Ever since I can remember, my chosen vessel of choice has been the humble mason jar.
My love affair with mason jars began in my university days, when my girlfriend Caralee and I would drive up each weekend to Kitchener Waterloo to stay at the Weber Hotel, the name we gave to the party central townhouse a bunch of our guy friends lived in going to Laurier and Waterloo.
When we arrived, the entire kitchen counter would be covered with dirty mason jars. It became a Friday night ritual to wash the jars and the rest of the dishes in preparation for the weekend party festivities.
It's been a long time since my university party days, but my vessel of choice is still a mason jar.
The mason jar was invented in 1858 by a New Jersey-born tinsmith named John Landis Mason who was searching for a way to improve the relatively new practice of home canning. In the early days of canning, jars were soppered with wax and corks which was messy and didn't have a tight seal. The revolutionary screw top lid of the mason jar created the perfect seal, keeping food fresh.
Mason jars are cheap, practically indestructible, and can be used for just about anything. Some of my friends they are the best way to keep berries and vegetables fresh. They're also eco-friendly because you use them again, and again, and again.
Here are some things you can do with mason jars:
- Store buttons, pushpins, and paper clips in them
- Use them for crafts like candles and birdfeeders. See this website for ideas
- Throw all your loose change in them
- Fill them with ingredients for soup for a lovely homemade gift
- Make rainy day (or retirement!) jars and put ideas in them for family trips and outings
And that's just the beginning. The website Cotton Creations lists 60 different uses for mason jars.
It's canning season. This week's #HappyAct is to pay homage to the humble mason jar. Cheers!
Ed. note: One of my Facebook friends posted the two photos above of the items she keeps in her mason jars in the fridge. I had downloaded the photos but can't remember who posted them now, so whoever you are, I hope you don't mind me sharing the photos and thanks for sharing your love of mason jars!
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