Mason Jar Recipes and Desserts that are Cute and Delicious (2024)

FAQs

What is the mason jar called now? ›

The style of jar is occasionally referred to by common brand names such as Ball jar (in the eastern US) or Kerr jar (in the western US) even if the individual jar is not that brand. In early 20th-century America, Mason jars became useful to those who lived in areas with short growing seasons.

Perhaps the most infamous valuable antique mason jar is the Upside-Down Ball jar. Created to be sat on the lid instead of the glass top, this whacky design is popular with glass collectors.

Why does Mason have two-part lids? The Mason brand decided to create two-piece lids to make their jars suitable for canning and preserving. By adding this style of lid, people were able to reuse the same can rings endlessly, without needing to replace the entire jar each time.

Boiling removes the oxygen remaining in the jar, which helps to form a tight seal between the lid and the rim. The heat used for this method of canning is sufficient to kill vegetative bacterial cells found in the food. Only high-acid food with a pH of 4.6 or less can be processed using the boiling water bath method.

The Ball company says that this iconic blue shade was actually created by accident when the minerals in the sand mixed and formed this gorgeous hue! This sand was also used by glass companies such as Pittsburgh Plate Glass and Hemingray Glass Co.

They're Versatile

Mason jars can not only store and transport food, but they can also act as a co*cktail shaker, a co*cktail/water glass, table decor, or an airtight vessel for canning/pickling. You can even make butter or whipped cream in a Mason jar.

These are called mold numbers. They identify the position that the mold in which the jar was made held on the glassmaking machine. Most machines would have from eight to ten molds, all making the same type of jar.

Interestingly, Ball Corporation no longer manufactures Ball branded Mason jars, but has expanded and grown into a worldwide company that makes everything from metal containers to aerospace parts.

Is ball aerospace the same as ball jars? ›

The iconic Ball logo originated in 1880, when the glass jar business was beginning to boom. Ball Aerospace is a subsidiary of Ball Corporation. A book titled “From Jars to the Stars” tells the whole story.

Today, the Ball brand for mason jars and home canning supplies belongs to Newell Brands.

In 1858, a 26-year-old Mason patented threaded screw-top jars “such as are intended to be air and water-tight.” The earliest mason jars were made from transparent aqua glass, and are often referred to by collectors as “Crowleytown Jars,” as many believe they were first produced in the New Jersey village of Crowleytown.