Updated May 2022
The Penley jars discussed in the post below are no longer in production. This post is originally from 2011. If you are looking to purchase canning jars that aren’t made by Ball Canning, I recommend you look to a jar distributor like Fillmore Container. They sell a wide variety of mason jars.
Canning jars, at least as we know them now, have been around since 1868. John L. Mason developed the system of a threaded jar with a lid designed for sealing (he used lead lids with a rubber seal, not exactly the two-piece lid we know now, but very close). The technology hasn’t change much since then.
It used to be that there were a number of canning jar manufacturers. Ball. Kerr. Atlas. Drey. Mason. Globe. Mom’s. Knox. Golden Harvest. However, as so often happens, through a process of competition and consolidation, the number of jar producers grew fewer over the years.
In 1993, the Ball Corporation (which by that time was the only domestic canning jar manufacturer) spun off their canning jar sector into the company that is now known at Jarden Home Brands. They make all the Ball, Kerr and Golden Harvest jars currently available in stores. One of the reasons that canning jars can be so pricey is that there’s been no competition in this sector of the market.*
However, thanks to the growing popularity of canning in recent years, we’re finally going to start seeing some new canning jars hit the market this season. Walmart has a line of mason jars called Mainstays, as well as a fancier variety branded with the Better Homes and Garden name. And soon, a variety of stores will be carrying Penley Mason jars (these are not the jars that Walmart is carrying). Those Penley jars are the ones I want to talk about today.
I recently had an opportunity to preview the line of jars made by the Penley Corporation. Up until now, they’ve been in the business of making and distributing clothespins, matches, toothpicks, plastic cutlery and drinking straws. Canning jars are a departure for them, but from the examples I’ve seen, they are doing an amazingly good job with their new product.
In most respects, they are physically nearly identical to the jars most of us currently use. They make pints and quarts in both regular and wide mouth and an embossed half pint in a regular mouth. Lids and rings are interchangeable between Ball, Kerr and Penley, which is fabulous for those of us who already have a stash of lids or who are planning on using Tattler lids this season.
When I met with the Penley rep, he pointed out the fact that they intentionally left the back of their pints and quarts smooth to better accommodate the labels that so many canners apply to their jars. I was happy to see that particularly since I’ve always hated the round of wheat and fruit on the back of the Ball jars (in researching this post, I learned that it’s been there since 1970).
As far as performance goes, I’ve canned in these jars several times now and they’ve been perfect, not a failed seal among them. What’s more, they just feel good in the hand. They are sturdy and solid, just the way I expect a good canning jar to be. As you can see from the picture above, there’s a water spot left on that jar from a run through the dishwasher, there because I’ve used this jar for leftover storage and the transportation of iced coffee to work. They’ve seamlessly become part of my collection of working jars.
Finally (and best of all), they are going to be less expensive than Ball or Kerr jars. While it will only be a dollar or two difference, if you do a lot of canning, that can add up quickly.
As far as I can see, there are only two drawbacks to these jars. The first is that they’ve left no space on the lid for writing. As someone who always writes on the lids of my preserves with a Sharpie, this is a minor annoyance. Second is that the jars are made in China. I pass no judgment on Penley for making this choice as in today’s market it is really the only way to make a lower cost product. If you are someone who avoids things made outside of the U.S. I wanted to make sure you were aware (and as you can see, they’ve clearly printed the origin on the bottom of all the Penley jars).
Disclosure: The Penley Corp. gave me an assortment of jars and lids to try. However, all thoughts and opinions expresses herein are my own and untainted by the free loot.
*There are the Leifheit jars, but they are so much more expensive (around $20 for six jars) than Ball and Kerr jars, that I don’t see them as a viable alternative for people who do more than the most basic recreational canning.
I have one on the kitchen table with sugar cubes in it! 🙂
at my house we use the littlest mason jars we could find ( i think 1/2 cup ) to store and organize spices.
I use them for drinking out of, making kefir, and storing herbs and spices.
What a nice giveaway! I use my jars (other than canning) for storing dry goods in our food storage. I like to vacuum seal them with my Foodsaver so everything stays nice and fresh. Oh, and I love storing my kids writing supplies in them too!
Very cool! Im excited to see some of the jam jar designs but just purchased 2 dozen more jars and they are getting pricy! can’t wait to get some of these!!
Gosh, there is nothing that I don’t use them for. I recently use the quart for my button collection by colors….they look so pretty on the shelf. One also holds my husband’s marbles when he was a young boy.
Like so many others here, I use canning jars for just about all of my small storage needs. Bulk herbs and spices, dehydrated foods, leftovers, craft and sewing supplies, office supplies, vases and occasionally for drinking glasses when we have a crowd.
I use canning jars for decoration/storage of bathroom items.
I got away from canning and now am back so Yay! Love your site! Thanks for offering the box of jars, I could sure use them! Keep up the great work.
My husband and I have a small coffee roasting business, and we package most of our coffee beans in canning jars. I’m excited to hear about these new jars!
I use them for storing food items, nothing too crazy — but my mom has some pictures on display in canning jars though too.
I have a window full fo the old blue mason jars with zinc lids… they hold all our nuts, seeds, dried fruit, granola that top our cereals.
Competition is always good for the market place, too bad they are not American made. Wonder if in the future that will change? We can hope. My unconventional use of canning jars is crushed eggshells I use for craft projects. I store different size pieces in different jars.
I don’t think there’s a new way to use Mason jars but I’ll bet if I had time to read all of these comments I might be surprised! I haven’t made a chandelier, but I’d like to try!
I like to store pasta in canning jars! It stays fresh and the little mice that find their way into the house every once and a while can’t munch their way through the glass! 🙂 I also love to use canning jars to give friends and family various culinary yummies over the holidays!
I don’t know that this is very unconventional these days, but my grandmother’s vintage blue jars made beautiful window decor and centerpieces at my wedding/reception last summer.
I use jars for everything, I kind of have a little problem. Is it wrong to choose the drink I want from a cooler based on how I’ll use the jar? 🙂
Most of my jars are used to store food! My favorites are all the antique jars that my Grandma horded.
I use them for drinking glasses. I’d love some new ones! Thanks!
new canner here… could use a windfall to help build my inventory!
Just getting into canning proper, but have used jars for all kinds of things. My favorite was making moss terrariums.
Well, I don’t know ifit is unconventional since it has now become popular, but I like to serve and give cupcakes in a jar. people who get them just ooooh and ahhhh like it is such a fabulous thing. Even my kids prefer this way for eating cupcakes and are the stars of the classsroom table when they bring them in for lunch.
I give so much food away in jars, I will be thrilled for a price break on jars. We do need a little competition around here.
I love canning…. Each summer i try to can at least 100 quarts of spaghetti sauce each year…. With 3 growing boys i surely do use it all…
Soap dispensers!!
I always pack gifts in jars! Especially cookies, they look great stacked up in a jar!
I’m a law student and use canning jars as pen holders on my desk!
i use a quart jar for the snipped ends of embroidery floss. a small jar has 9 large vintage bone buttons in it so they don’t get jostled or dinged. i should actually *use* them for something, but i don’t want them damaged! so, for now, they’re displayed in thier jar.
I recently used a quart canning jar to do a soil shake test to determine what % of my soil is sand, silt and clay.
My favorite thing to do is to drink sweet tea or a root beer float out of one. Love to have these canning jars 🙂
I’d love to win some free jars! I think my old wire closure jars look best when they hold my way too extensive collection of knitting needles. And the lids are great for lining up all the little ingredients when you are cooking.
Great to have another jar company but I’m wondering if they make their lids with BPA in them like Ball. I didn’t see any other commenters ask that question. I’ve switched over to mainly using Tattler lids.
Like many others, I use jars in my sewing room to store assorted notions.
I am a working artist and canning jars are useful for everything from holding new brushes, used brushes, cleaning stations and solvent containers.
I also mix paints in them and the quart jars are the perfect size to use on a pressure roller I have – it just screws right on.
Glad there will be a little more competition in the market. Don’t really use them for anything unconventional. Storing dry goods in the pantry (we do a lot of bulk buying) an occasional vase and storing other bits and bobs around the house. However, I pretty much save all the good jars for canning and preserving!
I just started canning last year, and don’t have a huge stash of jars, so most of my uses are conventional. Besides the actual canned things, we have a few jars of foods from the dehydrator, and then a couple of ‘mixes’ done up and ready to go. My husband will cook if it’s easy, but I got tired of buying mixes from the store that had insane amounts of sodium and who knows what all else in them. So I started putting together homemade mixes that he can just dump into a pot with some water or a can of tomatoes or what not.
oooh – fun! i like to use them as vases with a ribbon tied around the threads.
I have only in the past few years ventured beyond the blackberry jam canning that I’ve always done. I started canning tuna a few years back much to the dismay of my family who HATE with a passion the infernal rattle of the canner. Most unconventional would likely be the red tuna that is generally tossed overboard with the other trimmings by the fisherpeople who dress out my fish for me. Instead I ask for the red meat for my cats and am usually blessed with the oily leftovers from any other tuna they’ve cleaned along with mine. I use tiny jars and end up with a lot of cat food that would put to shame those expensive fancy little cans in the market. And yes, it is SO worth it to pay the deck hand to clean that fish instead of picking scales off my kitchen surfaces for a month.
Canning jars are the holy grail.
When we moved out into the country last year, I decided to get rid of as much plastic as possible in my life. I now use my canning jars to hold all kinds of leftovers. They also hold all of my bulk baking goods that I buy in “small” amounts. Wheat gluten, egg replacer, dried cranberries, dried peas and beans. My pantry looks so beautiful filled with food that I can “see”.
Canning jars are so handy for many things other than canning. That’s why I love them! I use them for homemade body lotions, storing knitting needles or even as a drinking cup.
I don’t use them for anything unconventional at the moment, but I plan on using them for centerpieces at my wedding. Which will hopefully be next summer, I just have to wait for the boyfriend to propose first 🙂
I would LOVE these, I have been breaking my jars all Winter! I use them for all kind of storage. I did see the cutest holder made with a Mason jar that I’m thinking about making. If you think outside the box, Mason jars are awesome.
Wide-mouth half pints…. be still my canning heart.
What don’t I use them for!! From bathroom item storage to using them as to go containers for our lunches! If it fits in a jar, I’ll store it in a jar! Lol!
My husband loves your ice-coffee-in-a-jar, but since I don’t drink coffee, I use a mason jar for herbal infusions. When I was pregnant, I would put a quarter cup of maternity tea blend in the bottom of a quart jar, pour in the boiling water and steep until cool, strain into another jar, and refrigerate to be sipped throughout the day. During allergy season, I do the same with a handful or two of nettles.
I do lots of canning and would love to win these.
I give canning jars and used lids to my boys to use when they are bug hunting.
My lunch 🙂
Bummer that they’re made in China. I really love the fact that they rings and lids are able to be interchanged with Ball, Kerr, etc. And also LOVE the free area to put on a label (I agree, Marisa, not a fan of the wheat emboss) but I just feel like there are so few things that are still made in the U.S. I would rather pay the extra few $.
I like to use them to make (and shake up) salad dressing.
While I use jars for most everything, my favorite non-canning use would probably be as a vase for flowers—simply because I love fresh flowers and I always think the aesthetic of them in a quart jar is awesome.
I’m not sure if you’ll ship, should the winner be in Canada, but here goes: The most unconventional thing I’ll use a mason jar for is to hold flowers or oil blends I’ve made and want to store (like a homemade lavender oil for baby’s bath.)