# Are all canning jars the same?



## PrettyPaisley

Ball, Golden Harvest, Kerr? Is the quality all the same? 

Dollar General has inexpensive Golden Harvest jars. I usually buy Ball. 

Also, this might be a silly question, but do you reuse your jars? I know you don't reuse the seal, but what about the jars? I found some on Craig's List that were from an older woman's home who had died. Her daughter was selling them but many of them were full of food that was 20+ years old. I dumped out the food but wonder if I can really get them clean enough to reuse. Between getting them clean and tiny little chips that might compromise the seal, I worry.


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## 7thswan

I don't know if they are the same in quality, but can say that I've never had any problems with the Golden Harvest.Yes, we reuse our jars, some of the jars I use are blue, not sure just how old they are. Personally I have at least 2 thousand jars, some of these were used buy my Grandmother and then my Mom, now are used here. Sure you can get them clean enough. The size of if a chip and how much of the rim it compromises would be the factor on if it would not get a good seal. If not able to seal, canning jars have alot of other useful purposes. I Keep everything form bulk spices to thread in the Blue jars that won't get a seal. You'll do just fine.


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## hillbillygal

I use different brands and can't tell a difference. If I have to buy new jars I get whatever brand is cheapest which like you say is Golden Harvest. 

I just bought some jars at an estate sale and spent a few days putting them all through the dishwasher to get them clean. I threw away the jars with chips.

ETA: Like 7thswan said there are lots of other uses for the ones with chips but I just don't have the room to store them and dh would have a fit with them stuffed everywhere!


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## judylou

All the brands are made by the same manufacturer, all owned by the same company Jarden. Golden Harvest is considered their 'seconds' line meaning "not perfect". Some jars may have a few more air bubbles in the glass mix but they are perfectly useable and the price can't be beat. To me they have the added advantage of better packaging (boxed) than the new Ball/Kerr packing (shrink-wrap).


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## nappy

judylou said:


> .....To me they have the added advantage of better packaging (boxed) than the new Ball/Kerr packing (shrink-wrap).


That is one of my pet peeves...no sturdy boxes to put empty or full canning jars into. Over the years mine have deteriorated so much that they cannot be used anymore. Sure wish the canning jar company would go back to the full boxes with fold over tops.


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## NEfarmgirl

I have reused jars that belonged to my grandma and they are older than I am--pushing 40 years old. They still work fine. A friend of mine would only buy new jars for the pressure canner every year--she claimed they broke if you used them in the pressure canner more than once. Never had a problem with it! I even by jars from the thrift store and garage sales and never had one break in the canner on me.

I do hate the new packaging--I have had more jars break before I get them home and the package open than I have ever broke actually canning. Frustrating!


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## LonelyNorthwind

I'd trade a box of these skimpy brand new jars any day for some nice thick, sturdy old ones. In fact I just scored 15 dozen perfect old jars for $45.

And I've been re-using my lids for as long as I can think. I use them for fruit, berries, juices and jellys. As long as they still have a solid rubber seal, they seal.


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## suitcase_sally

judylou said:


> All the brands are made by the same manufacturer, all owned by the same company Jarden. Golden Harvest is considered their 'seconds' line meaning "not perfect".


How does a jar become a "second"? In the molding process, the name of the jar is molded into the glass. You can't take a "second" Ball jar and make it a Golden Harvest.


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## suitcase_sally

judylou said:


> All the brands are made by the same manufacturer, all owned by the same company Jarden. Golden Harvest is considered their 'seconds' line meaning "not perfect".


How does a jar become a "second"? In the molding process, the name of the jar is molded into the glass. You can't take a "second" Ball jar and make it a Golden Harvest.


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## judylou

Of course they aren't off the same mold line Sally.  It is the glass mixture, before it is poured in the molds, that is less than Ball standards for several different reasons and so shifted to the GH mold line. Imperfect Ball jars pulled from the inspection line are re-melted, any mixture in that gets left in the bottom of melting containers gets re-melted, any breakage gets re-melted, etc. All glass is recyclable.


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## upnorthlady

I've used Golden Harvest with no problems. As for "quality" with Ball and Kerr, I think it's not what it used to be. Last summer I bought new cases of Ball jars, only to find bubbles, flaws, and even little pieces of plastic embedded in the glass! I returned these jars (bought them at Wal-Mart which might tell you something) and wrote the company complaining about their quality. Never heard from Ball. I have purchased Kerr jars with flaws, too. I wrote them a letter about their quality control - never heard from them either. Maybe if more women did canning and complained about the quality of the jars, they would be made better. I much prefer those old style jars that had thick ridges of vertical lines down the sides. I have jars that are 50 or more years old, and they work fine. They are MUCH thicker than modern jars. I do get a little fussy when I put jars into the pressure canner, I choose only the best looking ones. Sure, after a while everything will get stressed and break. 

I also do not care for modern packaging of jars. They used to put the lids and rings in a separate layer on top. Now they screw them on so tight, they are like "used lids" when you take them off! I wrote the company and they informed me that the pressure lines would 'recover' while heating them in hot water. They do, but I have had more jars that didn't seal right in recent years than before. I have re-used lids and they have sealed fine, too. Generally I buy new lids for everything, but once in a while if I run out and it's late I will try a used lid, and voila! It seals fine, too! So, who knows? A person could probably use those "used lids" over and over again. Might have more that don't seal, though............


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## Prickle

I've heard other folks say that GH jars are seconds particularly the ones sold at Big Lots and Dollar General. But I don't see how that's possible. If jars were popping and breaking all the time it would be a huge liability issue. Jarden would get the pants sued off them if they were selling faulty jars and implying they were safe.

My understanding is that Golden Harvest is Jarden's "economy" line. 

The glass is a little thinner, the shape is a little different, the glass used to mold them may not be quite the same quality as the top of the line Ball jars so they can sell them a little cheaper.

I've used the GH jars in both water bath and pressure canning and so far have had no problems.


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## suitcase_sally

judylou said:


> Of course they aren't off the same mold line Sally.  It is the glass mixture, before it is poured in the molds, that is less than Ball standards for several different reasons and so shifted to the GH mold line. Imperfect Ball jars pulled from the inspection line are re-melted, any mixture in that gets left in the bottom of melting containers gets re-melted, any breakage gets re-melted, etc. All glass is recyclable.


According to the email I received from Jarden, this is not true. Here is the email:


_Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2010 10:46 PM
To: JHB Fresh Preserving Info,
Subject: Freshpreserving.com Contact Us Form



contact category: Product Performance
message: On one of the forums that I frequent, someone said that Golden Harvest jars are "seconds" that are made when the glass for Ball jars is not up to the quality that Ball jars should have. 

Here is a link to the discussion:


http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=355308

Dear CJ Lucas,



Thank you for your inquiry regarding the Golden Harvest canning jars and lids. Golden Harvest, Kerr and Ball Â® brands are all manufactured in Indiana and all carry the same quality of product. The only difference is the Golden Harvest packaging is not as fancy allowing for a lower price for selling the product. Ball has the most amount of products and food products, Kerr sells mostly lids, bands, and jars, and Golden Harvest only the regular mouth jars with lids and bands. We hope this answers your question, but please feel free to contact us further if needed. We wish you the best in your canning pursuits.



Regards,

Jarden Home Brands_


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