Canning Jars

When it comes to canning jars, there are many different options, which is a good thing because there’s a reason why there are so many kinds! You can use canning jars for a number of things, and different types work better with others.

The first thing to understand is yes, you really do need to use canning jars. You cannot use jars from stuff you bought at the store, since they won’t process the same, not to mention you risk other concerns like food safety. So while we know it’s tempting to reuse jars from other things you have bought, don’t do it!

After that, you’ll want to ask yourself what are you planning on using the jars for? Are you just making small batch preserves? Then a small jelly jar might be just the ticket. But let’s say you want to make pickles. Pickles take up a lot of space, and they can be kind of hard to get out of the jar, so for that you might instead want a wide mouth quart size jar.

Don’t worry, this page is here to help you determine exactly what jar is best for you and we’ll even show you where you can order them online in case they’re not available to you locally. We’ll start from smallest to largest and tell you exactly what you would usually use each size for.

4 Ounce Jelly Jars

If you want to have small jars or looking for something small to use for gifts, this could be the perfect thing for you. This 4 ounce canning jar is the perfect size for jelly, jams, preserves, and even comes with labels.Click Here for 4-Ounce Mason Canning Jars, 12-Pack

Half Pint Canning Jars

Half pint jars are another popular gift size and perfect for small batch recipes, holding about 1 cup of food each. They are also good for storing non food items or even things you might just use within one day of cooking. They are about twice the size of the 4 ounce sized jars. Most people will get these sized jars in conjunction with larger ones and are perfect for jellies and preserves. Click Here for Ball 1/2-Pint Mason Jars, 12 Pack

Pint Sized Canning Jars

The most popular and usually the best priced jars are these pint sized canning jars, perfect for anything where you need a larger jar but not a huge jar. You can get a case of 12 for under $10, making them a great value and a good starter jar for anyone new to home canning. Click Here for Ball Regular Mason Canning Jar 1 Pt., Case of 12.

Wide Mouth Quart Size Canning Jars

These wide mouth quart sized canning jars are perfect for larger pickled items such as cucumbers or beets, as well as for larger batches of your other favorite recipes. The wide mouth helps for getting hard to fit foods in them. They also work very well for canned meals for the whole family such as chili or other favorites. Click Here for Ball Wide-Mouth Mason Canning Jar 1 Qt., Case of 12

These are just a few of the many canning jars available that are the most popular and common that most people use to begin with. Most brands now are all made by the same manufacturing company of Jarden, so whether you choose Ball or Kerr they are all made by the same company. If you still need a few others that are not shown here, then you may also want to Click Here to See All Canning Jars.