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| 4 ounce, 2 ounce and 1 ounce jars |
The tiny, one ounce jar is sugar-free jelly jars. Charlie had these, did not want the jelly. Exbf is diabetic and slow eating this. I only have emptied four of them, thanks to exbf. There are another two dozen in a tiny box, waiting for him to take home and eat.
Two pickle jars and a glass Lipton Instant Tea jar were among the glass jars I have saved and stored away today. Today was the day I freed up drawers, shelves, and the counter of about 50 glass jars. "One drawer with one little pimiento jar won't hurt anything" Right. Today, I could not put the hand mixer back in its drawer. The drawer for potholders would not hold potholders.
Now, they will all live in a vodka box from the liquor store, cushioned with the plastic that comes from around tray packs at the grocery. There are still a few in the kitchen. I usually use a jar of pimiento each month. I love pimiento and cheese sandwiches.
So, you think this is a hoarder's obsession? No, these are used and have future uses. Let me tell you.
Uses:
~store leftovers in the refrigerator--dab of spaghetti sauce that will be a meal on toast
~put a stemless flower or azaleas in these in the kitchen window
~store dry goods on my shelf--rest of the bag of pasta in a pickle jar
~store chocolate chips so they will be safe from me yet say safe from going stale or any bug
~store buttons or pins
~put apple cider vinegar in the bathroom so I could dab it on my fungus-y toe nails (I will throw this pimiento jar away)
~carry a few pecans in the car or lunch for a snack
~send leftovers home in a pickle jar with a friend and not expect the container back
Now, this is the weirdest use of all. Exbf and I were going to Ruby Tuesday for dinner. I hate their tea because it is nasty tasting. I would just rather drink water. However, I filled a one-ounce jelly jar with instant tea. I unashamedly put in my water and confused the waitress. I explained that the tea was nasty and she agreed. I explained I would only drink water even if I did not order the nasty tea. "Besides," I told her, "I am cheap, but I tip well." He did tip well. Okay, so I am cheap. But, the tea is so bad I would not drink it, anyway.
Before you tell me how horrid instant tea is, let me say it is an acquired taste. By myself, I cannot drink a pitcher of tea and was throwing it out at the end of the day. Refrigerated tea or leftover tea is gross, so it was poured down the drain. Besides, I drink decaffeinated tea.
Of course, I save spaghetti jars, all pickle jars, and any glass jar that comes through the door. I must admit that some days I just do not want to wash the jar for whatever reason and occasionally toss one. Maybe every month I discard one jar.
I even get glass, gallon wine jugs from a friend. However, I have only about six to store drinking water. The tornado that tore up our town convinced me of this need. Yes, someday I will wash those wine jugs and fill them right up with water.
My friend, Donna, said she never throws out a glass jar. She understood my keeping all jars. Charlie does the same. He has a closet full of jars, plastic and glass.
Your turn
Do any of you keep jars? Does anyone use store jars to can like the British do? If you are British, do you can food in store jars?
I really don't buy anything in jars. When I do buy something it's usually in bulk and I take one of my own Mason jar to the store with me. I grow and can my own pimento's, too. I love pimento cheese sandwiches!
ReplyDeleteLynda,
DeleteThe only place i know of that sells bulk is 50 miles from here and smells of cigarette smoke, has dogs running around and the owner's kids reaching into the bulk bins. No thanks.
I love pimiento cheese sandwiches too much.
I love those little pimiento jars, too! I'm trying to save enough of them to eventually use for spices. I like jars that are all the same size that way. I used to save EVERY jar, but until the need arises to do that, I don't have the storage space for them all, so I use wide-mouthed canning jars because they stack well and I store bulk herbs in them. :-)
ReplyDeleteRobbyn,
ReplyDeleteI thought of using them for spices, too. I do like jars that are all the same size. How many do you need? I have the half-gallon Ball Canning Jars that hold things like beans and rice, and dehydrated banana chips, plus other things I dehydrate.
Seriously, how many pimiento jars do you need. I can mail them at no cost to either of us. email me.
I don't purchase many items in jars or tins so glass is GOLD. We are running a fundraiser at our community garden this weekend and glass jars were needed for preserves.
ReplyDeleteI was able to collect 3 glass jars in 2 weeks. And this was only because someone gifted left over food items from their hotel room in exchange for showing them around a couple of gardens before they caught a flight home.
It was a win-win-win but as you say glass is GOLD and I think rapidly being taken over by plastic more and more.
FDU,
DeleteI still am able to buy peanut butter in glass. But, Miracle Whip, vinegar, and Clorox are all in plastic. Vinegar comes in glass is you buy a tiny bottle! I switch brands is they go to plastic. It is very disheartening.
I tend to save ALL glass jars as well, but I had such a mountain of them in the basement last year that I finally cleared out 4 boxes and took them to the recycling center.
ReplyDeleteI like to keep small jars of any type to can extra jams and jellies in to give away. I have canned pickles in old store jars as well. The lids tend to rust after a reuse or two, but if I'm out of jars, or planning to give some away, I'll still do it.
I like to store beans, peas, and herbs in old spaghetti jars too. I'm trying to be fussier about the jars I keep now, to avoid the overload in the basement, but it's so hard to throw them out. You never know when you'll need another jar!
Wendy,
DeleteAnd, you just never know which size you need either! So, I save them all.
To me, it is easier to recycle a bunch rather than to be searching for exactly the right jar, thinking you just threw out the perfect size two weeks ago. I store beans in old spaghetti jars because I believe the seal from just screwing on the cap is very tight, so no moths or anything else can get inside.