Ball bought Kerr about 15-20 years ago, and then started to market the Golden Harvest jars about 7 years ago, for those who want to pay slightly less for the the generic brand. I don't know about HD jars, but there were many makers of all glass jars with wire bails and glass domed lids. These used a rubber ring for the seal. Only problem, you can't tell if they are under vacuum or not once processed. Today, no one should be using the all glass bail wire types anymore. The addition of the small embossed 'dimple' at the center of the metal lids was first introduced by Kerr many years ago. They used to call it the 'Magic Button'. The dimple goes concave once there is a vacuum inside the sealed jars. The ever familar 'plink' sound is heard while cooling. Even though home canning has increased a little in recent years, the makers of these jars have not expanded their product lines. With Ball as the only maker still in the US, we are at the mercy of their designs and marketing ploys. In Canada, they are known as Bernardin. In England and New Zealand, there is a Foster brand.

Gene, I am way up in Corona and there are "farmers markets" in my area. I have sleep issues an am usually up all night. Most farmers markets are early in the morning. Try to find yourself a small store owner who will sell you produce by the case. I used to have a small market that they would do that for me whenever I asked. Damn, they have gone out of business however. Other folks advertise that they want fruits and vegetable from home trees and plots on Craigslist. I do NOT know if they are successful. I just asked a neighbor lady who had a small apple tree what happens to the apples. She told me that the tree used to produce 200 pounds of apples a year but that now as she is older, she just rakes them up and throws them away. Come Sept. this year, she told me to come over and pick them all - it will reduce her raking job. Keep an eye out for opportunities like this. Tell everyone that you can. I have folks that stop by and just give me food that they either have too much of or not enough time or freezer space to keep for themselves. My food is resting on jars of strawberry sauce that I made from a 10PM night time delivery and I am fermenting cabbage also a result of another delivery. I have 2 crocks of pickles fermenting that another chap dropped by with. Some folks across the country have worked out deals with their local fruit stands that they will by jars and lids from them in exchange for all their old produce (stacked in crates out back at night). What a deal. I have asked here but they all go into the garbage. Keep your ears and eyes alert. Hope this helps a little. Jim in So Calif

Yes, this works great! One of the best uses I've found is I buy big cans (28 oz. ones, I think) of roasted red peppers. No way we can use that many at one time (and we don't have much success growing red peppers for roasting, so I buy them already roasted. I figure with the cost of buying peppers, time and energy to roast, peel and can factored in, it's cheaper to just buy them). If I open a can and use one or two for a recipe, I freeze the rest in wide mouth half-pint jars - one red pepper nestles perfectly in that size jar - pour some of the liquid from the can over it to barely cover, put a lid on it (no ring) and freeze. Same with homemade pesto. I can pull the jar out of the freezer, defrost in the microwave (ours has a defrost setting - it's an ancient microwave, so I'd assume they all do these days) and use what I need. I refreeze the pesto in the same jar, and I can't tell the difference. Caveat: I don't add cheese or nuts to the pesto before I freeze it. It's just basil, garlic and olive oil. I add the other stuff after it's defrosted. It is a great trick!

Those aren't stupid questions. They're just questions, period. Apple butter is a sweetened preserve, kind of halfway between applesauce and jam. Think spiced applesauce cooked down to make a luscious spread. Here's a fairly typical recipe. Apple Butter Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 6 cups apple purée (about 5 pounds tart apples, Gravenstein preferred) 1 cup granulated sugar 2 cups brown sugar, packed 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon cloves 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 2 tablespoons lemon juice Mix purée and all remaining ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan. Cook, uncovered over medium heat. When it begins to boil, turn down heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally. Place a couple of small saucers in the refrigerator. As mixture gets thicker, stir more often so it doesn't scorch. Total cooking time can take 1-2 hours. Cook until a spoonful dropped onto a cold plate does not weep. Let mixture sit on plate about 5 minutes to check consistency. BWB 10 minutes. Description: "from the Oregonian Pam McKeen, holiday gifts feature." Yield: "6 half-pints" Cooks vary this in all kinds of ways. I use a combination of Demerara or Turbinado sugar, white cane sugar, cider or leftover syrup from canned spiced apples, cinnamon, mace, allspice and cloves. You can tell a jar is sealed because the lid will "suck down". If you squatted to get to eye level, you'd see the center dips in. Sometimes you'll hear a definite "pop" as the lid seals, but not always. The ultimate way to test a seal is to wait 24 hours, remove the ring and turn the jar upside down. (Do this over a pail or bowl, for obvious reasons!) If the lid stays where it is you have a good strong seal. I hope this helps. Carol