It used to be that Weck jars were precious things, hard to come by outside of Germany. Then people started discovering how pretty and useful they are. Suddenly, stores from Crate & Barrel to Williams-Sonoma and beyond began stocking them.
No explanation is needed when it comes to storing dry goods in Weck jars, but when it comes to the actual act of canning in them, newcomers sometimes need a little help. A couple years ago, I wrote a step-by-step guide to using Weck jars, and while I have no intention of reinventing that particular wheel today, I do want to pluck out a few of the most commonly asked questions about canning in Weck jars and highlight them here so that they’re easy to access.
How do you tell if Weck jars are sealed? You can tell that Weck jars are sealed because the little tab on the rubber seal will point downwards. You can also test your seal in much the same way that you do with Ball jars. Once the jars are cool, remove the clips and grasp the lid of the jar. Lift off the counter an inch or two. If the seal holds fast, you’re golden. If it starts to lose its seal or breaks the suction entirely, that’s a jar that needs to be refrigerated.
Can you reuse the rubber seal? In all printed materials available in the US, they don’t recommend that you use the rubber seal for Weck jars more than once. However, I’ve been told the instructions printed in other countries tell you that it is reusable until it is stretched out or begins to lose its elasticity. Because I don’t like to take chances, I replace the rubber seal with each use.
Can you pressure can in Weck jars? I have not tried it personally, but I was told that it can be done, provided you add a third clip to the lid, in order to help prevent siphoning during processing.
Is it possible to buy replacement clips? It is! You can actually easily buy replacement clips, rubber rings and even lids for Weck jars. MightyNest, sponsor of today’s giveaway sells all the replacement parts in their canning section.
Because Weck jars are quite a bit more expensive than traditional mason jars, I tend to save them for my favorite preserves. These are the recipes that I like so much that I tend to either keep them all for myself or share them with only those people who are truly deserving.
Plum jam is one of my most beloved preserves, because its flavor reminds me of the rummy jam my mom used to make with the fruit from our backyard trees, in Southern California, when I was very young.
For this jam, I combined 5 cups of chopped plums (a mixture of yellow and red) with 2 1/2 cups of sugar. Once the juices started to run, I cooked the fruit and sugar over high heat until the fruit broke down and the syrup thickened enough to hang off the spatula in little pink windows. A squeeze of lemon juice went in at the end for balance. Processed for ten minutes in an array of Weck jars, this is one preserve I’ll be rationing this winter, to ensure it lasts until plum season returns.
If you’ve been contemplating adding some Weck jars to your kitchen, you’re going to love today’s giveaway. It’s provided by MightyNest, an online shop and community hub designed to help people find a world of products (everything from kitchenware to personal care) that are healthy and non-toxic. Here’s what MightyNest has put together for this giveaway:
20 quart canning pot with a rack designed to hold 7 quarts
6 1-liter asparagus jars
6 1/2 liter tulip jars
6 160ml mold jars
Weck jar lifter (these are great, because they don’t catch on the clips the same way that jar lifters designed for Ball jars can).
MightyNest is also hosting a giveaway of my book over on their blog this week. If you’ve not yet gotten your copy, make sure to click over to enter!
If you’re interested in entering this giveaway, here’s how to do it.
- Leave a comment on this post and tell me what one change you’d like to make to your kitchenware to make it healthier. If you’re stumped for ideas, head over to MightyNest and browse their many lovely kitchen items. You’ll be chomping at the bit for something new in no time (I want everything they sell).
- Comments will close at 11:59 pm east coast time on Friday, August 24. Winner will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog on Saturday, August 25, 2012.
- Giveaway is open to US residents.
- One comment per person, please. Entries must be left via the comment form on the blog, I cannot accept submissions via email.
Disclosure: MightyNest provided the jars, canner and jar lifter for this giveaway at no cost to me. I have not been compensated for my time or this post. My opinions remain mine entirely.
Founded by two parents, MightyNest is an online store, resource center, and community dedicated to helping parents create healthy, safe homes. Our mission is to give families the ability to research, get advice, and buy natural, non-toxic products all in one place. From kitchenware to skin care, MightyNest’s safety experts have built the web’s broadest selection of products that are free from known toxic ingredients such as BPA, PVC, Phthalates, Lead, Melamine, Formaldehyde, Parabens, and more.
MightyNest is a place where people feel motivated and welcomed, not discouraged or judged; somewhere people are empowered to make changes in their lives, whether large or small. For the growing number of parents seeking high quality, healthy and safe alternatives to everyday products for their family, MightyNest is their most trusted resource.
I tend to store most things in glass, but the little plastic I still use bugs me! I’d love to find a better way to store cheeses and leafy greens. And… I never knew Weck made a specific jar lifter. That is excellent!
I need more glass refrigerator storage jars so I can completely rid myself of plastic bags!
i would love to win that thanks
I’m working on using reusable containers more for my sack lunches.
I’m hoping to get rid of all plastic storage containers!
Like everyone else, I would love to replace all plastic containers with glass! Thanks for this awesome giveaway:-)
To make my kitchen healthier, I’d like to get rid of all the plastic- especially the plastic leftover containers.
I want those TULIP jars! They are too cute and I know just the jam that I want in them. As for how to make my kitchen healthier, I’ve getting rid of all of the boxed, pre-made stuff and cooking from scratch. Besides being cheaper, it’s a lot of fun!
We are trying to steer away from throwaways. No more paper plates or plastic utensils. I’m sure they have all sorts of coatings on them.
I’d love to get rid of my plastic cooking utensils. Mightynest’s bamboo set is just the thing.
What a great giveaway! I’d LOVE to win this one! I knew immediately how I’d like to make my kitchenware healthier, but I went to Might Nest’s website anyway. Looks like a great site to do some shopping. The change I’d like to make is getting rid of more plastic (all those storage containers and plastic drinking cups!) and switching as many of my pots and pans and cooking utensils to nonreactive materials – either stainless steel or ceramic, and more wooden or bamboo spoons.
I am almost free of plastic storage containers, but I haven’t yet found a good replacement for some of the sandwich containers. I would love to phase them out sometime soon.
I have slowly been converting my kitchen for the last 2 years. I now cook in cast iron or aluminum and avoid non-stick cookware. No plastic for storage or drinking. My last hold out is the canning. I have pined over Weck jars for years and never bought any because they are so beautiful I just wouldn’t be able to give them away!
Wow, I would love to win this. I’ve been wanting to try Weck jars for a long time. Using glass instead of plastic/non-stick/etc is my kitchen priority. I try to use glass for everything!
I would love to get rid of all plastics in the kitchen. This giveaway would be amazing to win. Fingers Crossed!
I would phase out the non-stick teflon pans in favor of ceramic…
I’ve been phasing out our plastic food storage for glass, so I’d love to finally get all the way plastic-free. And I still have a couple of non-stick baking pans that need to be swapped out.
I would like to replace my non-stick skillet and griddle pan with cast iron versions of the same. I’ve been looking at all the new “green” pans and have just decided to go with the KISS principle and make mine cast iron. Besides, I have a great cherry tomato and link sausage recipe that calls for a cast iron skillet that I really want to try.
I would like to switch over from mason jars to Weck jars, and I also would love a food dehydrator.
I would love to have a chest freezer so I could buy local, organic, grass-fed beef in bulk and store it safely for my family to enjoy.
i love this giveaway. i had started this project long ago and am pretty much there…the thing i would change is my family being more relaxed about plastics!!
This is the one change I’d really like to make! I would love to add some Weck jars to our stash and start using them for items that I know touch the lid while processing. What an amazing giveaway!
I would get rid of the plastic leftover dishes and use more glass.
I would like to eliminate the microwave and all plastic from my kitchen!
Wow, AWESOME giveaway!! The biggest change I’d like to make in my kitchen to make it healthier is to work on changing plastic storage containers to glass or metal.
I would like to swap our my plastic tupperware for more microwave friendly glass containers.
I’m hoping to completely eliminate plastic from my food prep and storage, glass is just so much nicer.
I’d like a chest freezer so I could buy local organic produce and grass-fed meat in bulk.
I’m looking to ditch the plastic. And get more classy glass jars.
Swap out plastic containers for glass ones.
We still have some plastic storage containers to phase out and particularly plastic lunch boxes.
I am trying to cut down on plastic bags by using reusable bags and containers for lunches.
I would love some more glass storage containers!
I would like to switch out all my plastic storage containers with glass. I’m about halfway through this project but I’ve got a long way to go!
I’d get rid of my non-stick pans for cast iron.
I would like to phase out all of plastic food storage containers and only use glass.
We are working hard to replace all of our plastic. The storage containers have been conquered, but we have yet to replace the baggies. That’s our current goal.
excellent giveaway! i’d really like to redo our leftovers storage – tupperware for glass.
No plastic! It drives me bonkers when I am letting plastic leach into my foods just because I can’t afford more glass!
Last year I made a new year’s promise to eliminate 90% of my plastic use. I switched to glass but found that the jars often broke in my bag, creating a mess. I’d love to switch to stainless steel lunch containers!
Maybe a bigger non-stick pan? Better to make some dishes with less oil.
Already changed from plastic to glass jars for storage, now I’d love to get rid of all my non-stick cookware and replace them with 18/10 stainless steel. I found a couple of them at thrift stores and just love them.
Those Weck Jars are beautiful. I’d love to invest in a nice cast iron skillet. Very versatile.
I am slowly transitioning my tupperware over to all glass and I am trying to cut out aluminum foil.
I’d like to get rid of the rest of the plastic storage in my kitchen.
The microwave corn popper would help!
I’d like to get rid of my plastic cutting board.
End using any type of plastic products ie ziplocs etc…I’m getting there 🙂
I need to continue removing the plastic from my kitchen. And invest a nice cast iron dutch oven…
I would like new cutting boards. Big cutting boards.