Is it worth reusing empty jars?

The empty jars that pile up at home are the cheapest and fastest storage arrangement a kitchen can have. But not all of them suit every job; which one is used where rests on a few simple criteria.

Which jars can be used?

Jars whose lids close firmly, whose rims are free of cracks and whose inner surface is smooth are suitable for reuse. If one of these three is missing, the jar is out of the storage job.

The gasket on the inside of the lid is checked too. A worn gasket does not keep liquid from leaking; a lid like that is not used for storing liquids, though it causes no trouble with dry goods.

Jars that hold on to a smell form a separate group. Some pickle and spice jars never lose their smell; these are used for products of the same kind.

How are they prepared?

Taking the label off is the first step. Soaking in hot water lifts most labels; the sticky traces left behind are cleaned with a little oil or baking soda.

Washing and drying them thoroughly is the most important step. Dry goods put into a wet jar clump within a short time and the storage arrangement is spoiled before it even starts.

The lids need to be washed separately as well. Residue left on the inside of a lid can make the whole jar smell, and that gets noticed only later.

To speed up drying, turning the jars upside down and letting the air get in is enough. A jar closed before it is fully dry traps moisture inside, and that moisture does not leave for a long time.

Where are they used?

The most common use is dry goods. Legumes, grains, flour and spices are both protected in a jar and leave how much is left in plain view.

The second use is salad dressings and marinades. A dressing mixed by shaking it inside the jar makes a separate bowl and whisk unnecessary.

The third is carrying a meal. A salad built in layers, or a soup, travels easily in a jar with a lid and does not leak.

Where are they not used?

Care is needed when using a glass jar in the freezer. Liquid expands as it freezes; a jar filled to the brim leaves no room for that expansion.

Putting them directly on a flame or into high heat is not suitable either. Storage jars are not designed for that job and do not stand up to sudden changes in temperature.

Long-term canning is an entirely separate matter with rules of its own. Reused lids are not reliable for that job.

How many are enough?

Collecting jars is easy, and before long they take over part of the cupboard. Jars that are not used take up space and make the arrangement harder rather than easier.

The practical measure is to keep as many jars as fit on one shelf. Every new jar that does not fit either takes the place of an old one in use or is not kept at all.

Keeping a few different sizes gives you the variety you need. Small jars suit spices and sauces, medium ones grains and legumes, and large ones flour and sugar.

What completes the arrangement?

Labeling is an inseparable part of a jar arrangement. Grains that look alike are easily confused in a jar; paper tape and a pen solve that problem completely.

Lining the jars up evenly shortens the time spent searching as well. Jars standing in order on a shelf show what you have at a glance and make the shopping list easier.

Keeping the empty jars somewhere separate is the last step. A shelf where full and empty jars are mixed removes from the start the visibility the arrangement provides.

Another benefit of a jar arrangement shows up in the shopping. A product whose remaining amount is visible on the shelf goes onto the list in time; the same product sitting in a closed package is noticed only when it runs out.

Setting this arrangement up needs no special day either. Washing and putting away each jar as it empties is enough; within a few weeks enough ready jars pile up in the kitchen and the arrangement spreads on its own.

The weight of a jar is its one disadvantage. For meals that will be carried, choosing a light container instead of glass is the most practical way to keep the same arrangement going in a bag.