July 2, 2008Ode to the Mason jar
In case you missed it, check out today's Front Burner column about the Mason jar's 150th birthday this year. The actual birthday, I guess, would be the patent date of November 30, but with so many pressure cookers hissing away during the summer months to preserve veggies from the garden, it seemed like a great time to wax nostalgic about the versatile container. As I wrote in the column, my memories are full of Mason jars. And those jars in my mind are filled with everything from Grandma's damson preserves to Paw-Paw's honey to the squirrel torsos Mom used to can for Dad's eating pleasure. In fact, our pantry was always lined with a whole rainbow of fruit- and veggie- filled Mason jars. And that was just the beginning. They hung out in the shed, filled with seeds, and in the garage, filled with nails and pins and anything else my dad or my grandfather saw fit to fill them with. I'd love to know your fondest memories of the Mason jar. Does anyone collect them? As you'll see in my column, they can be worth quite a bit of money if you know what you're looking for. Matthew Rowley, who wrote a book called "Moonshine!" shared a recipe with me for the story, but it came in too late for press. I'll share it here instead. It's not what you're thinking, you naughty kids! That stuff is illegal! This is a recipe for a spiced-up homemade "ketchup" that Rowley says is tasty on everything from sandwiches to soup to roasted meat. Sounds like a great way to spice up meatloaf, too. Piquillo Ketchup I adapted the recipe from a 1918 canning manual that called for regular peppers. You could do that, but the fire-roasted Spanish piquillos bump the result almost into sublimity. 4 pounds (drained weight) roasted Spanish piquillo peppers Grind the piquillos in a food processor to a slushy puree — not totally smooth, but with some texture to it, with some pieces left no bigger than a grain of rice. Pour the puree into a large, non-reactive pot and mix in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent any scorching, until it reaches a somewhat thick, ketchup-like consistency (about 45 minutes). Pour into sterilized jars and seal according to manufacturer's directions.
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Comments
[July 2, 2008 11:33 AM]
Amy Hanek : →http://www.eatingaroundvirginia.blogspot.comI can't look at mason jars without dreaming ... of all the possible recipes I could use.
I wish I had more time in the day for those mason jar dreams!
[July 2, 2008 12:22 PM]
Greg PrillamanMy uncle sold for Ball Corp for 30+ years. Rising from a saleman to Vice President of Home Canning Products. I have memories of green beans, beets, cabbage, and jellies being given out like treasure, as my grandmother's small Southwest Roanoke, Winthrop Ave, garden could only grow so much. I also remember that my family "only used Ball", for obvious reasons.
[July 3, 2008 10:18 AM]
Nona : →http://blogs.roanoke.com/thehappywag/Lindsey, you and I have similar childhood memories of canning jars.
I too remember them lined up on the pantry shelves, full of pickles from my mom's garden or apple butter from my aunt. They filled my dad's tool shed full of nails and screws. And they became the temporary home for many fireflies, or lightening bugs as we called them.
The only differences are we, like Greg's family and most Hoosiers, only used Ball jars and we never once preserved a squirrel torso.
And for that I will be forever grateful.
[July 3, 2008 12:08 PM]
Carrie : →http://www.thebluenymph.blogspot.comWhile my parents didn't garden or can, I have another memory of mason jars. There were always a couple around to use a cups. I'm not sure why, but my folks just always had some for that reason. We garden and put foods by now with fervor. After we first started I couldn't believe what I had been missing out on all these years & that we had EVER settled for store-bought!
[July 3, 2008 1:52 PM]
PhilLindsey, I grew up in Muncie and the only thing we knew were Ball jars. I was actually lucky enough to know Edmond and Virgina Ball. Ed was the son of the founding brothers. (FYI, for those who care... Ball State University in Muncie was founded and named after the Ball family.)
[July 3, 2008 5:07 PM]
DebbieMy mom and grandmother both canned. My mom canned beans and tomatoes, and lots and lots of apple butter, made from apples off the tree in their backyard.
My grandmother made wonderful bread and butter pickles and pickle relish, and strawberry and blackberry jam. She died a year ago, but at Easter time, I had one little jar left of relish she had made a few months before she died. I used that in some macaroni salad for our family dinner, so a part of her was still with us.
[July 4, 2008 10:04 AM]
GeneWe grew up with Ball Jars that filled the dirt-floor cellar with summer products ... beans, corn,tomatoes, sauerkraut, cherries. My Father was plant manager at the Ball plant in Illinois for 33 years, and I think the Ball jars were free, probably imperfects. In 1935, we moved to Muncie for six months, when the great depression forced the closing of the Illinois plant. I preferred the large plant in Illinois with the big rotating machines forming the bottles, and the huge piles of scrap zinc used to make lids. The aquamarine jars were most common in our house, probably because they were produced with more imperfections.
[July 4, 2008 3:11 PM]
DorcasGreat memories of our mother canning all the veggies and fruits when we were kids at home. The beautiful jars filled with her loving hands to provide food for the coming winter.
[July 4, 2008 6:27 PM]
granny miller : →http://grannymillerblog.blogspot.com/Thanks for such an interesting post. Mason jars aren't a memory for me. I spend weeks every summer canning. When I married husband I inherited well over 800 jars from his grandmother & great grandmother. I have many different kinds of jars but the ones that I love best are the pint size square Atlas jars and the aquamarine pint Ball jars. I still use the quart size and 1/2 gallon size Ball aquamarine jars for canning. Two piece bands & lids fit the jars and they have held up very well.
[July 5, 2008 1:22 PM]
Jay BryantI remember my grandmother canning in the fall on a wood stove. Boy, was it hot! Then my mom used a pressure cooker on an electric stove. It helped, but it was still hot. Both used only Mason jars. I wish I could find the receipe for Green Tomato Ketchup. My mom is old enough to not remember, and nothing was written down. Ah, fond memories makes the heart feel good.
[July 7, 2008 2:23 PM]
LoriIn the basement of my parents' house near the washer & dryer was a wall lined with Ball/Mason jars that held green beans, tomatoes, tomato juice, pickles, and pickled beets. My mama would get vegetables from the Roanoke City Market or our cousin and spend a weekend canning. My parents also have grape vines, and Mama would make grape jelly. Now I don't live with my parents anymore, but I am sure that wall still holds all those vegetables. Some things don't change, you know. One of these days, Mama is going to teach me to can so that my son has the same memories that I do of home canned green beans in the winter, with a nice roast beef and mashed potatoes! Last year my mother's excuse for not teaching me was that it was too hot to do at my house (the AC had died).
[July 8, 2008 10:13 AM]
Lindsey : →http://blogs.roanoke.com/fridgemagnet/Lori, that was actually a pretty darn good excuse. Canning is HOT work!
[August 31, 2008 3:48 PM]
AlisonOh, I just came across this story. I am 28 and grew up with everyone in my family canning. We still do! It is a great way for my aunts, cousins, mother, grandmother, and even father to share in our heritage. We can green beans, tomatoes, kraut, apple sauce,and more. I hope that I am able to pass this tradition down to my children. Thanks so much for the story and keep on canning!!!