Mason fruit jars and canning

Several summers ago at the World’s Longest Yard Sale, I came across a Ball Mason fruit jar with what looked like blackberries that had been canned years ago and forgotten. A man was selling them on the side of the road. That’s the neat thing about this yard sale: People set up in any clear spot they can find and sell just about anything. (The sale is held each year in August, and starts in Gadsden, Ala., and runs over 600 miles to Ohio.)

I was intrigued because I love old fruit jars and I love blackberries (even though one of my worst memories as a child was of being stung by a wasp while picking blackberries).

I like Mason jars so much that I almost bought the jar. But the thought of dropping that old jar of fermented berries in the airport or on the plane back home gave me a fright. I didn’t know what lurked beneath those berries and juices. And I could not even imagine the smell.

I come across fruit jars pretty often at auctions. Once, I got two cardboard boxes of jars with each separated by cardboard inserts. The previous owner had written the names in tape on the lids. They were from various makers and all had the trademark zinc lids with milk-glass inserts. They ranged from pints to quarts and they were a terrific find, although none were among the most unusual of jars. But for me, they gave me an impetus for researching them.

Like those, most of the jars I find are very common. But I’m drawn to the color. I can spot a Mason jar in particular a mile away. They range from a dark to a light aqua, with embossed text or sometimes with whittling in the glass. Imagine one of those jars sitting in a kitchen window with the sun shining through. Or get crafty with them: I bought three jars once with fake raspberries and a cute raffia bow around the neck.

I’m always on the lookout for the most unusual jars: brown, green or yellow colors (among the most expensive), misspellings of the text. Some people look for jars with the number 13 on the bottom. I often buy ones that are new to me, and then head straight to Google to find out as much about them as I can and to determine if they’re reproductions. One site is the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors, but the web is filled with information on canning jars and their makers, collectors groups, experts and more.

A friend told me recently that wonderful old jars at one of her auction houses sold for upwards of $3,000. I’ve never been fortunate enough to find one of these at auctions or flea markets.

 
My grandmother would be astonished at the price. In her time, Mason jars were for canning. Today, there are still people who do it, and canning seems to be on the upswing.

According to a recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, my local newspaper, Ball reported that sales of its canning supplies were up more than 30 percent since 2007. And at allrecipes.com, a poll of its subscribers found that almost half of today’s home canners were under 40 years old, according to the article.  

Speaking of canning, I found this Ball Brothers recipe booklet from 1924. It lists recipes by month using canned foods. It also has nice color illustrations of landscapes and dishes flanked by canned food in Mason jars.

So, what are you waiting for? Join me in looking for those neat old jars. Share some jars you’ve found. Or start canning for the long cold winter.

 To read more about food, check out Fatimah Ali’s Healthy Southern Comfort blog.