# ball canning jars



## tinknocker66 (Jul 15, 2009)

I just picked up a massive amount of canning jars at an estate sale for 75 dollars. some of the jars look like mayonase jars have smooth sides but say ball very small in the middle of the bottom of the jar.are these o.k. to pressure can with? I even got some ROOT Mason jars from what I can tell are over 100 years old.What a score Im still going through them 1 dishwasher batch at a time I still have 4 2x2x3 boxes to go through.DW thought I was crazy buying them all untill I explained ill never need to more (wink wink) I may start collecting them though.


----------



## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

My best guess is that they are mayo jars. As to using them for pressure canning, use your own judgement.


----------



## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Ball commercial standards were the same as for their regular canning jars, same glass but different molds. They are from a period which pre-dates what came to be called mayo jars. Ball bought the entire mason jar business from Root in 1908 and possible continued using the same molds. Those jars should be the type without shoulders. 

Martin


----------



## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

I used mayo jars until I eventually weeded them out, simply because I had so many jars.


----------



## Sarabeth (Sep 14, 2008)

I have used mayo jars if they take a standard 2 piece lid, but not for pressure canning. I only use these in water bath.


----------



## Dead Rabbit (Oct 30, 2010)

my mom used to use the mayo jars for canning, i got all her canning paraphanalia after she passed away. and i just threw out 3 boxes of the old mayo jars she used to use. at the recycle bin. 

just my wife and me, there was plenty of real ball mason canning jars we didnt need the mayo jars. plus id rather buy a few more jars if need be than to use the the mayo ones.....even though they had been used successfully for yrs.


----------



## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Word from those on the leading edge is that glass is being phased out of production and sooner than we would imagine there will no longer be any glass available as we know it today. "Recycled" glass isn't really happening. Made me think twice about culling those mayonaise jars from my canning supplies.


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

I would "test drive" them with a load of water. Process them for a nice long time and see what happens.


----------



## Sparkey (Oct 23, 2004)

"Word from those on the leading edge is that glass is being phased out of production and sooner than we would imagine there will no longer be any glass available as we know it today. "

And who might those on the leading edge be ?


----------



## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Since the oldest ones would have been designed for zinc lids and rubber rings, the inside edge of the rims may not have been polished. If so, there may be tiny ridges. Fine sandpaper will smooth them down.

Martin


----------



## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

By "those on the leading edge" I meant it was a topic of dicussion between a group of San Francisco venture capitalists (new factory financing/phase out of glass factories), a food industry consultant, a "green business" consultant, and several California and Oregon environmentalists working with recycling industries; just gossip really passed down from insiders in the processed food industry who say they see these changes. And we believe it because of the displacement of glass already taken place in the market place in favor of plastic and "shelf stable" box and bag packaging. At least on the West coast, there are no more glass mayonaise jars in the groceries, just plastic.


----------



## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Doing away with glass began long ago but there have always been certain foods which could react to plastics. Plastics are now being developed which are compatible to those products and thus replacing the more expensive glass. Not long ago, I found a company which supplies a lot of glass containers for the commercial food industry. With tomato sauce, the cheapest price for 24 ounce jars about 50Â¢ each and that was more or less a truck load.

Martin


----------

