| Author |
Farm Kitchen:  Free (kind of) Mason Jars  |
|
|
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 13 2007 : 8:01:00 PM
|
I love to make my own spaghetti sauce. Nothing tastes better than homemade sauce and I really look forward to having tomatoes from my garden this fall to make homemade tomato sauce for my spaghetti. However, my fiancé does not like to spend the time making spaghetti sauce from scratch so we do buy pre-made spaghetti sauce from Costco. I finally got my fiancé trained to not throw away the wonderful glass bottles that they came in.
My mom was washing some of these bottles in a recent visit and noticed that they are Mason Jars! Yay! I am so thrilled.
We also buy canned peaches and pears from Costco that come in glass jars as well. They aren’t Mason jars but I am hoping that they will hold up to the canning process this fall.
Alee
|
|
|
Mikki
True Blue Farmgirl
1510 Posts
Mikki
Austin
Indiana
USA
1510 Posts |
|
|
sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
|
|
City Chick
True Blue Farmgirl
1402 Posts
Deb
Chattanooga
TN
USA
1402 Posts |
Posted - Apr 14 2007 : 06:12:06 AM
|
It's similar to Sam's Club - if you have one of those near you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,--
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.
Dorothy Frances Gurney |
 |
|
|
EmmJay
True Blue Farmgirl
352 Posts
Mary Jane
Amherst
Nova Scotia
Canada
352 Posts |
Posted - Apr 14 2007 : 06:14:54 AM
|
Costco is a warehouse store that you can buy ANYTHING......really.
From groceries to camping equipment, books, clothing......They are all over the US and Canada. I love Costco, as you can purchase in bulk rather than pay top dollar for a little bit of something. Around here they will also have staff lined up with testers, so that you can try new things that are being sold. The one close to my home, has alot of organic as well.
MJ
"Thank GOD I'm a country girl"
http://s119.photobucket.com/albums/o134/EmmJay07/ |
|
|
|
Huckelberrywine
True Blue Farmgirl
1607 Posts
Michelle
Rosalia
1607 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2007 : 09:44:01 AM
|
Alee...everything I've read about canning warns about re-using the commercial jars. Now, this could be hype, or it could be a real concern. I've been told the commercial jars aren't made to the sturdiness standards of the ones sold to home canners, because they are only expected to survive the canning process once. So, be careful if you decide to do home canning with them... I don't know if I'd trust them. In canning, so many things can go wrong and your jars can break, or a hairline crack might let bacteria form.... Be careful. It would be great if they work, but maybe not worth the risk? We have a second hand store here where they often carry canning jars that someone has "retired". I inspect them carefully for nicks, and use them to store dryed goods in if they aren't good for canning. Maybe this is an option you can look into?
We make a difference. |
|
|
|
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2007 : 6:44:41 PM
|
Michelle-
Thanks for the warning. Before I use them for canning I think I will call the company and ask what grade of glass they are made out of. Also I might just use them for freezer storage and save my new canning mason jars for actual canning. I just think it is really neat that I am getting some really sturdy glass jars for "free". It makes me sad though, to think about all the people out there that are buying this product and then tossing the jars because I know the majority probably don't recycle or reuse them.
*Sigh* I can't think about that too much because I find ways to re-use packaging from tons of our food. My WIC checks give me juice and I buy Langers orange juice in these cute plastic jugs. My fiancé keeps trying to throw them away and I keep saving them from the garbage. I know they will come in handy- Just not sure how yet!
Alee
|
|
|
|
sleepless reader
True Blue Farmgirl
1022 Posts
CA
USA
1022 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2007 : 8:41:18 PM
|
I have reused the spaghetti sauce jars. The commercial ones we are warned not to use are the thin glass, like mayo jars. Anyway, watch out on the sauce jars. Some brands don't fit the canning lids. I can't remember the brand now, but somebody had given me a bunch of them and they were worthless!
I have the same frozen juice jugs. I just freeze water in them and use them in the ice chest, or when we're going to need water in the car for an all day trip.
Reuse, recycle!
Sharon
Life is messy. Wear your apron! |
|
|
|
OregonGal
True Blue Farmgirl
511 Posts
Chris
No. IL
USA
511 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2007 : 9:08:07 PM
|
| Just a little note about Costco that alot of people don't know - you don't have to be a member to use the Pharmacy!!!! It is government subsidized and anyone can go into the pharmacy at Costco - and they have the lowest prices of all the pharmacies. Do you know that pharmacies can put their own prices on medicines - any price they want. But since Costco is subsidized the prices are the lowest - I've used it. They will give their price to you on the phone and you can check how much cheaper they are than a pharmacy like Walgreens or Walmart. It really bothers me that people die because they can't afford medicine and the the pharmaceutical companies are making money hand over fist. Sorry....get off my soap box. |
Edited by - OregonGal on Apr 15 2007 9:10:22 PM |
|
|
|
lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Apr 16 2007 : 07:31:10 AM
|
I saved a bunch of those Langer's juice bottles and made them into light bulb covers for my patio lights. The old covers deteriorated and broke off. I left the lid off, cut a hole in the bottom and fit it over the bulb socket (fairly tight fit). I also painted the insides with different colors of acrylic paints. They actually look pretty cool. Better than the bare lightbulbs, anyway.
We come from Nature, we go back to Nature; health & happiness in between requires intimacy with Nature. |
|
|
|
littlegreen
True Blue Farmgirl
68 Posts
Katelyn
Spanish Fork
UT
USA
68 Posts |
Posted - Apr 16 2007 : 08:47:33 AM
|
When we were making our spaghetti sauce this last fall, we reused a commercial jar and it was the only one in the whole batch that cracked, so maybe it was a coincidence but I don't think I'd try it again.
But good luck either way! And I love it that the men in our lives think it's so funny to spend so much time doing something "when we could just buy it" but doing it is half the fun!!! It makes me feel like a natural woman!!!
www.littlegreendesigns.com ~ handbound blank books, purses, jewelry, and other fun stuff for the naturist in you! |
|
|
|
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Apr 16 2007 : 11:13:31 AM
|
Katelyn-
Was the one that cracked a Mason jar or just a regular spaghetti sauce jar?
My fiancé is great about being willing to try things like homemade sourdough starter and Kombucha tea, but sometimes he balks at the re-use side of being thrifty. Silly guys :) Luckily he doesn't care as long as I take care of the "mess" (as he thinks of it).
Alee
|
|
|
|
littlegreen
True Blue Farmgirl
68 Posts
Katelyn
Spanish Fork
UT
USA
68 Posts |
Posted - Apr 16 2007 : 12:41:00 PM
|
You may be right alee, I don't remember if it was regular or a mason, I just remember me and my mother-in-law thinking it made sense to be able to use them... so maybe we were just off our rockers! who knows, but good luck anyhow!!
www.littlegreendesigns.com ~ handbound blank books, purses, jewelry, and other fun stuff for the naturist in you! |
|
|
| |
Farm Kitchen: Free (kind of) Mason Jars |
|
Free (kind of) Mason Jars
