When I first started becoming truly enthralled with canning, I began to look beyond the standard Mason/Ball/Kerr jars available. I discovered the Weck jars that are typically used in Europe, but was put off a bit by the price tag and the fact that they are often hard to actually get (I did break down and order a half dozen from Lehman’s, but with shipping, they cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $7 a jar. That is far too much for the volume of canning I typically do).
However, when I took a close look at the way in which the Weck jars seal, I realized that they are practically identical to the vintage bailing wire canning jars that were popular in this country through most of the 20th century. The glass lids on the Weck jars seal via a rubber gasket. Through the hot water process, everything is held in place by a couple of metal clips. The glass lids on the vintage jars seal via a rubber gasket. During canning, the lid is held in place by the metal wire that locks up over the lid. The thing that makes the vintage jars even better than the Weck jars is that you have an easy way to keep the jar closed after you’ve opened it, via the bailing wire. When you use the Weck jars, you have to keep replacing the metal clips (or get a set of their plastic lids).
So once I figured out that the jars I already had (and had gotten for free when helping a friend of a friend clean out her mother’s basement) would do the exact same job as the spendy ones, I got down to work. I ordered a set of rubber gaskets from Lehman’s for just over three bucks (they’re the only ones who still seem to carry them) and made a canning plan.
I did a mixed berry jam, because I’ve been endeavoring to clean out my freezer, in preparation for the coming onslaught of produce and still had some frozen fruit from last summer. I supplemented my frozen strawberries and raspberries with some fresh (but cheap and decidedly not local) strawberries (I made up for it the following week by hand-picking 13 pounds of local strawberries and making the best jam I’ve ever tasted. That recipe is coming later this week).
When canning with these jars, most of the steps are the same as with the screw-top jars. You clean your jars, lids and seals well, prepare your jam and fill the jars. Once the jars are filled, you wipe the tops clean and the apply the rubbers (clean thoughts, kids) and top with the glass lids (of course, making sure that your vintage jars and lids are without chips, cracks or other damage).
Lock the bailing wire into place and lower the jars into the hot water bath. Process as usual (this recipe calls for a 15 minute process). When the time has elapsed, remove the jars from the water, being careful not to tip them (these jars are mostly glass, which means that if you get the jam on the top of the lid, you’ll see it, and if you’re a bit of a perfectionist, this will make you sad).
The next day, when the jars are all cool, unlock the bailing wire. The lid should not move in the slightest. Test your seal by picking the jar up by the glass lid (don’t go crazy, just lift an inch or two above the countertop). It should hold fast. If it doesn’t, your seal is no good. If it holds, lock the wire back into place (you don’t need it there to hold the lid in place anymore, but it makes for better storage) and store as you would any other sealed jar.
I do have a jar of this lovely mixed berry jam to give away, but I’m giving away pint canned in a conventional jar. I trust these old jars, but I don’t know how well they’ll hold up when shipped, so I’m not going to risk it. A warning – this jam is a bit loose (some might call it syrup-y, I wouldn’t argue with them), but is amazing stirred into plain yogurt or cottage cheese. If you want a shot at it, leave a comment. I’ll pick a winner on Friday, June 12th.
Mixed Berry Jam
8 cups mixed berries (if frozen, let defrost thoroughly) with their juice
5 1/2 cups sugar
2 lemons, zested and juiced
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 box liquid pectin (you’ll use both packets from that box)
Pour the fruit into a large pot (think 8 to 10 quarts, this stuff gets bubbly). If there are still big hunks of fruit, smash them with a potato masher, or puree with an immersion blender a bit. Add sugar and bring up to a gentle boil. Add the lemon juice and zest and let everything simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until it starts to look very syrup-y. Bring up to a rolling boil and add the pectin. Let boil for an additional five minutes then kill the heat.
Ladle into prepared jars, clean rims, apply lids and process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes (remember that you don’t start timing until the water has reached a boil).
Eat on toast, stirred into oatmeal or in yogurt. This recipe will make between 5 and 6 pints (it depends on how much liquid was in the fruit).
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Lovely pictures and tasty sounding jam. What an informative post. Makes me want to get into canning even more than I already do. thanks!
Luna, I’m so glad that I’ve got you wanting to leap into canning even more! If you have any questions, feel free to ask! -Marisa
Please submit my name to win the jar. It looks delicious! I love your easy to follow directions on canning. I’ve been wanting to can myself for some time now and I might just give it a try now!
Eliza, a girl with culinary talents such as yours should definitely try canning. Any time you have a question, let me know! -Marisa
I swear that you must be reading my mind. I just picked up an old Mason jar (just clear) this weekend that requires a rubber seal and wondered where you get them. But since I only have one, I’ll probably hold out on using it for canning anything quite yet. I mostly bought it because it was pretty and only $1.
Andi, those types of jars, even without the rubber seal, are good for holding things like nuts and raisins. -Marisa
Oooh, I’ll take a shot! I love the sound of a runny jam…especially in yogurt with some oats? Yes please. Once local berries are ripe, I might be hitting up your blog with canning questions!
Kickpleat, we are on the very same wavelength. This morning I ate that exact runny jam with yogurt, oats, banana and pecans. Also, please send any questions you have my way, I’d be happy to answer them! -Marisa
I was looking at the link you posted a week ago for small batch strawberry jam and thinking of making it tomorrow or the day after. Is your recipe also small-batch friendly at all?
(and, yes, I’d love a shot at the mixed berry jam)
Livia, you could divide this recipe in half very easily and it would make a nice, small batch. The only sticking point with dividing it further is the pectin, as you’re sort of stuck with the amount in each packet. However, you could also try your hand at jam-making without pectin. You’d need to extend the cooking times, but it is possible. -Marisa
I would like a shot at trying this delicious looking jam please!
Wylin, you are in the running! -Marisa
Well, of COURSE I want a shot at mixed berry jam/syrup, and it is so cool that you were able to use those old jars! I’m glad I invited you to the house-clean-out-free-for-all that day!
Fran, I’m so glad you invited me that day as well! I am still totally in love with all the cookbooks I brought home with me as well! -Marisa
I grew up in an orphanage where we made jam in these old jars! We canned in large quanties, but used small jars when we ran out of cans. Especially making pickles; which we did in the old large crocks filled with spices and brine and left sitting for days. What a reminder of my childhood! THANKS Marisa!
Pat, you’re so welcome! Sounds like you had an interesting childhood! -Marisa
Mmm…strawberry jam is my favorite! I made a batch with blueberries in it once; I’d love to try some with raspberry!
Tim, it’s really good stuff. -Marisa
I want a shot at winning this jar of yummy. Question, are the rubber rings reuseable or do you need to replace it with a fresh ring each time you reuse the jar?
e, unfortunately, you can’t reuse the rubber rings. They become a bit compressed during the canning process (which is a good thing, as it means your food will be safe to eat) but that means that they also lose the springiness which allows for a good seal. However, they cost less than $3 for a dozen, which makes them pretty darn cheap (and cheaper in comparison to the rings and lids that you get at the grocery store). -Marisa
hi marisa,
this is such a great idea! i love, love, love the look of those old jars but don’t have any because i figured i couldn’t really use them to can. now i am inspired to go out and look for some. i must admit i not versed at looking for them.
can you give us some pointers on places to find them?
thanks!
Tigress, I’d start with your local thrift and antique stores. Many garage sales will yield a few. You can also often buy boxed lots of them on ebay for cheap. If you find the jars without the glass lids, you can also typically get replacements on ebay that aren’t too pricey. -Marisa
Love those jars…I think I might’ve found a friend to try canning with me! I’m also interested in the answer e’s question.
Stephanie, I’m so glad you found a canning buddy! Check out e’s comment above for the answer to her question! -Marisa
My grandmother used to have glass-top Ball jars, and she’d use them to put up all manner of foods. I used to love wandering around her enormous pantry (she lived in an old farmhouse), “shopping” for our noon-time meal (called dinner, in true rural-American style).
Rebecca, what a lovely memory to have! I also shopped in my grandmother’s pantry as a kid, but hers was lined with canned food from the grocery store and was in the garage, so it wasn’t quite so picturesque. -Marisa
Pick me! Pick me! Oh please, pick me!
Wait, I don’t want to sound needy.
See you in September when I learn how to put up tomatoes with you at Fosters.
Oh yay, I’m delighted to hear that you’re going to be in the tomato class in September! -Marisa
ah, i LOVE those jars. remind me of EVERYthing in my grandma’s kitchen growing up.
Ooh, I love it! I’m always picking up those old jars when I find them in good condition. Now I know where I can get new seals, and also that I can use them for canning! Sweet post!
The jam looks delish, but I thought it was considered unsafe to use anything but the regular mason flats/rings combo. I have thought about using my glass top jars, but everywhere I read says no. (and I have a slight fear of the canning police showing up at my door)
Tara, your question deserves a post of its own. I’ll have it up later today. -Marisa
Sounds really delicious! I’d love a shot!
All my jams are runny! Better to stir into yogurt or pour over ice cream!
Pam, I always give jars of jam to my down-the-hall, elderly neighbor, Charlie. His favorite thing to do with them is eat them over ice cream and he too appreciates the runny jams! -Marisa
I really love the look of those vintage jars. I’m just diving into canning this summer and I’ve been planning on buying jars like those, but I had no idea that they’re so expensive. Yikes!
Thanks for the post.
I’m new here and to canning and I’d love to try your runny jam!
I have a few of these same jars from my mom and I am now inspired (and would love some jam)..Thanks!
That’s great to know about the Weck rubber seals — I have loads of vintage canning jars without seals, and haven’t used them for any canning. I’m off to order now.
My boyfriend got me a yogurt maker and I’m always looking for new, delicious things to mix into my yogurt. I would love to win a jar of your mixed berry jam so sign me up!
awesome! I did some canning 2 summers ago (peaches, apple butter, and a praline syrup), and really want to get back into it this year. i made some refrigerator pickles 2 nights ago and am gonna crack them open tonight to see how it went. It’s sort of a recipe test run, as I’m also trying to grow my own pickling cucumbers in my little patio ‘victory garden’. fingers crossed!
I love your blog and the jam sounds delish. I ordered canning supplies, but alas, the canning rack I got is too big for the 2 pots I already own. Bummer. But as soon as I figure out a solution to this problem, I’ll make my gramma proud and get to canning!
Looks delicious. Just bought some jars a few weeks ago to make some pickled okra and at some point plan to try jams as well. Spooned over cottage cheese sounds great. Glad to have found this site!
I am really excited to start to get into canning. I need to slowly start investing in the supplies before the markets just get hit with produce. Thanks for sharing. I just found your blog from The Kitchn and I love it already!
i yearn to learn how to can–this blog is so exciting! i hope i win your contest!
Hey Marisa, I remember my Granny Bartlett canning using hot liquid parafin wax to pour over what went into the jar. Have you pondered that technique at all? I remember great fun in opening a new jar and tipping off the cooled parafin and licking the bottom of it for some straight jam flavor.
My mom used to have some of these jars when I was little. They were awesome. Miss that little house too. :/
Great post!
the jam looks great! i’m gearing up to do some preserving, once i eat my fill of the produce we’re getting!
Thank you so much for this post. I, like you, got very excited with canning, and canned BBQ sauce that I made, peppers, and even tried my hand at marmalade. The vintage jars have always been very appealing to me, and I do believe I’ll be trying them out, once I acquire some.
[...] store. The gasket-and-lid type of jar is not recommended by the USDA as it is more difficult (though not impossible) to tell whether or not you have achieved a tight seal. There are also cool (and spendy) [...]
Hi, I have a ton of these jars and lids and plan to get rubbers from Lehmans. I put shelled indian corn in them for my grandkids to sell along with the pumkins and gourds. Some of my wire bails are in bad shape do you have any idea about getting replacements. Thanks,Bill
This is the first time I’ve come across your site, and I must say it got me really excited and impressed! Didn’t know that anyone still did home canning these days, what more with the vintage jars that were really created for that purpose! Fun!!
Love the jars! I am going to look into getting some. Less waste with the bands and not the throw away lids. Like that idea as well. The jam will be getting done some time soon here, sounds nummy.
I realize I’m late to the party here, but my local Ace carries the rubbers. They are may or may not be Ball brand, but they’re out there!
I know the FDA frowns on using the Glass topped Jars. Nuts to them!
They say they might not seal as well! I have the reverse problem.
I have a really hard time unsealing my jars. I have to wedge a sharp
knife in under/over the seal to break the vacuum!
I also think you can re-use the seals. When you boil them (don’t boil them very much!)
they will become pliable and more or less snap back to their original shape.
As long as the will hold a vacuum, they are good.
I’d like to find a better way to open them without possibly damaging the seal.
Also when I but them in the canner, I put the wire bail over the lid,
put don’t lock the bail/lid down. That lets to hot air/vapor escape the jar,
but keeps the water bath out of the jar. I snap the bail down after I
take the jars out of the bath.
Jaimes Beam.
Hi Jaimes,
I saw your post and thought I’d share my discovery. If you pull on the tab of the rubber gasket, it breaks the seal and the jars open quite easily!
Can you mix peaches in this recipe too? I have a ton of peaches still frozen from last summer that I am trying to find uses for! Thanks!
Thanks for the info…I just bought 30 of the glass top bailing wire type quart jars for five bucks….so relieved to hear you can seal em like the newer ones. Can’t wait for my garden to start producing!!
both the large and small seals are $2.49 a dozen at the local hardware store, I have found them at Ace and Aubuchon’s
I get the jars all the time in the glass recycling dumpster at the local “mall” (aka the dump) , sometimes there will be a box full with (omg) lids, left sitting beside the dumpster.. like a gift
I take them all home, sort them and keep all usable parts, jars, lids bails and caps, I take back what is not usable
when checking for cracks and chips the only not so obvious thing I have found is where the wire fits into the glass jar, they should all be snapped shut with a seal in place (empty) to make sure the arm does not fall off! toss those jars, lids with chips can be used on craft projects so I save them in a separate area from the usable ones and these jars sell sell sell when filled with bread and butter pickles at the flea market and craft fairs in my area, I think it gives people a peaceful feeling when they walk away with something they remember getting from grandma or a dear great aunt when they were a child. I know it makes me think of both whenever my canner comes out, they taught me how to use it 40 years ago, and I am grateful they were so kind
I am totally convinced that I have to try some jams in these or in Weck jars. I have a few bail jars, but no rubbers right now. I am glad to find a source for the rubbers via your post. I love your blog.
I was reading “Putting Food By” (a great resource), and they also mentioned that the bails should be half closed when they go in the canning bath, and then fully locked after they have been removed. It’s the same principle as tightening the two part lids to “finger tight.” I have about 75 of these, and just ordered my rings through the local hardware store. Can’t wait to get to work with them!
I purchased a one gall Ball jug with a spicket and a glass lid at a second-hand store. It was missing the wire bail and I am having great difficulty locating a replacement for the bail. The circumference of my jug is 14″. Do you have any suggestions as to where I might be able to purchase a replacement bail?
Where do get your lovely jars from please?
I buy them all over. Thrift stores, rummage sales, antique stores and supermarkets.
i canned using italian glass jars i found at a garage sale. i too am having the same problem as jaimes– i can’t break the seal! i’ve tried to pull on the tab as krista recommends, but unfortunately i lined up the tab with where the bail clips into place, so i having the dickens of a time! in the interest of preventing a bodily injury as i try to unpry this seal with a knife, might any folks have any ideas of what to try next? thanks.
ah-ha! figured it out thanks to weck’s:
#17 on this page helped me out: http://weckjars.com/canning_safely.php
turn jar upside down, submerge in hot water for a few minutes, and then attempt to open again (pliers with the tab were useful!)
Of course you had a post on these! And thank you for having one. Our lovely neighbor is moving and I was gifted with her boxes of vintage jars. Four boxes. Big boxes. Full of blues, bigs, litlles and a smattering of odd little itty bitties. I am thrilled.
Thanks again!