Why You Should Save Empty Pasta Sauce Jars (Especially If You're A Coffee Lover)

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The next time you rinse out a just-finished pasta jar, think twice before sending it to your recycling bin. Recycling is great, but you know what's better? Re-using. There are so many things you can do with a sturdy glass jar — and pasta jars in particular are so versatile and useful thanks to their larger size. Whatever use you put your cleaned pasta jar to — whether it's storing baking ingredients or preserves and jams  — you'll be saving money and upping your organization game in a stylish way. That's especially true if you happen to be a coffee lover. 

Many store-bought foods come in reusable jars, and pasta jars are especially ideal for coffee lovers. Think of the clean and uniform, yet country-chic look you can give your coffee corner when you use these containers to store coffee beans and grounds. Just remember, you can only store coffee grounds for so long before they start to go stale. If sealed and stored away from light, your coffee can last months — so keep those jar lids tightly closed and place the coffee grounds away from direct light. 

Better yet, you can paint or wrap your reusable pasta jars in fabric to protect your coffee from light. Decorating these jars to fit your kitchen aesthetic is a great idea, and you can also add pretty labels using Onupgo chalkboard stickers. Pasta jars can also be used for extras like sugar packets and cream, too. You can even drink your coffee from one of the jars after it's made. If you like a large pour, the 24-ounce size is perfect — leaving plenty of room for ice, if you prefer iced coffee drinks. Then, if you have a decent amount left over in your pot, you can pour it into a pasta jar and refrigerate it instead of letting it go to waste.

The uses for pasta jars don't end there. Just as they can store coffee, these containers work for a myriad of other kitchen staples. Again, put those labels to work and fill your jars with dry goods like beans, oats, and rice; other, smaller snacks; teas, and so on — your staples will stay fresh and your pantry shelves will look gorgeous, plus you'll be able to easily see and grab everything. Similarly, just as these jars are great for leftover coffee, they also lend themselves perfectly to leftover soups, smoothies, and more. Glass mason jars are even game-changers for meal-prepped noodle soups, salads, and grain bowls as you can layer in all your needed ingredients and pour hot water or dressing directly over them when it comes time to eat.

If you like to entertain, the uniformity of these glass jars is once again an advantage, and they look so lovely on any serving station that everyone will assume you bought them just for the occasion. Use them to serve batch cocktails and mocktails that you can prep ahead of time, setting out others with garnishes for a DIY cocktail station. They're also a sweet idea if you're doing something for your guests like setting out a snack or candy bar. You can even repurpose your pasta jars into a gift that keeps on giving: Did you know you can use old glass jars to start a kitchen herb garden? Treat them like planters and line your windowsill with them, and you'll have fresh herbs for cooking right at your fingertips.