Has she really gone and written a whole blog post about Mason jars? An entire post about a simple glass jar with a lid…?

The answer is yes, and I promise by the end you will totally understand why.

The jars that were once only used by Jam-making grandmas are suddenly trendy, but also your affordable and aesthetically pleasing answer to needless waste.

I must admit I have become a little mason jar obsessed of late. We have made a complete transition to using only glass for kitchen storage and here is why.

Quite simply its…

Better for you

Mason jars and glass storage containers can easily move from your freezer or fridge to your oven then directly to your table, saving you heaps of time and washing up. Glass is cleaner than plastic: it’s non-porous surface doesn’t absorb colours, smells and most importantly germs. There is no risk of harmful toxins leaching into your food.

Better for the environment

Use glass rather than plastic to significantly reduce landfill space. Plastic’s recycling process is less efficient than for glass. Treated with care, your glass containers will live on indefinitely.

And if one does take a tumble and break (as they do when you have little people), you can recycle it without guilt:

Up to 80% of all recycled glass can be reclaimed.
Recycled glass uses 40% less energy than manufacturing new glass.
Recycling doesn’t compromise glass’ quality or structure and no toxins are produced during it’s recycling.

A few facts from a great post on the copywriterskitchen Blog.

Your investment in glass, is an investment in sustainability.

It’s not necessary to go out and buy glass jars, use what you have. Take the label off that jar of pasta sauce and repurpose it to house your bulk-bought quinoa, your salad leftovers, or for transporting a smoothie to work.

5 uses of Mason jars to lessen your environmental impact

Great way to organise and store dry goods

Honestly one of my biggest motivations for using mason jars is the visual component. I love the way our glass cupboards look housing row upon row of jars full of seeds, spices and grains. Jars are so practical for storage. At a glance you can see the quantity of what you have, so your weekly shopping list is less guesswork. If you read my post about being on a journey to being a zero waste household, you will know I love to take my jar’s and fill them directly at bulk stores.

As a time saving tip, why not store the dry ingredients of your favourite baked goods, bread, granola bar’s and muffins in jars? I do. It makes preparing a healthy snack for your kiddies’ lunchboxes a 5-minute job.

2 . Perfect in the fridge

Mason jars (wide rimmed ones) are perfect for storing leftovers in the fridge. At a glance you see what needs to be used, reducing food waste, and saving you money. Don’t let that extra serving of mushroom risotto make its way to the back of the fridge in Tupperware, never to be seen again. Keep it on view so you can be prompted to take it out for lunch.

3) Pack lunches

I challenge you to look at this picture and not want to make one of these for your lunch tomorrow. So many mouth watering healthy possibilities. Those colourful layers, brimming with nutritious goodness. Try storing all your salad ingredients in the jars to keep them fresher for longer, and make it easier to access healthy food when you’re pushed for time.

4) Preserve it like you mean it.

Nothing beats the taste of homemade strawberry jam lathered on crusty bread. It’s also the season for apple sauce or roasted pumpkin soup. Whether you make a small batch each season, or you want to get serious about preserving the season’s bounty, stock up on jars if you plan to do some fall preserving.

5) Gifts

If you have a friend who has had a crappy week, nothing beats an enormous Mason jar of full of homemade split pea and coconut soup garnished with home-grown coriander delivered to her doorstep.

On Isla’s 3rd birthday, a good friend gifted Isla a huge jar full of homemade bath bombs. They’ve been a huge hit, such a great idea and so simple to make.

But I have my limits. In many of the trendy little cafes in my local neighbourhood, your cold and hot beverages are served in Mason jars, however, I wont be abandoning by big red tea mug just yet.

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Thanks for popping by

Sam