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Jar opener recommendation was great

18 years ago

Thanks to whoever suggested the Bed, Bath, and Beyond jar opener. I bought one and finally used it. I was surprised that it took no muscle to break the vacuum seal on the jar. And of course, it was easy as can be to then open the lid. Thanks for the great suggestion. I also bought an opener for my sister and daughter.

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Comments (17)

Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
18 years ago
Details, details. What brand and model is it? I think I need one if it is that easy.

Sue...who loves kitchen gadgets
sheilajoyce_gw
Original Author
18 years ago
I don't know if it has a brand name. It is plastic, semi translucent. Costs about $3. It has a shoe horn sized handle and the working end is a small open circle (like a round church key or little donut) which has a little projection that fits under the edge of the lid. You put that under the lid edge and push down gently on the shoe horn handle. Phhht, the vacuum is broken and it opens easy as pie.
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Jar popped when I opened it
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You never put the grease in ! They need to be cooked, drained, and then packed in water or broth. You can have potential botulism with that fat. Fat can turn rancid, it won't allow for proper heat penetration, and it will coat the food with the grease and let botulism grow even during processing. You can read how to safely can the meats at the Univ. of Georgia website. Jars are to be stored without the ring. Not only so you will know if the seal is broken, but so the ring won't rust on the jars. Plus, you can get food under those rings if not taken off and all washed and mold can grow under them
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The only kind of mayonnaise that is tolerable for warm weather is where the eggs in it have been pasteurized. Most jarred mayonnaise is pasteurized nowadays. You can home pasteurize eggs, if you want to make your own. Mayonnaise is also an excellent medium for breeding bacteria that have been introduced after the eggs have been treated, so if the potato salad is mixed with dirty (bad bacteria filled) hands, and left to sit in the sun, it's not any of the ingredients themselves that are the source of the taint, but the mayonnaise sure helps the bacteria to breed! Yoghurt is preserved milk. It can last for a very long time if kept cold and sealed, and be perfectly fine. With all of these things, it's a matter of circumstance and judgment. Children, elderly and people with compromised immune systems or delicate guts should err very far toward caution. Food you're feeding to guests should always be the best and freshest you have both for quality and for just in case. Like, I always open a new jar of mayonnaise when making chicken salad for a big group rather than risk exposing them to whatever might have been on my knife last week and transferred to my open jar. For home use, however, especially without little kids and elderly in the group, use a little sense, and use good practices with food handling. When there's a drip on the jar, do you wipe it off with your finger? If so, is your finger cleaner than a paper towel? Usually, it's going to be the towel, but there are scenarios when the finger might be cleaner. Either way, know that touching the working end of the bottle with anything is going to introduce bacteria...so is it the kind of thing that will fight foreign bacteria, or grow it? Is it going to linger in the fridge or get used up fast? Will you know who's going to find and eat it, or do you have random friends and all rooting around in your fridge? Is it worth letting the drip get the top all gummed up, not to wipe it? Being too clean can also be a problem. Your immune system needs things to attack, and was designed to survive mildly tainted foods. Dying of food poisoning used to be very common, but so was dying of anything. It's amazing what healthy people used to be able to get away with eating. I have a number of health issues, but I've never gotten food poisoning from something in a jar or bottle that had been in my fridge awhile without seeming off or moldy, nor has anyone in my family. I did get food poisoning once at a major league baseball game from a salad bought there that likely wasn't kept cold enough before sale.
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I Googled and the reviews on the One Touch Jar Opener are mixed. Pretty negative actually. It will only open certain types of jars and the batteries go quickly. I like the jar poppers that look like a plastic bottle opener to break the seal and those rubber rounds they give away at trade shows to twist and grip jars with. The waffle weave ones don't work as well. BB&B and places like Home Store carry the jar poppers. Here is a link that might be useful: Jar Popper
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I use the jar pop key for some things but often it's still tough to open the jars with the issues developing in my hands. I keep a strap wrench (similar to this: http://www.menards.com/main/plumbing/plumbing-tools/plumbing-hand-tools/plumbing-wrenches-tool-kits-tool-bags/1-2-to-4-strap-wrench/p-1444421185779-c-8615.htm?tid=-6628194053970600898) in the kitchen. Gives great leverage and opens anything from a soft drink bottle to an institutional size jar.
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kacram
18 years ago
I use our 99cent bottle opener for that. My grandparents used it many moons ago. works like a charm!
lydia1959
18 years ago
I've got one of those jar openers on my Amazon wish list...so next time I want to order some books or whatever I'll throw that in my cart too. They have several different colors to choose from.
caflowerluver
18 years ago
Does it work on screwed on lids like peanut butter jar lids? I just had one that was so tight it broke my new "One Touch Jar Opener" my DH got me for Christmas. I wouldn't buy another one. Piece of junk. I finally had to take the PB jar out to the workshop and put it upside down in the vise and turn the jar to open it. Why do they make jar lids so tight?
Clare
sheilajoyce_gw
Original Author
18 years ago
Yes, it will, apostca. I used a 20% off coupon from BB&B too. They come in the mail and are in the Sunday paper too.
glenda_al
18 years ago
Friend told me about this: Turn the bottle, jar, whatever, upside down and bang lid/cap flat on the counter.

Bingo and it works!
lilliepad
18 years ago
I always just take a case knife and bang the lid with the handle a couple of times!LOL Similar to Glenda's method.I'm going to check out the one SheilaJ is talking about though.
patti43
18 years ago
I think flamey posted that. If you go back a few pages you may find it. I want one, too!
sheilajoyce_gw
Original Author
18 years ago
And the original post has a picture of it too.
patti43
18 years ago
I found flamey's post and brought it to the top again for those who want to see it.
Kathy_TX
18 years ago
Yes, it was Flamingo in one of her daily tip posts. I ordered mine through Amazon that day, got it one day this week. It works like a charm. As I've gotten older, my hands won't grip like they once did, so this jar popper is a very good thing for me.
FlamingO in AR
18 years ago
I'm so glad you like it, SheilaJoyce. I just love ours. It truly makes opening a jar effortless. Now, if I could find a way to open the toilet bowl cleaner more easily! lol I fought with that thing (push down and turn, click, click, click, rats) for a couple of minutes yesterday.
Tally
18 years ago
I used to bang the jar on the counter or with a knife until someone told me it can chip the glass. I don't want any small glass splinters in my food!

I just bought this jarpop opener from Amazon, along with some more Spayway glass cleaner. Both tips from Flamingo - Thanks Flamey :)
sheilajoyce_gw
Original Author
18 years ago
Spayway -- for neutering cats and dogs????? JK;) Bought Sprayway too, and DD loves it. I also us rubbing alcohol and water to clean mirrors and glass.
Tally
18 years ago
Us rubbing alcohol -- for disinfecting ourselves? Just kidding, LOLOL!
FlamingO in AR
18 years ago
You're welcome, Tally, happy to help. We use Sprayaway at work (frame shop) so that's how I learned about it. It's fabulous. It's in a blue and white can at the grocery store.

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