Repurposing Glass Food Jars

WeeMidgie

My aunt , cousin and I swap gifts back and forward for Christmas and birthdays in Kilner jars. It started with me gifting brandied plums for Christmas a couple of years ago and last Christmas, and have received the jars back filled with cat treats (for the cat!) or with fun sized Twix and small Kitkat bars (for me!). My turn to fill them up again for Christmas! Probably I'll make no cook chutney this year.

But Kilner jars are expensive, and quite bulky. For everyday food storage instead of using plastic, I've hit upon the following:

1) the small glass jar of Nutella with the push off plastic lid is just the right size for two hard boiled eggs to take on a picnic. Or it can be used as a drinking tumbler.

2) The wide mouthed jars of stuffed vine leaves sold in Sainsburys are a good size for storing single portions of left over stew, casserole or stir fry in fridge or freezer. They are strong enough to withstand freezer temperatures.

3) Aldi sell a delicious lemon curd yogurt (plus other flavours, but I can't see past the lemon curd) in a small glass jar with a push off plastic lid. So far, I've given all the empty ones to a friend who will use them as mini lanterns each containing a tea light. But they would be useful for e.g. home made yogurt or fruit fools or chocolate mousse, and the plastic lid means no cling film need be used.

Do you have any glass containers which you repurpose? What came in them originally, and what's in them now?

caronc

Jars from mini jams that I use to store ground spices and f&v seeds. Vinegar bottles for HM bramble vodka/gin. Others from random things get used for pickles & chutneys - most take standard size lids which are cheap to buy.

caronc

Should have added I keep the ramekins from "Gu" type puddings instead of buying them, ideal for pinch pots or creme brulee

MMF007

Hi WeeMidgie, :hello:

I love those Aldi yogurts and the jars! I use them for HM jam. Lots of little pots to give to my friends

I use a 500g kilner jar to store whipped cream in my fridge, just fits between the shelves.

I often use a clean jam jar to store leftover gravy in the fridge.

Mini jam pots (the really small ones) hold cake decs. Some get filled with chutney or mustard to take on self catering hols when we may need a bit but don't want to take a full sized jar. Ditto for butter for a picnic if we are buying the buns on the way! Oh, and coffee granules to go with the flask (DH has tea so the flask is just boiling water and we make the drinks individually).

A jar with a hole punched in the lid holds my xmas curling ribbon (after a mega unravelling session!).

The Bonne Maman jars are great because they have the wide mouth so stuff is easily poured in.

I was going to have a gratitude jar, where you write a note of a happening or item that you are grateful for, but i have yet to start this.

The oxagonal jars with the nuisance corners I refuse to use for HM preserves so I have 3 as vases. They look nice arranged together and fancy ribbon hides the screw thread at the neck!

Gem-gem

What lovely ideas you are sharing.
I use old Lidl salsa jars for my homemade picallili. I also save jars for homemade jams.
Non food - I have salsa jars to storethe suckers that you use take the spotlights out with and to store screws in.

VfM4meplse

WeeMidgie wrote: »

Aldi sell a delicious lemon curd yogurt (plus other flavours, but I can't see past the lemon curd) in a small glass jar with a push off plastic lid

Sorry I can't help but you have got me drooling: I'm inspired to mix some lemon curd into natural yoghurt. I haven't had this for what feels like years

I have a number of Sainsbury's TTD relish jars like the one below - 285g in size and and easily stackable square shape - bought for something like 20p each. Handily the lids don't reference the contents, so I could use them to gift HM treats. Am looking forward to reading the responses on this thread.



ETA: I've never seen these on the shelves before, if I had I would have tried the mango flavour. Do you live in Ireland, OP?

Tiddlywinks

I buy the Douwe Egberts coffee when it's on special offer as I love the jars - I've got one filled with HM vanilla sugar, two with coffee beans and small ones with sugar, salt and spices.

Actually cheaper than buying fancy storage jars and the coffee comes free!

I use blackboard type stickers with chalk markers to show contents.

Tiddlywinks

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Handily the lids don't reference the contents, so I could use them to gift HM treats. Am looking forward to reading the responses on this thread.

When the lids are marked with date stamps or branding I repray them with Hammerite - using black means that you can use a chalk marker on top to put a name or a title and it looks decorative rather than just a disguise IYSWIM.

WeeMidgie

Hi back, MMF007! And hello to caronc and Gem-gem, V4M4mplse, and Tiddlywinks,

Fab ideas! I love your creativity all of you, and particularly the gratitude jar, MMF007.... I have a larger screw top Kilner jar which would be good for this,, and some fluorescent heart shaped small post it notes. Thanks for such a lovely idea.

I just love using glass instead of plastic. It's my mission never to buy any new plastic food containers ever again. I'm only sorry that shopping at Aldi results in quite a lot of packaging waste, but I recycle as much as I can. I may transfer allegiance to Lidl as I've noticed they sell loose veg.

Now thinking of nice shapes for glass jar vases.... Sharwoods mango chutney jar would be cool

I'm in Scotland, VfM4mplse. Love the square Sainsburys jars, very stylish!

Tiddlywinks

I have a massive pickled onion jar - like the ones in the chip shop - which I use when knitting. I put the ball of wool inside it to stop it rolling away and the jar is big enough to allow the wool ball to unroll as I'm knitting away.

It took me an age to think of a use for it but it was such a great size that I didn't want to get rid of it... couldn't use the lid though because no matter what I did I just couldn't remove the onion smell from the lining.

I'm sure the chippies must just put their big jars out for recycling so might be worth asking around.

VfM4meplse

MMF007 wrote: »

I was going to have a gratitude jar, where you write a note of a happening or item that you are grateful for, but i have yet to start this.

I missed this post before - all excellent ideas! And the gratitude jar is one I'm going to start today. I aim to stick one in every day, and date them. It's so easy to focus on negatives, this way I will literally be able to count my blessings!

:T:T:T