1/2 gallon Ball canning jars

**brenda67** · 01-13-2011, 06:12 PM

I bought 12 of them to store sugar,flour,salt,oats and other dry goods..do you think that these glass containers are better than the plastic containers w/lids that I bought from some beprepared site are just as good? I figured that the glass jars would all fit on the top shelfs in my pantry..Anyway looking for any input..TIA..

**HappyMama** · 01-13-2011, 06:18 PM

I love using glass jars for my storage foods. One great pulse is you won't have to worry about BPA in the plastics.

**shoiji** · 01-13-2011, 07:15 PM

Wish I had the space for the 1/2 gallon jars!!! I love storing in mason jars. Haven't had a problem with them. As long as the lids are made for mason jars there should not be a problem.

**Ali Lee** · 01-13-2011, 07:21 PM

Super! How pretty they will look filled! All kinds of ways to add a little ta-da! Pretty tags, twine bows, cloth covers for the lids matching your kitchen, decorated labels, rafia bows, etc. OR just as they are! How nice to find glass jars!

**max915** · 01-14-2011, 10:05 AM

Also as far as I know mice can't chew through glass...that is a big deal for me....glad you brought up the glass jar idea because I have a couple of dozen in my cellar

**The Muse** · 01-14-2011, 12:42 PM

I think glass is better than plastic, I worry about chemicals leeching into my food and went all glass a few years ago. I even pack my work lunches in canning jars. I scavenge for jars, mostly saving them from big jars of pickles and sundried tomatoes. I'll bet your canning jars look lovely.

**Josephhgoins** · 01-14-2011, 02:23 PM

FYI, Mice can chew threw glass, they just usually choose not to.

I prefer the glass 10-1 over the plastic. They can handle UV without any problems, mice/rats don't like them and usually stay away from the stuff in them, they are cheap and you can easily use them for other things.

Also, if you wanted to you could heat the contents and seal the glass jars helping preserve the food much longer than anything the plastic ones can do.

when its time to clean them you can just soak in a mixture of bleach/water and they back to new.

The only thing plastic has over glass is that it doesn't break, but unless your clumsy that isn't really a selling point.

**max915** · 01-14-2011, 02:36 PM

they can? well that just stinks....

**Maisiedotes** · 01-15-2011, 07:37 AM

We use them too and I have never had any issues- although we have the kind with the 2 piece lid (are they all like that now?) and I somehow manage to lose the lids pretty often. Not the rings, the flat part. Haha- I sound like a dingbat, I don't know the proper name for those lids.

I have some old ones with the metal clamp and rubber gasket... I like those too but I had to replace gaskets, they started falling apart. I find those to be more of a pain.

**savvy_sniper** · 01-15-2011, 07:46 AM

I am trying to get away from plastic. So I have all sizes of canning jars for storage. I have the lid attachments (regular and wide mouth) to vacuum seal them with my Food Saver.

**Ceashels** · 01-15-2011, 08:39 AM

I prefer glass for long term storage. I purchased half gallon Ball jars last year and got my dried legumes switched over to them (they hold about 3 lbs of beans each).

I'm slowly getting my specialty flours switched over to them for storage in the fridge. Since they are more tall than wide they fit better.

It's nice that I can scale down on the jars (1/2 gal to qt to pt) as my supplies dwindle for things I don't use as often such as corn meal and buckwheat).

I have been cleaning out my Yankee Candle jars and using them for displaying smaller items that get used more often like the dog's treats or my wasabi peas.

My dream is to have my "Pantry" on display with lots of colorful, useful ingredients. But that is down the road some. I need a walk in pantry first. LOL

**ladytoysdream** · 01-15-2011, 09:01 AM

Originally Posted by Maisiedotes

We use them too and I have never had any issues- although we have the kind with the 2 piece lid (are they all like that now?) and I somehow manage to lose the lids pretty often. Not the rings, the flat part. Haha- I sound like a dingbat, I don't know the proper name for those lids.
I have some old ones with the metal clamp and rubber gasket... I like those too but I had to replace gaskets, they started falling apart. I find those to be more of a pain.

They are called "regular lids" ,"dome lids", or "flats".
Rings are also called collars.
Old rubber gaskets can be found at some hardware or farm stores.
They still carry them, because yes, there are people who, still use the wire bail jars to can with.

The 2 gallons ones, I had like 9 last year, I found when out garage saling. Silly me, sold them, when I sold some extra canning jars. Only thing in my defense, I got good money for them

I pick up all the canning jars I can find, pick out the ones I want, then when I get a nice bunch of extras, I resell them. Pays for what I keep back

I also have a nice collection started of antique ones. I like looking at them. If worse comes to worse, I can always use them for dry storage.