Where to find glass jars?

Mum_on_a_mission_2

these aren't too bad http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250505842660&_trkparms=tab%3DWatching#ht_2486wt_911

stingeylass

I've got a huge amount of apples from the trees in my garden, and getting a bit bored of pies and crumbles I've started using them to make chutneys and jams. I rounded up all of the old jamjars I could find to put them in, but the first batch used up all of the jars with metal lids, and now all i've got left are ones with plastic lids like old peanut butter jars etc.
I'm not sure about putting preserves in plastic lidded jars though, they don't seem like they could be air tight and I don't want to open up a jar in a few months time to find it's full of mould :eek:

Has anyone who makes jam ever used jars with plastic lids and did it work?
I had a look around a few pound shops thinking I might be able to pick up some cheap glass jars but couldn't find anything for less than £2, which seems like a crazy price for a glass jar!

ChocClare

Chutneys shouldn't get mould because of the vinegar content, I would have thought, but equally, would that same vinegar affect the plastic??:D

Do you work? Have you got younger children? Are you a church-goer? I have appealed at work and in my kids' primary school weekly newsletter for jam jars before now and been inundated both times and I know in our church newsletter one of the ladies asked for jam jars and there was a cardboard box in the porch full of the things - people are usually happy to bring one or two and if you've got lots of people you obviously get loads. You can also ask on freecycle.

Failing the work/school/church/freecycle route: can you make freezer jam instead?!

Depending on the size of your peanut butter jars, you can also buy just lids on their own, and they are cheaper than jars (though you do still have to part with money). I know some people buy value jam and toss the jam, but that seems somehow "wrong" to me to waste the food inside - however horrible!

Penelope_Penguin

stingeylass wrote: »

Has anyone who makes jam ever used jars with plastic lids and did it work?

In extremis, I've used plastic lids for chutney, but unless I was intending to use it quickly, wouldn't use for jam

I'd second Freecycle or asking around friends and family. There are more suggestions in this thread; I'll add this one later to keep ideas together.

valk_scot

You can use cellophane covers with elastic bands and waxed discs on any jar for jam. Works fine for me and I can't remember when I last had mouldy jam. Mould usually means that either the jam didn't have enough sugar or it wasn't boiled to a proper set or that the jars were still wet when you put the jam in them.

Chutneys need jars with plastic coated metal lids though, or plastic lids. We eat a lot of Beanston Pickle and mango chutney anyway so I use these jars for HM cutney.

foxgloves

Yes, I save good lined lids for chutneys and pickles but for jams, jellies & marmalades, I just buy the packs of jampot covers from the Co-op.....they contain the waxed paper sealing discs, cellophane covers, rubber bands & labels. I've got jam I made last summer which is still fine with these, no traces of mould or anything.

babyshoes

We have done the 'buy something cheap for the jar' thing last year, when we needed jars NOW because we had fruit which was going off and needed using TODAY, and the appeals to friends etc hadn't yielded many jars.

We didn't chuck out the contents though, we bought stuff we would use up eventually and decanted it into other containers - we are still using the value honey which was decanted into a giant mayo jar which was too big for jam making. Sauces such as mint sauce can usually be frozen, or will be ok in the fridge in a plastic tub for a little while. Cook-in sauces can be used to make up a big batch of cooked food such as curry then frozen for quick meals.

I have seen the spare lids available in Hobbycraft if you have one near you - will cost a few quid for a pack, but cheaper than buying new jars!

Primrose

In emergencies I've used jars with plastic lids for jams and chutneys but have used those up first and also put several layers of cling film over the top of the surface of the product. The reason why I don't like using those see-through cellophane covers is that I'm short of cupboard space and need to stack my jars on top of each other. With cellophane covers you can't do that.
I know now to start saving marmalade jars with resealable lids months before it comes to preserving time, and to ask friends to start saving their jars for me. There's nothing more frustrating than having / being given a lot of free fruit and then not having the means in which to preserve it.

If you have any cafes/restaurants near you, often they use jumbo glass jars with lids for sauces, mayonnaises, etc. and if you don't mind storing your jams & chutneys in these large containers and then decanting later into smaller jars that can be another emergency route out of trouble.

lloydlf

This year is our first foray into jam making and we weren't at all prepare so we've had to do the buy something cheap just for the jar. In our case Asda smartprice lemon curd, its 22p a jar. I've used some of it in cakes and pudding but unfortuanately some has been dumped. Next year of course we can re-use all these jars so its only one year where we'll have any waste.

Psykicpup

I have a few spare jars I could loan - as in you can have then if you are local & if I get some back at a later date .. I'm not likely to be making much more jam or chutney & I never seem to get more than 2 jars worth out of any jam making (sigh) - Where abouts are you?