrival. In this situation, without the proper protection, the prepared food is going to become cold and possibly lose their original full flavor. That’s where glass cloche de verre bell jars can come to the rescue. Yes, it originates from France. It’s a fairly large sized dome shaped lid that sometimes come with a round glass base. You just simply pop the lid over the cooked food while you wait for all your guests to arrive.

A lid employing a screwing mechanism isn’t the only way to help secure the food contents in a glass jar. There are also mini glass jars where the lid is attached to the container via a metal frame. The lid swings open and close on a hinge and you seal the jar by engaging the metal latch on one side.

Aside from jam, examples of other food items suitable glass jars include pickles, candy, spices, herbs, cookies and jelly. In order to accommodate the various different kinds of foods as well as different volumes of food, you can choose from a wide range of glass jars.

There are many sizes available but the most common container sizes are one cup, one pint (equivalent to 2 cups), one quart (equivalent to 4 cups) and half-gallon (equivalent to 8 cups). Additionally, there are two standard sizes available for the opening in glass jars – regular mouth and wide-mouth. So if you intend to keep your cookies fresh, then a large glass jar with a wide-mouth would be ideal.

If looks are important to you, there’s no reason why you should settle for plain looking glass jars. There are aesthetically pleasing glass jars offered by manufacturers that would add to the décor of your home as well as do their job of holding food. For example, you can get glass jars shaped like a teddy bear. This can make a great gift for a friend. There are also amber glass jars and cobalt blue jars allowing you to color code each jar for particular types of contents.

As pointed earlier, glass jars are also used as a form of decoration. A typical example is apothecary glass jars. The word apothecary originally refers to a pharmacist (or a chemist depending on what country you live in). So it’s logical to conclude that apothecary glass jars were traditionally used to store medicine. I find that these days, they are made more for decorative purposes than anything else. Smaller versions are used to hold candles and they come with clear and frosted glass. Larger versions end up being part of flower arrangements and bath décor.