Happy midweek to all. It is a brisk and chilly morning here. We had temps at about 68F at 2AM - and now we are at 35F at 7AM. We had rain and lots of wind - wind is still around. Looks like a couple of chilly days again - then back to 70F! Wild and crazy rides are what we get in Feb. & Mar. I sure hope you are all safe - there was crazy weather everywhere last night.
Today, let us talk about jars and storage. I love glass jars - all sorts of glass jars. They don't have to be Mason jars for me to use - I keep most store jars as well (that groceries come in).
Plastic jars work too for storage - I just like glass as they are also pretty much safe in all conditions. For those who have trouble with rodents - they aren't getting into glass ones!
Good for garden seeds as well.
Spices, mixes, dried fruits and veggies, evaporated milk, grains, rice - you name it - it can be stored safely in jars.
I have some gallon glass jars (think pickles, olives) that I have saved over the years and some that I have picked up free at yard sales or been given. I use those for storing rice and pasta. They would be great for oats or any grains that you might use on a regular basis.
Many folks use the larger ones for canisters.
**I always throw a couple bay leaves in the jars to prevent buggers of any type. Sometimes insects have laid eggs on foods before you get it. I like to freeze for a while (kills larvae) - then allow to warm to room temp and the store with bay leaves in the jars. So far that has worked wonderfully for me.
You can make up all kinds of soup starters at home - to make life a little easier and quicker on those rush days. Place some pasta (or rice), dried veggies and maybe some dried bouillon is the jars - whatever you have and like - and when you are ready for soup or a casserole - just dump the jar, add water and cook for a while. Easy-peasy. Add meat if you want while cooking.
I love having baking mixes around. Brownie mixes, biscuit mix, pancake mixes. There can be fancy coffee blends and tea blends (don't forget hot chocolate).
You all know I give lots of baskets at the holidays full of fun goodies. Soups are always included. They are easy to make and they are always appreciated. It is nice to have those on the shelf here as well - for myself or as a gift.
Great in offices for holding pins and pencils, scissors, markers, etc.
You can use half pint size jars for individual servings of pudding and Jello. You can use for all kinds of treats. They are the perfect size for just a small treat. I know many, many people that use jars to drink from! I have done this before. Little jelly jars are perfect for juice or a drink of milk. Somehow it makes iced tea taste better!!! LOL
You can use jars to hold candy, cookies and nuts and treats of all sorts.
So yes, they are good for absolutely anything from soup to nuts! Save those jars and utilize to keep pantry and other areas of your home safe and protected and organized.
Do you have any fun and new ideas for using jars? Let us know.
Stay safe and cozy today. Have a good one.
I appreciate the tip on bay leaves to prevent infestation. I reuse glass jars all the time. The commercial lids will seal after a boil , i.e. for relishes, pickles, etc. During the pandemic, snap lids were hard to come by. I took a chance & reused snap lids. It worked. -30C yesterday; -24C today. February is ending true to form in NE Alberta.
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome. I have been using bay leaves for several years and have never had a problem. I just love glass jars.
DeleteThanks for mentioning re-using the snap (commercial) lids that come on jars. Yes, they sure can be used for canning some things. I know people in many other countries use them regularly with no problems. I have also re-used regular canning lids too. If not bent in any way and the ring inside looks good, I have used for pickles and for jams and jellies.
(also good for dry goods as well)
Stay warm.
Cheryl, hoarding glass jars is my hobby 😂. I love them. For all the reasons you gave. They're good for everything. As I sit here, my monthly bouquet of flowers is in a vintage gold Mason jar on my mantle. A friend bought a box of them at an estate sale and gave them to her friends with flowers in them!
ReplyDeleteI've had a long attachment to jars lol. When I lived in the dorms, I had a mini jar of mayonnaise in my fridge. With a metal twist lid. Remember that?! When it was empty, I washed it and used it for tacks. I decorated it with stickers. Our dorms had big bulletin boards on each side of the room. I still keep all my tacks in that jar. I also have a jar that my mom helped my brother turn into a piggy bank when he was little. They painted the lid yellow and painted yellow triangles all over it.
Off topic, but what a shocker last night! A few times per year, I tell hubs to get a Chinese food meal at our market. It's his favorite, but not mine lol. For $10, he gets enough for a dinner and lunch the next day. I guess it's been quite a while since he's done that because he came home apologizing because that meal is now more than $18!! He said he wanted to give it back lol. I told him it was done, but he was still mumbling about it this morning lol.
Jars, jars - oh the wonders of them. I use for so much too. Cute idea for the tacks and a piggy bank - great idea. There is nothing like free storage.
DeleteI do believe most things have gone up a lot. I haven't done take out in ages - but can only imagine. Well, it was a treat for him, so I hope he enjoyed it in spite of the cost. Tell him to savor every bite!!!
I use glass jars for almost everything around the house. I think your extensive list covers it all. I keep lettuce in glass and it does make it last a lot longer. Glad you're safe from the storms.
ReplyDeleteGood to know about the lettuce. Thanks. I plan to start doing that. Anything that stretches our groceries is a good thing.
DeleteThanks - all safe and sound here.
I've only recently started to save and use jars. Catelli spaghetti sauce jars are wonderful for all sorts of things. I hadn't thought to use jars in the craft room - most everything is in plastic storage, but seeing the uses in the photo has me reconsidering. We'll be sharing a space, my daughter and I, and having things more visible is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteI do keep beans, rice, and macaroni is quart jars on the counter. Rice, because I buy the largest box and I worry about it getting stale, macaroni because we eat it frequently, and beans, more because they are pretty. :) I'm the only one who eats them here and generally only in soup.
Thanks for the tip on the bay leaf. I don't think I have any in my spice drawer so I must add that to the shopping list.
It is nice to be able to see some of our craft items - plastic drawers and containers are good - but it looks pretty as well as being easy to see.
DeleteI think food items in glass jars is just so attractive. I have a small area in the kitchen where I keep many items out. I have some in a little glass fronted cabinet and some on top of the cabinet. It just looks homey to me. Easy access too.
You are welcome - the bay leaf works great.
I also use glass jars for food storage, the ones pasta sauce comes in for mason jar lids perfectly and I can label the top. My sweet mother grew up very poor on a farm in England in the 1920s. They did not have money for drinking glasses and used jars for that purpose. One day as they were eating a meal, a visitor arrived and everyone immediately put the jars under the table, as they felt ashamed for their poverty. Someone knocked over my other’s jar, and she exclaimed “you knocked over my jam jar”. Her mother was mortified. That event stayed with my mother all her life, as she told it to me when she was in her seventies. If she could only have seen the recent fad of using mason jars for drinking glasses!
ReplyDeleteYes, so many jars that you get commercial items in, can take the Mason/Ball lids well. I like that!
DeleteOh isn't that something. I remember getting jars once in a while as a kiddo and thought it was fun. So did my friends. Sad that she let that bother her so. Yes, now you can go and buy jars that specifically call to be used for drinking.
I think here in the US a lot of that started down south, but it raced through the country. Just using what you have. No shame in that.
Yes, glass jars are wonderful. :) I keep spices in those 1/2 cup canning jars.
ReplyDeleteNever kept my grapes in a jar. I always wash them first - in vinegar water. If I ever buy grapes again I'll try a jar - but grapes are about $3.50 a pound here and that's just over my limit. Miss them, but I've got to draw a line somewhere. :(
$18 for takeout? Wow. Terrible.
MaryB
I love the little jars for spices too. I only get grapes when they are on sale very cheaply - not often. I just take off the stems and drop in the jar. When ready to eat - wash as usual.
DeleteI don't blame you - that sounds too rich for my pocket too!
Crazy times.
I love jars for all sorts of things including all that you mentioned and then some. Jars with wide mouth I use in the garden as little green houses to protect seedlings from a cold snap and to be able to put them out earlier. Some hard I spray paint so that it looks like the glass is frosted and paint flowers on them. Oil lamps are easy to make with saved jars. All that's needed is a wick and some oil. Using a dollar store battery operated candle and a jar that is decorated with stickers or painting makes a beautiful candle holder,/decoration. I've even glued beads on jars for this purpose. Love me some jars.
ReplyDeleteGREAT IDEAS! I have used for battery candles too. Oil lamps - great idea. You have listed some creative ideas. Thank you!
DeleteWe use the pasta sauce jars for holding homemade broth. But how do you remove the sticky residue from the labels?
ReplyDeleteI use a little orange oil or eucalyptus oil. All labels are not created equal, some come off easily, some are cemented on.
DeleteI tend to spread a nice coating of dish soap over the sticky part. Let it sit for a long while - then soak in scalding water. USUALLY - I can scrub the residue right off. I agree with above, not all labels are created equal!!!
DeleteMagicEraser will often take of well soaked residue - but not always. Sometimes GooGone is the only solution.
DeleteMaryB
A few drops of lemon or orange essential oil work very well to remove sticky residue from glass jars. Wanita
DeleteGlass jars are great, I never throw them out, just wash, store with the lid off, until someone needs one. And before long someone does.
ReplyDeleteI did for many years store my dry goods in huge old pickling jars that we found somewhere but recently swapped over after I found them to be too heavy ( not as strong as I used to be) I am now using a type of plastic bag that has a screw on lid but also has a handle on the side for ease of pouring out your rice, lentils, beans. They have worked well so far and were very cheap from Target, they probably won’t last like glass does though.
I have never felt ashamed to be frugal, but have over the years felt the judgement of others. That’s never a nice feeling and that’s also why coming here is so uplifting because we are all of a like mind. Louise
I agree, others can be very judgmental about frugality - but it is my money not theirs - so I will do what I want. They can pound salt!!! LOL
DeleteThe big jars can get heavy - I understand that. I will eventually not store them above my head full - they will get a proper setting down low. Sounds like you have found a good solution for you. Do what works.
Thank you! Smiles!!
Years ago FoodLion sold instant coffee and decaf in glass jars. I saved all I could and I use them now for cold cereal (several jars per box), cat food (many jars per bag), and dry beans (1 pound per jar). Works well in my longer-term storage.
DeleteMaryB
Cute ideas for using jars! Have to try the strawberries in a jar. I purchased some silicone lids to use on jars and that works out really well. I separate the really pretty ones for storing food and the generic ones for disposing of grease and other liquids. There is a nice medium size jar in my collection that has bees all over it and the lid looks like a honeycomb. The plastic jars go to the garage to hold various screw, nails, nuts and bolts. We always used mason jars for taking drinks out to the farmers in the field.
ReplyDeleteWas awakened at 2:00 a.m. by the tornado sirens. For all the wind and rain, the Farmer said we only got about a half inch of rain. Good day to hunker down inside and read a book, cuddle with the babies and possibly have a nap.
That is smart t use the Mason jars for out in the field. You can carry with the lid on until you get there!
DeleteI didn't hear any sirens here - and only got woke up about 3:30 with thunder. Doesn't appear to have been a lot of rain here.
Spring storms are scary. Yep a day in is just what is ordered!
Glad to hear you and the kitties are safe. Wild weather in your area last night. We had 86* here yesterday in OK, and 26* last night!
ReplyDeleteWind as well.
Mary
I use jars, and clear plastic air lock containers for storage, canning and even freezing. Next on my list is smaller glass jars for storing my dried herbs in.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
The little half pint size jars would be perfect for your herbs. I have a lot of plastic airtight containers I use in the freezer too.
DeleteI splurge very occasionally on Bonne Maman jams. The products are excellent (I'm not yet a canner), and I save all the red&white gingham printed lidded jars for my spices. They look great lined up, and I don't need to make fancy little lid covers.
ReplyDeleteI have heard many that do that - the lids are so pretty. Hey, splurge on some things and save on others - cool. You get nice jars in the price - so a win-win.
DeleteI store lots of things in Ball jars. I keep glass jars that food comes in, too. I like to buy Hall's Mentholyptus cough drops. But, they get sticky and the paper won't come off. Of course, I do buy them on sale and sometimes two bags. Now, I stuff the whole bag into a wide-mouth Ball canning jar. Not one cough drop has been wasted. I am so proud and pleased to save my cough drops which I need to clear my sinuses and soothe my throat.
ReplyDeleteGlass jars are just so great for so much. That is a good idea to keep your cough drops fresh! I have mine in a little plastic covered bowl next to the bed. I love how everyone has such good uses.
Delete(Little Penpen) I save every empty jar to pour off used grease, then throw them away. I’ve “hoarded” a few nicer ones to keep.
ReplyDeleteThey do keep the grease contained. The nicer ones sure do come in handy for storage.
DeleteI like canning my applesauce, diced fruit, and jams in the 4 oz. jars -- perfect single-serve fruits/sauces for one (and for putting in a lunchbox), and the small jams allow me (a single-person household) to rotate my flavors, rather than have multiple open jars in the refrig. I do the same with pickle relish and hamburger dill slices for my own use, since I don't use all that much in a 3-6 month period. That size also works well for dried herbs and herb/seasoning mixes. I DO make jams and pickles in larger jars, but mostly for gifting. Once I open a box of pasta, or bag of dried beans, the remainder goes into a quart mason jar, with the cooking instructions cut out and slid into the jar. If it's an unusual pasta (for example, I got some pumpkin rotini around Thanksgiving), I'll cut the label out and put it between the flat and the ring. I've also found lots of great deals on Ball jars at the thrift shops, but you have to watch the price vs. new. Know what a case of 12 costs in your area, and then look at the thrift-store price x 10 (for working purposes) to see if it's a "deal". Since you'll still need to buy the flats and sometimes even rings (unless you have a stash in your pantry), you may be better off buying the case!
ReplyDeleteThat is an excellent idea to can in smaller jars for yourself. That would be great for someone with a child or husband that takes lunch as well. I usually do pints.
DeleteLOL - I cut out the cooking instructions on things too - to put in the jars. Just smart.
It was always amazing to me what thrift store in my area charged for jars - way too much. I wait for sales on jars or I am sometimes gifted them from others.
Good tips!
I love glass jars also. Store rice, and oatmeal and things I need to see. Also a delight for the eyes!
ReplyDeleteThey sure keep things nice and safe and you are right - it is pleasing to see. Decorating with food!
Delete