| Before refrigerators became widely available, one | | | | portion from being knocked off. Also, if the seal |
| of the most common methods for preserving | | | | breaks, the metal ring will help keep the contents |
| food was canning. Oddly enough, when most | | | | of the jar from going all over your cupboards or |
| people say they can foods at home, they actually | | | | pantry. |
| mean that they're preserving food in jars. The | | | | The third piece to the mason jar is the metal |
| type of jar most often used in canning is the | | | | center cap. This cap is ringed with a sort of |
| mason jar. | | | | rubber sealing compound which is what actually |
| People have been using canning jars since the | | | | seals the jar and keeps the food inside from |
| 1850's. The term "mason jar" comes from the | | | | spoiling. Again, this piece is what seals the jar. The |
| inventor of such jars, John L. Mason. Mason didn't | | | | metal ring is there just to protect the center lid. |
| invent the glass jar, of course. What he did was | | | | People store their jars without that ring because it |
| design and patent the metal screw-on lid for such | | | | can hide a bad seal and they're prone to |
| jars, which made preserving food in them possible. | | | | corroding. By storing your jars with the ring off, |
| Mason jars used for canning have three parts. | | | | you can quickly ascertain the integrity of the seal. |
| First is the glass jar itself. They typically come in | | | | If you ever have any doubt as to whether or not |
| one of two styles: regular and widemouth. The | | | | the seal's been broken, throw out the jar of food. |
| glass jar is usually clear, but they've been | | | | It's best to not risk it. There is plenty of |
| manufactured in other colors as well. Another | | | | information available to assist you in determining if |
| common color is aqua. However they can also be | | | | a seal is broken, but the advice you're going to |
| found in pretty much any color. It may surprise | | | | hear and read again and again is, "When in doubt, |
| you to learn that there are collectors who | | | | throw it out." |
| specialize in collecting antique mason jars. The | | | | Another popular lid for the mason jars is the bail |
| colored ones are the most valuable as they are | | | | closure. While not the most common form of lid, |
| the rarest kind. | | | | it's still fairly common. The bail closure uses a |
| The second part to the canning jar is the metal | | | | strong somewhat spring metal wire clip which |
| screw-on ring. This ring is not as important as you | | | | when closed forces the lid down and holds it shut. |
| might think. In fact, many experienced canners | | | | Mason jars aren't just for drinking out of! Many |
| store their jars with the rings off. The main | | | | people use them for preserving food. That's what |
| purpose of the ring has nothing to do with sealing | | | | they're intended for, but they can also be used as |
| the jar. It's just there to protect the center | | | | decoration, especially the valuable colored ones. |