Can recycled jars be used in place of Mason jars?

Good morning friends! I wanna find out if we could use other jars if we can't find Mason jars or others similar to them. Could some types of food be put into plastic jars? Which types of recycled jars are safe for storing if can't purchase Mason? Please reach me if you all need me. Take care!

I have succesfully used commercial food jars I have collected from friends. The industry often heats them at least to boiling point so they withstand heat well. Just make sure the lid has this centrepiece that snaps down when the jar is sealed (heated and when cooling, a vacuum is created)

Many years' experience has taught me that if a glass jar will fit a canning jar ring, it can be used for canning, whether in boiling water or under pressure.  We made trial of this with whole batches of reused jars versus bona-fide "canning jars" in a community where 1000 jars of various things were put up every year, and there were no more seal failures or breakage among the recycled jars versus the others. Many common foods come in jars of this type, things like tomato sauces, mayo, mustard, etc.  A location with open recycling bins will often yield you many free jars just for the effort at cleaning them up.   More important than the origin of the jars is how you handle the jars....in particular never use any sharp implement such as a knife to scrape residues while cleaning or release air bubbles while canning...this can leave invisible scratches on the inside of the jar which can trigger cracks later.

What's happening folks! Could we also use old pickle or peanut butter jars to store food, seeds and stuff and then pressure can them?

In the USA folks use these single-use lids. We don't have them in Europe.
So I just use jars with lids from olives, sauces whatever. Wash them and the lid thoroughly and use. As long as the lid has the central dentation that snaps down when a vacuum is created, they work fine.

Beautiful jars! Is there any way to store our harvested seeds in old peanut butter or jelly jars especially if they're plastic? Where we store our jars for cooling or freezing if don't have a refrigerator or freezer to help stuff last for years?

They can be used though the chances of jar breakage is greater and the USDA does not recommend them for use here in the US.

Back in the old days when folks made jams and jelly where paraffin was used to cover the top these kind of jars were used because a water bath was not used.

I don't believe that is a recommended procedure now days due to risk of mold.

I don't want to argue with official recommendations.
But having worked in food industry I know their glass jars ans screwable lids get exposed to boiling temperatures. I feel safe washing them and using them again.
Just my opinion.

Blake - would not re-use plastic.

Could we reuse any glass jars as long as we clean them out?  And should we wash them after in use?

Blake - If you're just wanting to store your seeds, I suspect any airtight jar will do. Put a little dried rice in with them and that will help keep them dry.

Kaarina - even the lids without a button are fine with the European method of jam making - I sterilise my jars and pour in hot preserves and they keep season to season in my climate, which is all I need. It is nice to get the button seal evidence but not necessary. I do get a few failures because my lids are quite old now but I just use those first!

How will rice keep harvested or store brought seeds dry? Has anybody used rice to help keep seeds dry before?

Keeping things dry depends heavily on location. We in Scandinavia have dry homes in winter because of the heating. So we use paper bags. In a humid climates you would need to dry the produce thoroughly and the put it into airtight jar.

Blake Lenoir wrote:How will rice keep harvested or store brought seeds dry? Has anybody used rice to help keep seeds dry before?

I do it all the time - particularly with larger seeds that I may want to keep longer like peas and beans. The rice needs to be dry (I dry it in my cool oven for a while) some people use silica gel: this post is one of a conversation about seed saving and storing that you may find of interest.

Could jarred seeds be stored in very dark places such basements and cells? Looking for an appropriate place to keep my food and stuff cooler and secure to last forever.

I've also re-used regular glass jars for canning (mostly applesauce and tomato sauce). I check the lids for signs of deterioration - eventually the paint starts to peel and it starts to rust, sometimes the rim or the seal gets damaged - any of those get tossed into the commercial recycling bin. As long as the jar and lid are clean and in good repair, I just clean and sterilize same as I would with canning jars and carry on. Some jars are close to narrow-mouth size, but a little bit smaller, which is a pain for filling because the canning funnel doesn't fit, but if you get creative you can figure out how to fill anyway. (Or use for stuff like maple syrup that can run through a regular funnel.) I've found at least one brand that actually packs their tomato sauce in legit canning jars, with one piece narrow mouth lids, which is perfect for re-using.

I save any and all glass jars for future use (not just canning, they're also useful for dry goods and random stuff around the house - I have an old spice jar sitting on my desk right now full of laptop body screws) as long as they have a good lid. I also keep some plastic containers (e.g. peanut butter jars) for the shop for storing nuts and bolts and things, in addition to the tin cans. No glass out there, I don't need to be picking glass shards out of a pile of nails.

Blake Lenoir wrote:Could jarred seeds be stored in very dark places such basements and cells? Looking for an appropriate place to keep my food and stuff cooler and secure to last forever.

Cool, dark, and dry will make them last as long as possible. I think places that are trying to really keep seeds for a long time (e.g. Seed Saver's Exchange, or the global seed vault in Greenland or Iceland or wherever it is) use walk in coolers for this purpose. The seeds will lose vitality over time, though, and germination rates will drop, so any long term preservation plan should include growing out some of them periodically and refreshing the seed stock.

I've been reusing jars for years, commercial jam jars are designed to display the jam to it's best ability. Canning jars just aren't as revealing, somehow, being designed for sturdiness and reusability. Also the pickle jars (mostly originating in Europe) are reusable, however the lids are less durable, and vinegar or lacto-fermented pickles can rust through the lids. I have trouble replacing the lids as they are more easily damaged than the jars.
If anyone has a source for lids to 1L pickle jars I'd be interested, although I do seem to buy pickles or cooked beets often enough to replace the lids, I just hate throwing out jars.

Are there some suitable and long lasting lids out there that can be used time and again? I don't want anything go to waste, but don't want nothing to be spoiled time after time. I want stuff to make stuff last forever till it's eaten or grown. Which lids can be used for any jar?

If the lid is good when it goes on, chances are it will be fine until you use it. You just have to be attentive when you're canning and toss them when they start looking iffy. Nothing is going to last "forever", though.

As far as a lid that fits any jar - I suspect your only real option is actual canning jars from Ball or Kerr or the like. The lids come in two sizes (regular and wide mouth) and they always fit. From all the random jars I've collected, maybe a couple have had interchangeable lids, and a few more that were close, but not good enough to be safe canning with. Each brand is at least a little different. If you (or someone you know) always buy the same brand of olives or sauce or other canned goods from the store, those lids/jars should be interchangeable, at least until somebody decides to shrinkflate it and then it's off by a couple millimeters. (Anyone try saving ice cream pails lately??) Speaking of shrinkage - there's also the issue of the jars not being a consistent/standard size. Depending on what you're canning it may or may not be an issue, but the inconsistency of size and having to keep the lids paired up through storage, cleaning, and canning, and estimating the number of jars required for a particular batch can be more of a hassle. There's definitely something to be said about all the jars and lids being matchy-matchy.

You could look into old ways of sealing jars with rubber and wax and whatnot, which would probably allow a greater variety of jars to be used, but I suspect the longevity of the canned product is not going to compare favorably.

I wanna begin with frozen foods including fruit, veggies and meat. How could we get the same fresh taste from our jarred ones as we have from freezer or refrigerator without them taste bitter? I also wanna jar my harvested seeds from my gardens and want them to last forever till I plant them or eat them. What conditions we need to help seeds last after being put in jars? I'm planning to put my beans, peas, squashes, corn and others into jars to keep them fresh and lasting. How could heirloom seeds become pristine even they are put into jars? Thanks!

Salt abdorbs moisture. Or you can use those commercial moisture absorbers.

How we make our own moisture absorbers without buying any? I'd like some stuff to keep my food moist at all times to enjoy the freshness of food every day.

Blake Lenoir wrote:What's happening folks! Could we also use old pickle or peanut butter jars to store food, seeds and stuff and then pressure can them?

If you pressure can them, the seeds would be sterile from the temp. I use everything to store seeds in, I put a chunk of paper towel in to stabilize moisture.

What's up man! How we pressure can old pickle or peanut butter jars to help them last a long time to our seeds and stuff? I never pressure can before and wanna learn how to do it. I wanna be safe from all types of poisoning from using jars to store food.

Blake,
Here are my broad and very general thoughts

If you are storing seeds to plant, almost any glass jar will do as long as it has a tight fitting lid and the seeds are dry.
Most seeds for planting will keep longer frozen in those same jars if quite dry but freezing is not necessary.  Pressure cooking (or any excessive heat) will interfere with germination.

For canning food I only use jars made for that purpose and with appropriate lids.

For freezing food I use widemouth canning jars with a good inch headspace.

For fermented foods I use gallon, half gallon or widemouth quarts depending on the amount of foods I am fermenting.  These are stored in the refrigerator.

If you have not canned food before maybe start with water bath canning tomatoes or other acidic foods.
Or make a simple cabbage sauerkraut that is nutritious and will keep well refrigerated and doesn'tt need canning at all.

Sometimes when using old olive/ pickle/ jam jars, you get seal failure quicker because the gasket material gets thinner and harder.  I only reuse one of those jar/ lid combos if I'm going to use whatever's inside within 6 mos. to a year, or if I'm going to give it away to somebody who'll use it in that timeframe (and only if it's in very good condition).

If you have a lot of those jars and the lids are going, here in the US there's Fillmore Container for all your jar-related needs.  They sell all kinds of sizes and closure types and you can get them in small quantities (like literally one lid for $0.25 or less in a lot of cases).  Shipping can be rough, definitely not worthwhile for one or two lids, but they sell a lot of things so it's very easy to buy enough to justify the cost ;)

(I've really relaxed my stance on re-using lids for high-acid waterbath canning, but I would never pressure can with anything but a brand-name Ball/ Kerr/ Jardin/ Golden Harvest jar, even if it's threaded for a Mason lid.  A lot of the supermarket jars are only intended to be used once and the material is thinner and more prone to flaws.  Having a jar break from thermal shock is no picnic, especially after getting it out of the canner)