“To ‘put by’ is an old deep-country way of saying to ‘save something you don’t have to use now, against the time when you’ll need it.’ “Putting food by is the antidote for running scared.”
-Janet Greene (Putting Food By)
Most of my canning jars I have were passed down to my by my grandmother’s, so every time I use them I think about all of the women in my family that canned before me. Most of them are the regular old canning jars, but I have a dozen and half of the wire bail jars that I use. They are quite lovely and every time I pull them out I feel a connection to the past.
Were any of the canning jars in your collection passed down to you from family members?
Sadly, no. My grandmother gave me pressure canner years ago, before I ever knew there would be a love of learning…and I gave it to another family who canned. Now..all those jars and canner are gone, and I’m having to resupply myself as I’m beginning my own journey.
I love your wire bottles – they’re gorgeous!
They are beauties! When we moved from our last home 9 years ago, I had 2 cases of them jars that I had bought at yard sales and wasn’t thinking of canning at the time. I just thought they were cool and I would find some use to them. So when we moved to our present home I sold them at a yard sale and I am now kicking myself because I know have learned to can/preserve (mostly fruit and jams).
I have 8 bail jars that I am in the process of sharing with my daughters-in-law. Some may have come from my grandmother who died when my mother was 2 years old. Thankfully my aunts kept some stuff, including a quilt she made.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Sara McCarty, Susy Morris. Susy Morris said: Blogging over at Not Dabbling today about the beauty of Vintage Canning Jars: http://t.co/6vgbbV8 @canvolution #homecanning […]
Your jars are beautiful! I do not have any special jars, but do keep an eye out for them at yard sales and thrift stores. I am the first in my family to can, so I hope I can pass the tradition down. Thanks for your pictures!
About 20 yrs ago I called my Mother and asked for my Grandmothers big old pottery mixing bowl ( now know it was a McCoy) she said, “oh that old thing I through it out, it had a chip”…chringe. She tossed everything out, she lived through the Depression,old was something she hated. So nothing got passed down. However it made me want the things, and I spent yrs collecting old bowls ( over a 150) and canning jars for some odd reason, I didn’t can then, but loved the way they looked. Have many treasures today, and I do can now, so I am quite happy with myself…lol! LOVE bailing jars…some place somewhere I had a book with lots of info on them, will have to go dig. You have a beautiful collection!!
Vintage jars are somewhat of an obsession with me, and fortunately, my husband shares in my madness. We probably have around 100 jars. Many I have were my grandmothers, but we have also added to our collection through flea markets and fortunate finds. I use them for general storage and display versus canning as I would be devastated if I were to break one. They are daily reminders of my family history and treasured memories.
Thanks for sharing!!! What beautiful jars!!
My mother has some jars from her mother and grandmother. When the time comes, I will take them and care for them…..And one of my aunts saved a jar of pickles my great grandmother canned years ago. I took up canning to “connect” with family and old traditions. I have fond memories of seeing quart jars of green beans steaming as they were pulled from the big giant canner, with my mom telling me, “watch out they’re hot!”. Then later on my mom would send me down to put the jars away in the basement once they cooled. I loved to see the jars of beans and corn stacked high…..When I do my own canning it just takes me back to some good times and great feelings! Now my mother and I live far away from each other but we share jars of whatever we canned through the mail!
Now I just look at second hand stores to find old jars. I’ve been lucky a few times and have a small collection. It is nice to find a treasure. Now my 17 month old daughter just loves to go to the “jar department” at our thrift store and she often picks out a jar for me. She says, “ooooo!” when we go to look at jars. I hope she continues the tradition. It has been both a joy and a blessing to have food in jars for my family.
No jars passed down. But I love me a good estate sale. You can walk into a house and just “feel” if the person who lived there was a canner. For years, every canning jar I had I either purchased at an estate sale, thrift store, or got for free. (I once visited a farmers market and a seller was giving away a bunch of canning jars. I scored all of the wide mouth quarts I could take). I have a few that might be considered vintage. Your photographs are beautiful!
Very neat jars. I don’t have any here, all I have were bought for canning by us. They would make awesome lanterns with some led lights inside.
No…by the time I came around neither of my grandmothers canned (I think one of them did early on). My great-grandmother did and I wish she’d saved me some stuff. I do like to buy antique jars for storing dry goods if I see them in antique stores, though.
Yes, and I have added to the collection… 🙂 I love my jars!
your jars are gorgeous! yes my jars were all my great gramma’s! i’m so thankful for them… i use them and remember her using them!
Yes. I have them above the kitchen cupboards so I can see them every day. Yours look lovely with the lights behind them. Emily
i love canning jars! it’s so funny how they’re so durable yet they cost so much less than drinking glasses! there is a thrift store near my house that sells vintage canning jars. i loooove the turquoise one. i might pop in today & get some now that i see they can be beautifully displayed & photographed.
My mom is from the south and still have her mason jars and jars alike. I simply love them. There are beautiful to me and authentic. Wonderful post.. I enjoyed reading this.
I love those jars and your photographs are absolutely gorgeous.
Sadly, I got none of my grandmother’s canning jars. She did lots of canning, but it was out of necessity with a large and growing family. Once she didn’t need to can for economy’s sake she quit canning. My mother never canned anything in her life. I am a self taught canner. I have been the blessed recipient of some antique canning jars and discovered some more at garage & estate sales. My saddest canning moment – when I broke a lovely blue jar while using it to can. I now use them for my herbs and teas.
Thank you for the lovely look at your jars!
Oh, I also have a post about expiration dates and using home canned goods on my blog should anyone have an interest.
Blessings,
~Mrs. R
My mom has a whole bunch of vintage canning jars that she still uses for canning each season. Her’s are not passed down, I think. I’m hope they will be passed down to me tho! 😉 Beautiful photos. I love using vintage jars for decorating… They are so simple and pretty.
those are the most gorgeous pictures, I love glass jars.
Your jars look beautiful! Unfortunately canning wasn’t something my family did and I don’t even know how to can my own food! But I would love to one day have a jar collection as lovely as yours.
[…] “To ‘put by’ is an old deep-country way of saying to ‘save something you don’t have to use now, against the time when you’ll need it.’ “Putting food by is the antidote for running scared.” -Janet Greene (Putting Food By) Most of my canning jars I have were passed down to my by my grandmother’s, so every time I use them I think about all of the women in my family that canned before me. Most of them are the regular old canning jars, but I have a do … Read More […]
What beautiful jars, you are so lucky to have them! I don’t have jars, but I am lucky to have some of both my grandmothers’ teapots.
Pretty jars. My wife and I have a bunch of old ball jars we use for beans. She hates having clutter on the counter, but this is like a decoration.
I love old canning jars and have been collecting them too! Yours are wonderful, especially with the memories attached.
I’ve decorated my Kitchen in what I call Reto-Americana= gadgets and equipment that does not need electricity and can be hand operated or also reused !!!
I have a collection of these jars that I put food in from my Dehydrator and also Beans, Pasta, Baking Ingredients etc… And I think it all looks really cool as upposed to store bought metal cans with Barcodes and commercial labels !!!
My problem is finding the propper “Rubber Gaskets” !?!? I have everything from Half Gallon to Pint and would love to find a supplier with correct sized Gaskets !?!????
Hi Cowboy – I am not sure what part of the world you are located in… but I know you can order the rubber gaskets from Lehman’s in Ohio. They have two sizes and if the following link somehow doesn’t work, you can go to their website and search “rubber seals” to get there. Here is a link http://non-electric.lehmans.com/search#w=rubber%20seals&asug=
I have also seen the rubber seals at The Container Store, but can’t seem to find them on their website.
I hope that helps.
The jars are terrific…but your photography and art direction are breathtaking.
If you get a sec and have any thoughts as to where a CT transplant might find a few of these vintage gems on the West Coast (LA) I’d certainly appreciate the input.
I grew up back east and spent many a memorable weekend scavenging flea markets and yard sales for New England collectibles, all over CT, NY and PA. Miss the Armory Antiques Show like crazy.
The pix truly made my Sunday 🙂