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Stealinator | 03-14-2010 10:05 AM
Recycled Mason Jars............ I have been washing and saving Mason jars over the past couple years. Have about 60+. Most are from spaghetti sauce but actually have regular units of measurement along side and/or say mason jar on them. Am sure the jars can be re-used, My question was centered more on the lids. SO, has/does anyone re-use mason jars canning?

ruprick | 03-14-2010 10:10 AM
Re: Recycled Mason Jars............ I don't understand - arn't Canning Jars of a special thread on the mouth - to use the rings and lids? I've never seen any grocery store food come in a canning type jar....really too bad...as it would cost nearly nothing extra to di it that way. I know most folks just replace the lids....but I don't see why you couldn't reuse? Never understood the specific reason why.

TechGuy | 03-14-2010 10:14 AM
Re: Recycled Mason Jars............ Don't reuse the lids. Buy new bands and lids. For the jars: Some of the 'mason jars' will indeed use the standard lids and bands. Almost ALL mason jars that are used for retail packaging like Classico spaghetti sauce, etc are NOT heat treated. Therefore they would be VERY unsafe for pressure canning. DO NOT USE THEM. Exploding hot liquids mixed with glass is not a good day in the kitchen. That said, you can use them no problem for dry canning if you get them to seal properly. You MAY be able to use them with water bath canning, but I have never tried it.

nickelless | 03-14-2010 04:41 PM
Re: Recycled Mason Jars............ I put my dehydrated veggies in quart-size mason jars, but I've never wet-canned with them, so reusing the lids isn't an issue.

Varmint Hunter | 03-14-2010 05:25 PM
Re: Recycled Mason Jars............ We,ve used these jars successfully with regular canning lids & rings. Because these jars are not heat treated you have to be extra careful to lower the filled jars into the boiling water bath very very slowly so that they do not break. Also make sure that whatever you are canning is as hot as possible when you pack the jars.

mtnman | 03-14-2010 05:38 PM
Re: Recycled Mason Jars............ Your mileage may vary but some of my canning jars are more than 40 years old. They are all marked either MASON or ATLAS. Also some of my bands are 40+ years old. I reuse the lids a couple of times, sometimes more depending on how pliable the rubber seal is. I'm careful not to bend the lids when I take them off. I wouldn't recommend using regular mayonnaise jars as they aren't heat treated were never intended to be re-used.

TechGuy | 03-14-2010 07:23 PM
Re: Recycled Mason Jars............ Quote:
Originally Posted by mtnman (Post 2226359) Your mileage may vary but some of my canning jars are more than 40 years old. They are all marked either MASON or ATLAS. Also some of my bands are 40+ years old. I reuse the lids a couple of times, sometimes more depending on how pliable the rubber seal is. I'm careful not to bend the lids when I take them off. I wouldn't recommend using regular mayonnaise jars as they aren't heat treated were never intended to be re-used.
Exactly... if they are bonafide mason or atlas jars made for canning, then use them until they will no longer seal. If you take care of them, they should last longer than you do. We keep ALL of our used masons, and even ask for the jars back from people who take our jellies and jams.. (rarely get them back).

thrifty_bob | 03-14-2010 09:45 PM
Re: Recycled Mason Jars............ I reuse EVERYTHING till its not usable or not safe. I write small on the lids and can tell how many times they have been reused by how many dates and descriptions are crossed out on them. The ones with red rubber seem to do best being reused. I've only thrown out 1 or 2 bands all my life, LOL. I've SEEN jars of sauce at the store in Mason type jars, but they are usually at least $2 or $3 a pop, so I never buy them. I wait for the 89 cents a jar sale on the Renaldi or Hunts in a can, and jazz it up with some onion, some extra garlic and spices, and some sweet wine, to make it BETTER that the $3 a jar stuff and have $2 left over that can buy 4 lbs more dry pasta on sale. That said, I do have 2 quart sized Mason or Atlas jars that came filled with pie filling on sale, and I use them interchangeably with the jars bought by the case. WASTE NOT, WANT NOT, my Mom used to say...

farscott | 03-15-2010 08:17 AM
Re: Recycled Mason Jars............ Quote:
Almost ALL mason jars that are used for retail packaging like Classico spaghetti sauce, etc are NOT heat treated. Therefore they would be VERY unsafe for pressure canning. DO NOT USE THEM. Exploding hot liquids mixed with glass is not a good day in the kitchen.
I am not sure I agree that the Classico jars should not be used for pressure canning. After all, the sauce that was put in them was effectively pressure-canned at high temperature. In the interests of safety and the fact that we have a huge surplus of Ball and Kerr canning jars, I err on the side of caution. Classico's web site has an interesting note: Quote:
Can I reuse the Classico� jar for home canning? No. A coating is applied at the glass plant to reduce scratching and scuffing. If scratched, the jar becomes weaker at this point and can more easily break. This would increase the risk of the jar breaking when used for canning. Also, the lighter weight of our current jar could make it unsafe for home canning.
I did read that Classico did change lid size and thread on the newest jars to eliminate the use of their jars with Ball and Kerr lids and bands. Putting that aside, I do know they can be used for water-bath canning as I ran a few jars through as an experiment. That said we usually try to use these jars for storing dry goods such as home-made detergent or dishwasher soaps. Quote:
We keep ALL of our used masons, and even ask for the jars back from people who take our jellies and jams.. (rarely get them back).
We do this as well with a twist: No new jams until we get our old jars back.

bean | 03-15-2010 10:20 AM
Re: Recycled Mason Jars............ Quote: Can I reuse the Classico� jar for home canning? No. A coating is applied at the glass plant to reduce scratching and scuffing. If scratched, the jar becomes weaker at this point and can more easily break. This would increase the risk of the jar breaking when used for canning. Also, the lighter weight of our current jar could make it unsafe for home canning. Oh great they put a coating on the glass? I buy in glass to avoid the additives like BPA in the metal can liners. I wonder what the coating on glass jars is made of?

farscott | 03-15-2010 11:19 AM
Re: Recycled Mason Jars............ Quote:
I've SEEN jars of sauce at the store in Mason type jars, but they are usually at least $2 or $3 a pop, so I never buy them. I wait for the 89 cents a jar sale on the Renaldi or Hunts in a can, and jazz it up with some onion, some extra garlic and spices, and some sweet wine, to make it BETTER that the $3 a jar stuff and have $2 left over that can buy 4 lbs more dry pasta on sale.
We wait until the Classico is on sale at "Buy One, Get One Free" and buy as many as we have coupons. That way we get the per cost down to around $1.00 and we get the jars.

silverblood | 03-15-2010 01:50 PM
Re: Recycled Mason Jars............ If you visit canning forums, you'll find that many people routinely use the Classico jars for home canning. I wonder if the Classico company would really package their food in Atlas-branded mason jars that have home canning jar threads if they didn't intend them to be used for home canning. There is no coating on the glass that I can detect. It doesn't pass the smell test. I bet their lawyers simply want to limit their liability in case someone uses the jar for canning and has an accident or injury as a result. That's probably why they've decided to change their jars to have a different type thread too, although none of those have shown up in my area yet. All the Classico jars I find on the shelves at Costco still have home canning jar threads.

silverblood | 03-15-2010 01:54 PM
Re: Recycled Mason Jars............ Quote:
Originally Posted by TechGuy (Post 2225761) Almost ALL mason jars that are used for retail packaging like Classico spaghetti sauce, etc are NOT heat treated. Therefore they would be VERY unsafe for pressure canning. DO NOT USE THEM. Exploding hot liquids mixed with glass is not a good day in the kitchen.
Do you have a source for this?

Stealinator | 03-15-2010 06:48 PM
Re: Recycled Mason Jars............ Thanks for all the post, guess im on a quest for lids and bands now. All the lids I have are regular one piece , but most are threaded jars. Have noticed some of the lids now are like the half twist off type, making those jars obsolete.

silverblood | 03-15-2010 09:56 PM
Re: Recycled Mason Jars............ What do you mean by half twist off?

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