glass jars are what thneeds strived to be

This post is a dedication to my love of mason jars, I hope you're inspired.

I’ve been struggling with how to start this article without sounding absolutely unhinged or ingenuine. But in all seriousness. I. LOVE. JARS. SO. MUCH.

First off, they’re so cute. Look at ‘em, they’re precious!

Second, they have so many purposes! Storing leftovers, jams, bulk pantry items, random trinkets, freezer-friendly foods, drinkware, I COULD GO ON. But really, if you want something to look cute? Stuff it in a jar.

from L to R, popcorn in an old sauce jar, hemp seeds in a baby mason jar, chocolate chips in a lemonade bottle, za’atar in an old beet jar.

Being in college, jars have been such a saving grace for me. I can store my lunches in a mason jar if I run out of other Tupperware or just for convenience. Most 16oz jars perfectly fit in a car cupholder, which makes storing liquids (or soups) a breeze. Screw top lids mean that they’re practically spill-proof and can be thrown into any bag (please be careful though cause you know, glass). Plus again, it’s cute! People will know you’re a classy lady, lad, or somewhere in between when they see you whip out that mason jar to the brim with leftovers from the night before.

This isn’t an original idea but literally has changed the game about storing veggies.

They’re also perfect to use for giving away meals in a pinch. There were many times when I’d cook for just myself and I’d have too many leftovers, I’d just fill up a jar and give it to a friend. Some of my friends kept the jars, some gave them back, but the stakes were super low if I never saw it again. Because guess what?

Some of the best jars aren’t mason jars at all. They’re your favorite store products we overlook and throw away. Another reason to love mason jars: eco-friendly! Washing and getting rid of the labels is a labor of love, but it’s worth it! One of my favorite jars is the Laura Scudders® Peanut Butter jars (also great peanut butter in my opinion). Other great jar options are pickled jars but NOT pickle jars. Pickle jars (especially dill pickles) are hard to get the sour, dill aroma out of it despite multiple washes. Pickled beets or artichoke hearts are your great options (see za’atar jar above to prove this point)! For bigger jar options, pasta sauce jars are awesome for bigger bulk items.

THE Laura Scudders jar. she’s perfect, she’s classy, and she doesn’t rust.

Now you may be wondering, “wow, Cara hasn’t mentioned Siti yet!” Well, here she is ladies and gents. As a kid, I never knew anyone else who owned so many mason jars. My Siti would buy them in bulk and store them in her garage. She always had the short, 8oz ones on hand for making fig preserves from her tree. As a kid, my cousin and I would spend hours playing in that tree; collecting huge leaves, our hands sticky from sap, and climbing a whopping five feet off the ground. There was one specific branch that when you stood on it a certain way (one foot anchoring yourself, the other in a lunge, your whole chest leaning away from the tree, looking into the “horizon”) I’d always think I was George Washington. That is so specific, and so, so strange.

I digress.

Mason jars resonate elderly energy, and you can’t convince me otherwise.

With love,

Cara