Help Line

valerie@greenlivingaustralia.com.au

• Does Green Living Australia sell jars ?
• Are all jars the same ?
• How can I tell the difference between "Twist Top" and "Screw Top" jars ?
• Is it safe to home preserve in a "Twist Top" jar ?
• How do I measure a "Twist Top" lid size ?
• What is a "Mason Jar" ?
• How do I measure a "Screw Top" or Mason Lid size ?
• How does the two part lid and band "Mason" system work ?
• Will Green Living Australia be getting more Mason Jar Lids in soon ?

 

If you have a question, or require help with your preserving lids & jars, please call (07) 3388 6036 or email Valerie or David with as much information about your question or problem as possible at valerie@greenlivingaustralia.com.au or sales@greenlivingaustralia.com.au

Does Green Living Australia sell jars ?
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No. We prefer to promote and use FREE jars for home preserving, rescued from the recycle bin, or collected from neighbours, friends, and workmates.

Part of our desire to re-use or recycle, comes from the wish to reduce our own "carbon footprint" ... we even consider it greener to re-use, rather than to recycle, and we definitely don't wish to ship empty jars half way around the world ... this could be considered environmentally irresponsible, when there are viable alternatives available, at more than competitive prices.

Are all jars the same ?
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No. There are three types of common jars suitable for preserving.

• Twist Top jars, commonly found on the supermarket shelf full of food, buy the food, and get the jar for FREE.
• Screw Top jars, known in America as Mason Jars, are sold in supermarkets and specialty stores solely for the purpose of home preserving, and can be expensive.
• Fowlers Vacola jars, the traditional Australian preserving system, can be both difficult to get and expensive.

There are also jars that are NOT suitable for home preserving, such as jars with plastic lids.

How can I tell the difference between "Twist Top" and "Screw Top", or Mason Jars ?
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It is very easy to see the difference between the two types of jar just by looking at the outside of the jar, just below the rim.

A "Twist Top" jar will have four short angled ridges, or beads of glass equally spaced around the outside of the jar just below the rim, making four "threads".

The "Screw Top" jar, or Mason Jar will have one long angled ridge, or bead of glass, going all the way round the outside of the jar and overlapping, just below the rim, making one "thread".

Is it safe to home preserve in a "Twist top" jar ?
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Yes. Valerie has been using 2nd hand "Twist Top" jars for home preserving for years, for both "Boiling Water Bath" processing and "Pressure Preserving" in a pressure canner.

Like all jars, you must inspect the jar for any damage, such as chips on the rim, or any cracks, and if you know your jar has received any hard knocks you may wish to not use it.

How do I measure a "Twist Top" lid size ?
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The best way to measure your jars, is actually to measure your old lids. Turn the lid over, and measure from the inside of the rolled edge, across the diameter, to the inside of the rolled edge on the other side, like this

What is a "Mason Jar" ?
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A "Mason Jar" is the American system for home preserving, and is a "Screw Top" system.

How do I measure a "Screw Top" lid size ?
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To measure your screw top lids, simply measure across the outside of the top. There are four sizes available in Australia that we know of, 52mm, 68mm, 75mm, and 86mm.

Coles and Bi-Lo stock Frutta DelPrato jars with the 52mm, 68mm, and 86mm sizes, Woolworths stock a preserving jar with 75mm lid ... but none of these retailers stock replacement lids ....

How does the two part lid and band "Mason" system work ?
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"Mason Jars" use a two part "lid & band" system, consisting of a flat lid impregnated with a rubber seal, and a band to hold the lid in place during processing.

The band can be removed after processed jars have cooled, and if you have a successful vacuum seal the flat lid piece will stay in place.

Will Green Living Australia be getting more Mason Jar Lids in soon ?
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We are selling out of the mason lids, and won't be getting them in again at this stage. There used to be good quality jars, containing foods, on the supermarket shelves that could be recycled for home preserving, that fitted the mason lids. Unfortunately these products no longer seem to be available in these jars.

Quite simply we like the environmentally sound practice of recycling or re-using what we can, when we can, and this includes regular twist top jars as seen on the supermarket shelves, full of food ... These, once empty, are thrown out every day all over the country, and it seems a shame not to take advantage of this. And best of all these jars, with new lids are perfect for all preserving, even low acid "pressure preserving".

Another benefit of FREE jars is that when you proudly give your preserves away, you are not always wondering if you will see your expensive preserving jar again.