How do you date Old Ball jars?

If you have a Ball jar, you can date most of them just by looking at the logo. Every few years, the Ball Manufacturing Co changed the logo and if you compare yours to a reliable chart, you know how old it is.

How can you tell the age of Ball jars?

Some helpful notes to keep in mind:

Not every jar has their manufacture date on the glass, but most have the patent date. …
There will be a large number on the bottom of your jar. …
These charts tell you the approximate decade in which your Ball jar was made.

Some helpful notes to keep in mind:

Not every jar has their manufacture date on the glass, but most have the patent date. …
There will be a large number on the bottom of your jar. …
These charts tell you the approximate decade in which your Ball jar was made.

How do I know if my Ball jars are valuable?

If you have a jar with one of the older logos, it will likely be worth more than one with a newer logo. Next is the color. Clear and pale blue are the most common colors, but jars of all colors were produced. Yellow and amber jars were common.

How do you date Golden mason jars?

John Landis Mason patented the jar design with a screw on lid for home canning in 1858. The rubber ring on the lid provided the seal. For Ball jars, you can date them by looking at the logo, as it has changed many times.

What is the oldest Ball jar?

In 1858, a 26-year-old Mason patented threaded screw-top jars “such as are intended to be air and water-tight.” The earliest mason jars were made from transparent aqua glass, and are often referred to by collectors as “Crowleytown Jars,” as many believe they were first produced in the New Jersey village of Crowleytown.

Are old blue mason jars safe to use?

Canning jars have a life expectancy of 10–13 years. After that, you will experience more breakage because of the wear and tear of normal use. Because of this, it is not recommended to use vintage or antique canning jars for food preservation.

Are green mason jars worth anything?

While colors produced in recent years may look similar, be aware that they have quite different values than the vintage colors. The smaller and more common vintage jars usually sell for less than $20. However, the vintage green jars or those with special wire carriers can sell in excess of $300.

What are the rarest Mason jars?

The most valuable mason jars are:

Van Vliet Improved Jar – $23,500.
Black Amber Magic Star Fruit Jar – $3,000. …
1933 Ball Upside Down Error Jar – $1,000. There are two types of Ball upside-down Mason jars. …
The 1870 Chief Mason Jar – $800. (Photo: gregspurgeon.com) …
1858 Willoughby Stopple Jar – $500. (Photo: hoosierjar.com) …

The most valuable mason jars are:

Van Vliet Improved Jar – $23,500.
Black Amber Magic Star Fruit Jar – $3,000. …
1933 Ball Upside Down Error Jar – $1,000. There are two types of Ball upside-down Mason jars. …
The 1870 Chief Mason Jar – $800. (Photo: gregspurgeon.com) …
1858 Willoughby Stopple Jar – $500. (Photo: hoosierjar.com) …

Are old canning jars safe to use?

Are old blue Mason jars safe to use?

What are old blue Mason jars worth?

Nowadays, you can even buy a big flat of Mason jars for pretty cheap at your local craft or household goods store — but the older ones can fetch much higher prices. Typically, the smaller or more common antique jars can go for about $20 apiece, but the more rare versions can sell for as much as $300.

Why do Mason jars have 2 piece lids?

In home-canning a two-piece lid is needed to let the air escape during the boiling water or pressure canning process. A one-piece lid doesn’t allow the air to escape resulting in blowing out the bottom of the jar or the lid to buckle.

What does the number on the bottom of a Mason jar mean?

Many Ball mason jars have a number printed on the bottom of the jar, but this is a mold number that does not indicate the year of production. Rather, the mold number tells you where the jar was positioned on the glass-making machine that was used to produce it.

How do you clean old zinc jar lids?

Pour white vinegar over them to cover. Let them soak 20-30 minutes. Use an old toothbrush & liquid dish soap to scrub away the old tarnish/gunk. Rinse.

Why are my canned peaches floating?

Heavier sugar syrups will cause fruit to float more than lighter syrups or juice packs. Try a lighter syrup, water pack or juice pack to see what is acceptable to your family.

Why do you turn canning jars upside down?

While turning jars upside down can produce a seal (because the heat of the product coming in contact with the lid causes the sealing compound to soften and then seal as the jars cool), the seal tends to be weaker than one produced by a short boiling water process (you should never be able to remove the lid from a home …

Can you use rusty rings canning?

That’s OK…just be sure that your rusty spots are not going to interfere with its performance and safety.

Should rings be left on canning jars?

BUT, the short answer to the question is still yes, you really should remove the rings. The rings are really only designed to keep the lid on during the processing and cooling part of canning. After that, they only provide a false sense of food safety, by giving the illusion of a good seal.

Do canning lids go bad?

If you have canning lids that you’ve already used, is it safe to reuse them again? The simple answer is no: Canning lids are designed for one-time use. Using them more than once may result in your jars not sealing properly. These lids have a special sealing compound around the rim that is only good for one use.

Are blue Mason jars rare?

Ball jars were made in various colors, but the blue and clear colors are the most common.