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Antiques & Collectibles

Ball THE Mason jar???

3 years ago

I have quite a few Ball Mason and other jars from my grandmother. There are both clear and aqua jars, and I also have the zinc lids. While looking for one to put flowers in, I found one that I soon realized was not like the others. It is a paler shade of aqua and the glass contains bubbles and has a bottom that reminds me of blown glass. I tried to wash it, but couldn't really get it clean. That was when I first noticed the word THE hiding in the loop of the M. I've had this jar for years, and have no idea how I overlooked the M for so long! Now I'm very curious!

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Comments (5)

Fori
3 years ago
Cute and functional. It looks pretty clean to me!

Here is a jarhead discussion that sort of addresses the evolution of that mark: https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/128358-jar-ive-never-seen-before
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fillmoe
3 years ago
You didn't ask, but if you put a small piece of copper wire in the water, your flowers will last much longer.
bungalow975 thanked fillmoe
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Oh, I tought it was a screw on plastic cover. eBay sometimes has vintage canning jars, and I think there is an antique dealer who also offers such things as collectables. The zinc texture and color might look like the coat on chainlink fences. These also have zinc for rust prevention, but are fine for outdoors. If the jars can take regular Ball lids and threadded rings, you an switch. The current Ball PLASTIC covers are lot leak proof, but work well on stuff like pickles where the metal lid is under the plastic screw on cover. Thats a nice way to give as gifts too. No one likes accidentally tipping over a jar that has just a lid on it. My guess is the jars are probably from the 1940's or earlier, and were only around a few years. The all glass jars with glass domed lids with rubber rings and wire bail latches were very common for a long time too.
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Since I instruct in USDA guidelines here, I did not know of anything out there. We had a discussion about tea a while back, and it is high in ph level. We would not recommend guessing at a processing time. My recommendation for you would be to email the National Center for Home Food Preservation and get Elizabeth Andress's advice on this. She wrote the USDA guidelines. Here is a link that might be useful: Contact Elizabeth Andress
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I don't think they were ranting, they were recommending a technique to influence manufacturers. Boycotts work sometimes, but not often. What might help is to write to the companies, but we already know they changed on purpose to thwart home canners, so doubt we'd have much luck. I reread this thread and also want to say ksrogers must be doing something wrong to have so many mayo jars break. I have used them a lot and had only two break in about 25 years of canning. It is important to have a rack or even a folded cloth under the jars to keep them from rattling incessantly against the bottom of the canning kettle. For the Classico jars, I use them with the lids they come with. Works well. My sister saves them for me and I bring them home in my luggage when I visit her.
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Comments (10)
I answered this over on cooking, but I'll add it here too: No canning jars to be found here either. Fortunately, I've got mine, Elery's, his Mother's, my grandmother's. I never get them back when I give someone a gift, though, and since I canned nearly 1,000 jars of various produce this year, many of mine are still in use. I've been getting them at the on-line auction, but they're going pretty high there too. Fortunately, I have enough, and I bought flats/lids last year in February and had enough to get me through. I did see 3 cases of jars, 2 pints and 1 quart, at the local Meijer last week, but they are now nearly $15.00 a case, they were $9.00 last year and I can almost guarantee they are gone by now. And, as has been mentioned, many "crafters" are utilizing canning jars for various things, and my family has found that if they wash the jar, the flat and the ring, they make better fridge storage containers than Tupperware. I give away more things in 8 and 12 ounce jars than any other size, so if I run out, it will be those sizes. I've told Elery that if I give someone a jar of jam or whatever, I consider the jar to be part of the gift and never expect to get it back. I do have a couple of cases of jars that are 80 or 90 years old, you can date them by the style of writing on the jar, among other things. I save those for "emergency" canning, and try to only use them for waterbath canning, but I've actually had to use a couple. I've also taken my dry goods like beans and lentils out of usable canning jars and put them into the old blue jars, so that the others can be used for canning and freezing. Amazon isn't a good place to buy jars even when there isn't a large demand, they've always been extremely expensive there. On another note, I found an old "Mom's" jar in a box of auction jars. My grandson thought it was the coolest thing ever, that jar with a picture of a Grandma peeling apples on the front. (grin) I gave it to him, it's on a shelf in his room full of marbles, so they do get repurposed for other things! Annie
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Izzy Mn
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
I have been wondering about a few I got at a garage sale. I'm not a collector, but have always liked them. I just learned the tops are probably zinc, I had thought they were lead, but zinc makes more sense now.

I have 2 of the larger one and a small. The large ones came with a glass topper of sorts, or seal, that bseems can be held in place by the ring screw down things. I suppose to be used in conjugation with a rubber seal when canning (don't worry I don't can)

Does anyone know about the glass top things? I've glanced at some sites but have not seen these glass seals/tops.

They don't really stay in place, but just sit on top and wouldn't easily stay on with out the screw down rings.

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack.
bungalow975 thanked Izzy Mn
lindac92
3 years ago
The glass tops...the clear ones are meant to be used with a sort of clamp on the lid....there is also a milk glass liner that goes with the zinc screw on lids that are used with a rubber jar ring.
bungalow975 thanked lindac92
jemdandy
3 years ago
Glass jars using a glass lid that was clamped in place: That type of jar will have a pair of deep indentations on its side and under the top rim where the bail hooked in place. The seal was a flat, large diameter rubber washer. If the toggle-bail is gone, those indents will identify this type of canning jar. If those indents are missing, then this jar was intended for some other use besides canning, maybe a jar having a lid with a knob.

Canning jars with screw-on metal lids were sealed with a flat rubber gasket. The inside top of the lid was usually lined with glazing to keep the contents from contacting the lid metal. The sealing gasket may have had a tab that protruded beyond the lid. Its purpose was to help unseal the can at opening. One pulled on the tab to pull the seal ring from under the lid. This relieved the vacuum and made it easy to unscrew the lid.

Both of these types were superseded by a jar having coarse threads at the top and used a thin metal scew-on ring with that held a relatively flat lid. This lid was slightly domed and had a thin elastomer seal bonded to it. This lid had a superior feature in that it indicated if the jar was properly sealed. During canning, after tightening the ring, the dome would snap down with a 'pop' sound as the contents cooled and drew a vacuum. The canner could test a jar for seal quality by pressing the center of the lid. If a good vacuum existed, the lid would already be snapped down and taut; If sealing had failed, the lid would be domed upward and could be pressed down. That can would not be stored and its contents used shortly. If desired, the caned goods could be stored without rings, and the rings removed for use on the next batch. However, those rings were inexpensive and most canners left the rings in place as added assurance that a lid was not lifted. After storage, the canner could check his/her stored stock for seal integrity. To open this jar, remove the ring and pry the lid off; Discard the lid, the ring is reusable.
bungalow975 thanked jemdandy

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