For home canning, please use jars specifically made for this purpose with two piece sealing lids and rings as opposed to single-use jars that you may be tempted to recycle. I am all about recycling and I use glass jars for most leftovers in the my fridge and dry storage, so I get it. BUT – the specific sealers recommended for home canning, are built with heavier glass and higher heat resistance to withstand the high temperatures and pressure of the canning process.
1/2 pint (approx 1 cup or 250 ml), pint (approx 2 cups or 500 ml), quart jar (approx 4 cups or 1000 ml or 1 litre), 2 quart jar (approx 8 cups or 2 litres)
A Mason jar is a type of glass jar, not a brand, and is named after its inventor John Landis Mason, who patented its design in 1858. The term became a genericized trademark for the home canning jar with a screw-top design. With proper care, canning jars can be reused for many years.
Types of jars
Regular mouth jars – used to be called narrow mouth): ideal for pourable foods like jams, jellies, syrups, juices, sauces and salsas.
Wide mouth jars – larger openings make it easier to fill them, making them excellent choices for whole fruits and other foods that are chunky. I prefer to use them for tomatoes, peaches, pears, plums and other fruits. They’re easier to serve out of too.
. . . aaand then there’s the ‘in-between’ sized – GEM jars – which were only made in Canada, and came in Imperial sizing of quarts, two quart (1/2 gallon), and pint sizes.
Gem jars were made only in Canada, making their first appearance just before the turn of the century, 1900. The name became a generic term for canning jars in Canada much like “Mason” jars became the generic term for all canning jars in the United States. The new “Improved Gem” jars also made by Bernardin in Toronto, appeared in the 1930’s and gained popularity during the war years. They were originally sold with glass lids and rubber rings, and were very popular in western Canada especially. I grew up seeing my mom use GEM jars, and she grew up seeing her mom do the same. The transition to metal lids happened gradually as they became a more standard and available option. That is what my kids grew up seeing their mom use.
I preferred the in-between mouth size of Gem jars (wider than the narrow ‘standard’, and narrower than the standard wide mouth) because they easily loaned them to liquids and just as easily to big chunky food items like tomatoes – very practical, a one-size-fits-all. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, they became the #1 choice for Hutterite colonies.
After a century of making them, in 1994 the Toronto based producer of Gem jars – Bernardin, was purchased by the US company Alltrista Consumer Products, who a few years later, announced they were ceasing production of the jars, lids and rings. By 2001, the manufacturing plant stopped producing them entirely, citing slower sales due to the increasing popularity of the (American) regular and wide mouth sizes. Suddenly literally hundreds of thousands of glass canning jars across the country became useless without the metal snap lids. Canadian home canners took up the fight (by way of petition) to pressure Bernardin back into production of the lids, and they were heard. Bernadin (the new management who cancelled them initially) begrudgingly complied. At the beginning of 2003, they committed to do a large single run of the lids, which created the mentality of scarcity among consumers.
I’m sure you can see why the middle size would have been so popular in Canada.
In the meantime, Toronto-based Canadian Home Canning Inc. took up the gauntlet to fill the void, and began producing millions of lids for the home canners still in possession of thousands of jars. Since each inner lid can be used only once, canners’ supplies of gem jars would be rendered useless without them. The problem was that the lids were not sold everywhere and many home canners didn’t even know they were available again. Whenever I found them, I bought everything they had – because I didn’t know when I’d see them again. But I never found the rings for sale. While the rings are reusable, they do wear out, so they became a pretty hot commodity, getting rarer by the year.
A few years ago I learned from a friend – about a new up and coming online company – eager to ride the new interest in home canning. For Jars. Simple, straight forward name. I’ve made a few orders from them, and they’re my go-to.
The most popular North American brands of Mason jars right now are: Ball, Kerr and Bernardin.
Jar details:
Canning (Mason) jars: not to be confused with single use jars. These are jars intended to be used at extremely high temperatures. Use ONLY clean jars without cracks or nicks in them.
Lids and rings (screw bands): those that are made for the particular jars you’re using. Do NOT reuse the metal snap lids, they are single use only.
Water bath canner: for water-bath canning, it isn’t necessary to purchase a special canner as long as you have a pot that has a fitted lid and is large enough to fully immerse the jars in water by 2 inches—and that will allow the water to boil when covered. You’ll also need a rack that fits inside the pot or canner.
Pressure Canner: for everything that is low acid. Available in assorted sizes, and it IS necessary to purchase one specific to the task.
Jar lifter: very important, this tool is relatively inexpensive but indispensable. It is essentially large tongs to assist you in putting jars into HOT water, and in removing them again out of boiling water.
Wide mouth Funnel: sure makes it easier to fill your jars without spilling and making a mess. You can buy plastic or stainless steal. I have both, but I prefer my stainless steal one. I use it for much more than camping – almost daily, for lots of applications.
Utensils: large spoon or ladle to fill jars, and a simple table knife to remove air bubbles.
Clean dish cloth to wipe jar rims, and clean dish towels upon which to place you processed jars. I also like to use a long handled jar cleaner to help me get to the far corners when cleaning.
Jar Maintenance and other things
Your Mason jars are heavy duty and suitable for every day use. I can in them and use them in the fridge for liquids and leftovers, as well as for dry storage in the pantry. Clean in the dish washer, of in hot soapy water (rinsed thoroughly).
Check your jars frequently for cracks in the body, which could break in the hot water bath, or chips along the top which will prevent a proper seal. If you see either of these, retire the jars immediately. They’re no longer usable.
Often times if I am storing food in my jars, I’ll use a
“We’ve come a long way baby” when it comes to canning equipment, especially the most important pieces like jars and lids. Most of the changes have improved the safety of home canning so don’t dismiss them. In THIS case, the new way is much better than what your gramma was doing.
Have fun learning how to can, and enjoy the process.
Warmly,
Cindy