canning supplies

[Mini Horses]

Cut the top off glass bottles, sand edges, use for jams and jellies.

That's cool. Mostly mine used jars that were not deemed worthy of veggies. Some may have had a tiny rim chip, or from groc that were kept for such use.

Talk about a time when you HAD to use/save what you had....they even melted, cleaned and reused the wax. Flour sacks were gold. If they got hold of newspaper & carboard, it wasn't garden mulch -- nope it was wall insulation!

 

[Britesea]

Glass is a super-cooled liquid. As such, over time (a LONG time, but nevertheless) it will slowly slide downward. The top will become thinner. If you look at windows in old houses, the top is usually thinner than the bottom-- which is why old windows rattle.

I have a few antique canning jars that I still use, but only for BWB, not pressure canning.

 

[CrealCritter]

Glass is a super-cooled liquid. As such, over time (a LONG time, but nevertheless) it will slowly slide downward. The top will become thinner. If you look at windows in old houses, the top is usually thinner than the bottom-- which is why old windows rattle.

I have a few antique canning jars that I still use, but only for BWB, not pressure canning.

Maybe that's why my wife stores her empty jars upside down. That and I guess to keep them clean.

 

[Britesea]

It might help. Depends how long they stand upright with food in them, I guess

 

[Hinotori]

Most of the thick/thin thing on window glass is because of the blowing process. It was blown out then flattened, then cut to needed sizes. Blowing causes thickness variations as well as the ripples that are sometimes seen.

The method for making plate glass is what changed that. Float glass is usually how it's done now as it's cheaper to do.

My husband says i need to leave off on the history books and documentaries. I find stuff like that interesting. He says I'm the only one he knows who would read a book on the history of salt for entertainment. I just point out that he's got a ton of books on war history, especially ancient Greek and Roman.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Hinotori, I hear you on the avid reading/research. Agreed re: varied thickness of old glass. It would only make sense that they would put the thinnest part of the pane up. I was the kid who would come home from school, and grab a volume off the shelf of encyclopedias. My mom was a World Book Encyclopedia saleswoman. So, we always had the newest set available. Oh how I loved cracking open a new volume and reading through it. One interesting subject would likely lead me down a bunny trail of research, until I'd have 3 or 4 volumes spread out on the couch with me. My greatest subjects of interest: biology, physiology, even disease and genetics. I was not your average 12 year old girl!

 

[Britesea]

Yes, I know about the old glass not being perfectly even. The fact is though, that when you install the glass into a window frame, you caulk it so it's airtight. Over the years, those upper sections of glass become thinner than they were and the caulking is no longer airtight; thus, they rattle. It's not much, but it's measurable. Float glass was invented in the 1850's; it's common to see the thick/thin phenomenon in Victorian era homes. I grew up in a Victorian era home, DH grew up in a 30's era home and both of us are familiar with the rattling windows caused by the caulking no longer fitting the glass panes.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Every time we go shopping, I plan to pick up a couple cases of canning jars. May be crazy. But... even if I end up with way too many jars, I'm guessing that I'll be able to barter them for other goods in the future. If the world economy continues down the present path, could be that canning jars will fetch a king's ransom on the black market.

 

[Hinotori]

I have a bunch of old bail canning jars that were from my great grandfather that grandma had. I use them for dry goods. After my grandmother (on Dad's side) died no one knew how to open them. None of her daughters were ever interested in canning. Mom took them as she knew I liked old jars. The look on her face when I picked one up and flipped it open. "How did you do that? We tried and tried to open them." I guess one of my aunts wanted them until they couldn't open them.

 

[Chic Rustler]

Yes, I know about the old glass not being perfectly even. The fact is though, that when you install the glass into a window frame, you caulk it so it's airtight. Over the years, those upper sections of glass become thinner than they were and the caulking is no longer airtight; thus, they rattle. It's not much, but it's measurable. Float glass was invented in the 1850's; it's common to see the thick/thin phenomenon in Victorian era homes. I grew up in a Victorian era home, DH grew up in a 30's era home and both of us are familiar with the rattling windows caused by the caulking no longer fitting the glass panes.

it's no b.s.. glass is a liquid.