A Jarring Experience!

I love canning jars... I admit it.. I am sure from my last couple posts about canning it may not be that big of a surprise. There are so many interesting ones out there.. the old ones are my favourite. I tend to like old things.. they have history behind them. You wonder about the family they belonged too. Who worked hard filling them. The comfort and celebrations that the food in them were part of. I can picture people from days gone by spending hot summer afternoons harvesting and preserving their families bounty for the coming winter. Something quite comforting about that.
When I was in Arizona, I found the coloured Ball brand canning jars. I was determined to bring some home. Here the only stores I could find them in were craft stores, and they wanted WAY too much for them. So I found the cases of the pint size jars.. now the decision.. blue or green??? Initially I decided on the blue... but before I went home I went back and got a case of the green as well.

I packed them in my carry on and carried them through two airports.. more than one border patrol inspector looked twice when it went through the x-ray machine. I also had to unpack my bag at both airports to show them that they were empty *sigh* .. by the time I got home, my arms were tired from carrying the bag, but I was glad I had bought them.

I also bought the top accessory to turn them into a drinking cup. I thought they were kind of fun.

 

The blue and green coloured jars were brought out on Ball's anniversary. Many people love the old vintage blue Ball jars. The original blue was caused from a mineral in the sand that the Ball company used to make them. It was very unique to the area it came from and I think it is safe to say was a trade mark.

I was shopping at a local second hand store and found some wonderful glass top canning jars.. these have the vintage zinc rings. While I wont use these for actually canning, I will use them to store things in.

I only paid .50 a piece for them. Somehow the jars we have now, pale in comparison to these lovely old jars. But they still look pretty good when they are filled and stacked up on a shelf.