Glass Storage Jars
Glass storage jars have been around for a very long time and were used to store many different things. The jars were sealed with sealing wax and a flat lid when used to store preserved food. There were also glass lids that fit securely with a wire bail to hold them on. In 1958, John L. Mason, an inventor and tin smith, invented the first screw on lid. His glass lids would screw right on jars made with threads at the top.
Glass jars may no be as easy to use because they will break, but they are much healthier to use and can be used over and over again without staining. Plastic jars have a tendency to absorb the flavor of the contents so in many cases, it cannot be used over again. Plastic not only absorbs the flavors, it also stains very easily. Many things, when put in plastic containers, will stain the jar. This is true for not only food products. Many people use plastic jars to store nails, screws, bolts, etc., in plastic jars. If the contents of the jars draw any moisture at all, it will rust or mold, and the plastic will absorb that too. In many cases , the plastic cannot be cleaned when this happens and is not safe to use for anything else. You will not have this problem with a glass jar. Even rust can be cleaned off of a glass jar. When food is preserved in the glass jars, the rings that seal the flats on the top of the jars, often rust over time and leaves rust on the threads of the jar. This can be scratched off with a kitchen scouring pad and the jar can then be used again, over and over.
Some of the other famous makers of storage jars are Henry William Putnam, in 1882, invented the Lightening Jars. These jars had the Clamped Glass Lids. The Hazel-Atlas Glass Company and the Ball Brothers from Buffalo, New York also made glass jars. Previous to the Ball jars, the brothers made wood covered tin cans to preserve lard, oil, and paint. Just like the Mason jars, they were used to preserve fruits and vegetables from the farmers gardens, for the winter months. Fresh food was eaten during the summer and fall and then much of it was preserved in the jars for the winter. They were often stored in pantries or in root cellars underground to prevent them from freezing. Often there was meat and fish also preserved this way.
Glass storage jars have played a large part in the home in the past and they still are. While there was a lull for a while and many products began to be preserved in plastic jars, it is now thought that the glass jars are much healthier to use. It has been reported that many plastic containers contain chemicals or properties that are not good for our health. Some major diseases may be caused by properties found in plastic bowls and jars. Glass and some plastic can be recycled so that is another very good reason to use glass. It is much prettier to use and you can see through the clear glass jars to see what it contains whereas plastic is foggy and you sometimes have no clue what it holds without a label on it. In the long run, glass is cheaper than plastic because it can be be utilized over and over and recycled. It will also be used for many more years to come. There is some beautiful glass jars on the market today.