Multiple Uses for Mason Jars
You know what’s really difficult to find? No, not a needle in a haystack, although that is pretty challenging. What’s very hard to locate is a person who doesn’t like mason jars. Old and young alike seem to love these classic, old-time-looking jars.
They have tons of uses. Even trendy restaurants use them to serve iced tea and other beverages in. Many of the uses for these inexpensive mason jars translate to survival usages. Below you’ll find a bunch of them. Hopefully there will be some you’ve never tried.
In no particular order…
Lantern. If you place a small candle in an uncovered mason jar, you’ll have a nice flame for indoors or outside that should not be negatively affected by a strong breeze. You could also use a jar for a homemade oil lamp.
Bank. Use the jar to keep your valuable coins (not paper money) in, as well as some jewelry you rarely wear or other small but valuable keepsakes. Then bury the jars where you’ll know how to find them easily but the neighbor’s dog won’t.
First-Aid Kit. Makes for a nice waterproof place to keep small first-aid items, including Band-Aids, gauze, tape, antibacterial ointment, tweezers, etc.
Ammunition. A great place for your ammo cartridges used by your guns. Because the jars are clear, you should be able to grab the specific cartridge that you want when the time comes. This is another item you can bury if you want to.
Canning. This is one of the most popular uses for mason jars. You can can just about anything in these see-through jars, including vegetables, fruit and meat. Keep the jars in a cool, dark place.
Dry Foods. Speaking of food, mason jars are great for keeping dry foods in, including rice, beans, pasta, etc. You could also include a small oxygen absorber pack if you want to.
Herb Garden. Mason jars make for nice planters in which to grow your medicinal herbs. Just pour in soil, plant your seeds and watch them grow with the lids off.
Dried Herbs. Once you’ve dried your medicinal plants, you can keep them in a mason jar for several years if you need to. They should be good for a long time.
Tinder. This is a handy place to keep kindling items that will help you start a fire when you really need one. Items could include easily combustible dryer lint, shredded bark, tiny twigs, small pieces of paper, etc.
Defense. If you absolutely have to, you could break a mason jar and use a jagged edge for self-defense. Obviously, this should not be the primary weapon in your arsenal, but we all do what we have to do.
Matches. A mason jar is a convenient place to keep matches. Nothing like a waterproof container for waterproof matches, right? Even regular matches should stay dry in this jar.
Homemade Alcohol. Once you’ve concocted your own special alcoholic brew, keep it in a mason jar (or maybe several mason jars) until you’re ready to indulge.
Drinking Glass. Most mess kits contain non-breakable dishes, cups, etc., but there’s no reason why you can’t drink out of a glass mason jar once in the while. It’ll be a nice change of pace to actually see what you’re drinking.
Fishing gear. You never know when you’re going to need to catch a fish for your next meal. You can keep small fishing gear in a mason jar, including lures and hooks… and maybe even a worm or two.
Pencil & Pen Holder. How many times have you found yourself looking for a writing utensil? This is a great place to keep pens, pencils and even chalk.
Sewing Kit. There will be times when you need to sew up a tear in clothing or in a tent, or maybe even in skin. You can keep your needles and thread in a mason jar.
Hard Candies. Yeah, there are other places you can keep the hard candies that give you a little energy boost when you’re hot and tired, but they look particularly good in a mason jar, especially when they are multi-colored.
Soap Dispenser. Hands get dirty often, especially when you’re outdoors, and with a mason jar you always know exactly how much soap remains in the dispenser.
For storing small yet useful items, there’s nothing like a mason jar. Grab a bunch of them.
Be sure to label the jars…white powder such as Cream of Tartar (for cleaning) or powdered bleach
(also for cleaning) or baking soda (for cooking; deodorizing; cleaning; laundry, brushing teeth, etc) or white flour (baking; sauce base; paste, etc)…these can be confusing if the label is not on the jar (don’t put it on the lid…those can be mixed up and are also confusing). Also, I went camping and took some canning jars for the ‘small stuf’, such as small toothbrush and toothpaste; mouthwash; shampoo; q-tips, etc.
Port-a-potty in tight spaces. Be sure not to mistake for lemonade.
Perfect for those flowers picked by little hands for presentation to Moms and G’mas!
I use a small canning jar for matches next to my propane stove. I found that the humidity in the kitchen means that I have to have an oxygen absorber in the jar. It also keeps the striker dry enough to work.
My better half also adds oxygen absorbers to the jars with ammo.
Great ideas, Nola, thanks!
Base and reservoir for Hurricane / Emergency Lamps. Wicks, Adjusters & Chimneys can be purchased online.
Cooking container in Solar Oven. Veggies Cook Well in Mason Jars
YOU FORGOT TO MENTION THAT MASON JARS ARE NOW MANUFACTURED IN A PLASTIC JAR FOR WHEN YOU NEED SOMETHING NOT EASILY BROKEN FOR NON FOOD USES.
Also good to store small parts like screws, bolts, nuts. take a board and put a screw ring and lid on it
with a screw and then screw the jar to it. You can see what odds and ends you have.
Cakes in a jar. I bake cakes in the straight sided ones, seal them whill the are still hot and use them for desserts. Carrot cake, zucchini cake, pumpkin cake. They are all great for this. Bake at no higher than 350.
Interesting… thanks, Della!
Question:
Will mason jars shatter in the event am EMP bomb attack?
I do not fully understand what all a EMP affects ouher than electrical / electronic components.
Glass is not affected by an EMP
Can an electronic device stored inside a mason jar still be effected by an EMP/
Thanks for info on all the uses of the mason jar. I saw most of these uses back in my grandmother and grandfather’s days. Tea always seemed colder in a mason jar. I have seen the jar lids fastened to the bottom of shelves in a garage workshop with jars filled with sorted screws, nuts, bolts, sockets, nails, etc . Then the jars were screwed or unscrewed as items are needed and jars put back in place.
Although they seal pretty well, you can add a layer of plastic wrap across the top before screwing on the lid to create an even better seal
YOur post today started for a clickbait ad by some shoddy physician talking about somach problems, and I don’t appreciate being misle like that! Am done wih you people.
Mason jars are great for canning also any jar with name made in glass on bottom and /or sides when manufactured will work for canning. My mama had peas canned for 27 years, they were great eating. Canning must be done right, in a pressure cooker for canning. not one for cooking. Bring pressure to right number and time under this pressure is the trick.
Ever notice how much better a Coke Cola tastes is a glass bottle compared to a plastic bottle… It’s too bad that glass has practically gone extinct like most things that were made in America. I miss the old days before America became ‘Made in China’
1. You could use the glass of the mason jar to start a fire with, using sunlight.
2. You could use it to wrap cording or duct tape around it before a hiking trip.
The jars that pickles, olives, beets, etc come in have nice twist lids with rubber seals, come in various sizes & are free. Just wash, remove label & dry.