Ball and Kerr Mason Jars

Mason jars, those glass containers with the two-part (and now BPA-free) lids, come in handy for just about everything and last forever, making them a staple in any sustainable kitchen. The jars, first created in 1858 by a New Jersey tinsmith named Mason, quickly became the American standard for safe food preservation. Endlessly recyclable, reusable, and useful, they also double as drinking glasses, pen cups, or vessels to wrangle anything from peppercorns to paper clips. For those wondering, Ball and Kerr jars are interchangeable, as the same company now manufactures both. You’ll see Ball jars more often on the East Coast, and Kerr jars more often on the West Coast. Canadians will recognize the Bernardin label, also part of the same family.