This Week's Find: Mason Jars

Antiques stores usually have their staples, and almost nothing is more common than the mason jar, otherwise known as a canning jar. There are several on display at Country Junque in Bayport, but you can also find a ton of them at garage, tag and estate sales.

Since this is canning season, brand new ones are available right now at Brinkmann True Value Hardware in Blue Point. NOTE: Only use new jars for canning (which is a safe method for preserving food if practiced properly). Old ones usually have a non-working seal so food will not stay fresh.

There have been a few different brands of Mason jars over the years, but the true industry giant is the company that gave the jars their name:  the Ball Mason Jar Company.  This year the company celebrates their 125th anniversary. Established in 1884 in Buffalo, New York by five brothers who formed the Ball Brothers Glass company, the company soon relocated to Muncie, Indiana after a fire destroyed their original warehouse.

The screw cap top was invented by John Landis Mason who patented his design in 1858.  When the patent expired in 1879, other companies began making jars using Mason's name to capitalize on the popularity of his design.

Although colored jars were made in blue and green glass, they were discontinued in 1957, only leaving the clear glass products. However, it is not rare to find the colored jars even after 50 years of non-production.

All the jars come in various sizes and have the Ball name spelled out in different styles of lettering or sometimes there is no name on the jar at all. After 125 years of production there are quite a few different versions of the jar's logo. Mason jars are one of the most versatile items you can have in your home, because whether you buy them old or new, there isn't one room in the house you cannot use them in.

Here are some ideas on how to use your Mason jars:

Home Office: Need a spot to put all the pens, markers, highlighters and rulers you just spent weeks buying? Put them all in a Mason jar.  The jar also makes it easy to carry the supplies from room to room if you need to.  

Bathroom: Small jars are great for Q-Tips, make up brushes, hair accessories, nail files, razors or shaving brushes. Cotton balls can also be stored in one.

Bedroom:  Small or medium jars make great vases for a single bloom or a small bunch of flowers. Or leave one on your dresser to hold your spare change and see how many jars you can fill up in a year.

Living room/Dining room: Do you have a special collection that means to much to you to hide in a box?  Put it in a Mason jar as an accessory for a bookcase or a buffet. Or use a number of different jars to hold different items, such as sea shells, rocks, marbles, mementos, match books, corks, et cetera.  Or use a larger size jar as a vase on your coffee table or dining room table.

Kitchen:  Great storage for mini marshmellows once the bag is open, it stops them from getting stale. Larger jars can hold tea bags, coffee, sugar or any dry goods. Left over pesto, grated cheese and cheese cubes are also great in mason jars. Some of the new jars can be used in the freezer, making them perfect to use for an extra batch of soup or sauce (again, the new ones should be used for freezing and canning purposes. Old ones are fine for regular storage in a cabinet or the refrigerator once they have been thoroughly cleaned).

Garage:   This is the best place to find old jars at a tag sale because people have been using them for years to hold screws, washers, nuts, bolts, nails, drill bits, et cetera.

Miscellaneous:  Make a jar for sewing items to keep on hand when you need to sew a button on. Use another for crafting supplies. Store your bird seed or dry pet food in one. Keep one around to keep lost game pieces in until they are returned to the right game. Keep a few on hand and see how many things you find yourself using them for.