For Pressure Canning, can I use any other jar than Ball’s Mason Jar?

For Pressure Canning, can I use any other jar than Ball’s Mason Jar? - Modern bathroom interior with toiletry products at home

So Ball’s Mason Jar is not as common in my country but I want to try my hand at pressure canning sambal (chili, garlic, fermented shrimp paste, no vinegar). Is there any alternative to Ball’s Mason Jar that is gold standard for pressure canning? can I utilize this glass jar to pressure cook?

food-preservationcanningjampressure-canner


Best Answer

The important part of the system are the lids. The ideal lids are the Mason-type (no matter which company produced them), with a flat top and a separate side piece with thread.

mason jar with lid system

Another type that works is the older Weck style jar, which consists of a glass jar with glass lid, plus rubber steal and metal clamps, no threads. This system is as safe as the Mason style lids. It might require frequent rubber replacement when pressure canning, because the gasket gets quite deformed in pressure canning as opposed to water bath canning, and in the extreme cases, some jars don't seal properly because the gasket gets sucked inside. This is not a safety issue, because it is easily recognized when it happens, and you just remove these failed-to-seal jars from your batch.

Weck jar with lid

What you cannot use is single-piece twist-off LIDS as in your picture. They are not suited for pressure canning at home.

You might be able to use these jars, if you can find ones with the proper size mouth and threads to fit Mason-style lids on them. They will either seal properly and be safe, or not withstand the pressure and break apart while being heated in the canner. You will lose some jars that way, and will have a mess on your hands to clean, but you will not get food poisoning from improperly sealed jars. See https://www.healthycanning.com/re-using-bottles-from-store-bought-products/ for some expert opinions on that.



Pictures about "For Pressure Canning, can I use any other jar than Ball’s Mason Jar?"

For Pressure Canning, can I use any other jar than Ball’s Mason Jar? - Responsible female sorting garbage while putting tin can into container for metal litter and looking at camera
For Pressure Canning, can I use any other jar than Ball’s Mason Jar? - Crop soothsayer predicting fate with magic ball at home
For Pressure Canning, can I use any other jar than Ball’s Mason Jar? - Glass jar with paintbrushes on desk with paint tubes in professional art workshop


Can you put different size jars in a pressure canner?

Yes, it's totally safe to do that, as long as you always process for the larger jars time. You can also go down a jar size when canning, but never up.

What jars can you use for pressure canning?

You want to make sure you are using a Mason-type jar. According the National Center for Home Food Preservation, a Mason-type jar is specifically designed for home canning and is the best option. Commercial mayonnaise jars may not seal and may break, especially in a pressure canner.

Can you use other jars for canning?

If you're planning on canning, you can reuse your purpose-made glass jars and screw bands, as long as they're in good condition. The metal snap lids, on the other hand, are made to be used once. Once the gummy, rubbery seal on the lid is heated and cooled, it can't make the same quality of seal again.

What can I use instead of a Mason jar?

Glass storage containers with rubber lids: These are great for quick pickling, particularly alliums like shallots and leeks, or for storing pickles after they've been fermented in the ceramic crock.


DO NOT do THIS when pressure canning MEALS!



More answers regarding for Pressure Canning, can I use any other jar than Ball’s Mason Jar?

Answer 2

For home pressure canning, you should always use a Mason jar (Ball is one brand, but there are others). A "Mason jar" is the kind with the two-piece lid.

When using home equipment, the two-piece lid is important because it will seal properly inside the pressure vessel. If you use a jar with a one-piece lid, such as in your photo, the lid tightness needs to be very precise, or the jars will either (a) not seal properly, or (b) explode. (Ironically, it's actually safer if they explode.) That's not practical to do in a home kitchen.

Mason jars are getting more and more difficult to find these days, in many countries. But they're essential for home pressure canning.

Answer 3

You can use random jars, but it is not advised simply because you may waste food on failures of the seal and risk illness from contamination. It is not worth the risk of injury versus the cost of the better equipment.

Canning jars come in standard sizes of mouths and lids and have wider lips for better seal. Additionally, the glass is tempered to resist the temperature extremes so they are less prone to cracking. This makes them useful for freezing liquids as well. Mind the liquid expansion if you do this.

Source: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/general/recomm_jars_lids.html

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Max Vakhtbovych, SHVETS production, Anete Lusina, Anna Shvets

Related Questions