Is There Even A Difference Between Mason Jars And Canning Jars?

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The term Mason jar is often used to mean any kind of glass canning jar, in the same way that people refer to all types of facial tissue as Kleenex. However, not all canning jars are made by the Mason brand or have a Mason jar design. These days, you can find a wide variety of different canning jar brands and styles on the market. So while all Mason jars can be used for canning, not all canning jars are actually Mason jars.

If you have ever wondered who really makes Mason jars, you're not alone. It can be confusing since a few different companies sell jars with the Mason embossing. The Mason brand all started when John Landis Mason patented the jars in 1858. However, when his patent expired in 1879, Alexander Kerr changed the lid's one-piece design into a two-piece mechanism that is still used today. Then, the Ball Brothers mass-produced the jars using Kerr's design.

As home canning has come in and out of favor throughout the decades since, so has the manufacturing and availability of various styles of canning jars. Now that so many people use Mason jars to make cooking easier and to store or even serve food in, the jars will likely continue to be manufactured by many different companies.

Though Mason jars and canning jars are best known for their canning uses, they can be put to work in your kitchen in many different ways beyond that. Instead of throwing away your old glass jam jars, they would make the perfect cups to drink coffee or tea out of. If you're tired of trying to re-cork half-finished wine bottles, you can store leftover wine in a Mason jar to ensure it has an airtight seal. You can even use Mason jar lids as makeshift muffin tins or to create cute little individual charcuterie boards on top of wine glasses for your dinner guests.

Other than storing food and drinks, canning jars can be used as vases and make for a unique way to present someone with a bouquet. They also make great organizing containers for small items, like buttons, screws, cotton balls, or crafting supplies. There are countless simple crafts you can make at home using glass canning jars, including DIY Mason jar lanterns. You can even create kitchen herb gardens or tiny terrariums in them and use them to plant succulents. Just remember that you should never reuse canning jar lids because they are only for one-time use unless they are reusable canning lids.