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 guess the last thing to go to make the kitchen healthier would be the plastic stuff. I’ve already tossed the nonstick pots and pans and changed to stainless and cast iron.
I LOVE those Weck canning jars! So pretty.
LOL how you keep them for yourself and BF.
I would love to get rid of all plastic in my household. I love the stainless containers for my daughter’s lunch. This canning set would be amazing!!!
Changes I’d like to make to my kitchenware healthier ? Oh – I’d love to have more glass storage containers ! Aside from wanting to use less plastic, I like that a person can microwave in glass without worrying that something will leach from the container to the food. It behaves better in the dishwasher, too – doesn’t fly around or turn over, dries quickly, doesn’t stain. And I like the heft of glass. Leftovers in glass are a good meal remembered; leftovers in plastic – meh.
This post has reminded me that it’s time to make more pretty preserves in the Weck jars I already have. My tried & true recipe just seems to taste better when served from one of the pretty tulip jars.
I’d like to get rid of plastic ware all together and replace it with glass storage options. It’s hard to do when the plastic is made so freely available (I’m looking at you Chinese take out). And most of the glass options I see come with some form of plastic lid.
I would ditch the rest of my kitchen appliances that have non-stick surfaces. I don’t often use them, but I can’t bear to let go of my pizzelle maker, waffle iron and panini press!
I really, really want one of those soft, foamy kitchen mats for near my stove. I have been spending hours on my feet canning and I am hoping it will help make it more comfortable. Although tired feet and a sore back are alright if it means beautiful canned goods!
Thanks for your awesome blog!
I would like to switch more of our storage containers to glass- it’s hard to do entirely for packing kids lunches, but otherwise I’d like to move to glass entirely.
I’m working on transferring my kitchen to all-glass–but my husband isn’t really on board yet. Even though I’ve been saving jars after use to hold leftovers in, we don’t have enough containers to hold pieces of meat or carry a sandwich in–which is what he’s really looking for 🙂
My GOODNESS, what a crazy-awesome giveaway!
I’d love a small convection oven – my oven doesn’t get food very crispy, so I end up using more oil than I’d like!
I would like to get rid of my plastic storage containers and replace them with glass.
I want to transition from plastic leftover and lunch containers to glass.
I’d love to try out ceramic pots and pans! I have one last teflon coated non-stick pan in my kitchen that gets quite a bit of use because it is easier to clean (and pick up!) than my massive cast iron skillets. I didn’t even know that ceramic pans existed until I visited MightyNest. I’m now dying to replace my one last yucky, teflon coated pan with a safe and healthy non-stick option!
I’d love a good steamer, so I don’t feel the urge to pan fry things all the time!
I’d like to get rid of all my plastic containers and use glass only. Unfortunately, in some instances plastic just works better. Also, I have purchased quite a bit of Anchor and Pyrex storage containers and neither are as good as they used to be. They chip very easily. I have bowls that are probably 25 years old by now and have never (knock wood) gotten a chip. But several of my brand new containers already have chips and 2 have completely broken. So sadly I’ll have to keep some plastic or I’ll go broke.
I want the glass microwave popcorn popper! I love popcorn and I try to be more healthy by air popping it in brown paper bags, but you can only use them once or twice before they start to burn, the plastic microwave air poppers make me nervous.
I already started -I’m using a wicker-wrapped glass bottle to store water that I drink at my desk at work during the day. I fill it once at the water cooler and I’m set for the day. No plastic bottles for me.
Thanks for this contest and for a great website!
I’d like to use more stainless steel as storage containers. We have the “nesting trio” for our daughter’s snacks and love it – unbreakable and no leaching issues!
I’d like to rely less on plastic bags for food storage in the fridge. It’s hard to convert the hubby to other storage options!
I would like to have a grain mill so that I can grind my own fresh grains for homemade bread, pasta, etc. Additive free, fresh, locally sourced food!
I have a toddler who starts back school for the first time next week. We haven’t had to pack lunches before, so our goal is going to be the waste free lunch. We already have a bpa and pvc free reusable bag, thermos made of stainless steel, lunch bots reusable tins, but we still need reusable bags. The world of packing preschool lunches seems to be a challenging one, but at least I know we’ll be green!
I would like to use less plastic (bag, water bottle, grocery, shopping, storage).
I’m trying to use my ziploc bags more than once by encouraging my kids to bring them home from school instead of throwing them in the trash so I can rinse them out. I’m also trying not to buy any new bakeware that does not have a lid with it, so I can avoid having to transfer it to another dish for refrigerating leftovers.
Sorry, too many comments to read. I thought I’d make some Weck notes for those who are serious about canning with them. The jar lifter you have will not work unless you grasp the jar EXACTLY right. Even the “mold” jars you can manage to break the seal on them when you lift as the flat run of your gripper will squeeze the rubber just wrong.
The weck jar lifter is on backorder…. till Sept. (I’ve managed a work-around with tongs, lifter and a silicone hotpad)
Next up is that your wide mouth funnel will not fit in the 250mL size tulip size so your small “jam” jar will not be fillable except with a large spoon. I have two different brands of wide-mouth funnels and this is true of both of them.
I’ve canned meat in the tulip jars, used the 3rd clip, those babies vented more than I ever saw any of my kerr/ball jars and so the lime/orange/cumin flavor was significantly lower level than I expected. The meat turned out well, just don’t be surprised if things play out a bit more differently than you’re used to.
Lastly if you have a huge graniteware canner with the rack that allows you to lift stuff out, none of the weck jars fit or balance within that rack well – at ALL. I’ve been using the silicone trivets in the bottom to allow me to can in my large canner. I would love a rack that would allow me to use the various sizes of weck all together. They do have more of a range of shape/size than ball/kerr – which is a positive as I now can portion sizes which keeps my husband from forgetting what is in the fridge and leaving it to go bad. More work up front but well worth it for our life and situation. (not for everyone)
That said, I’ve trialled both the weck jars and the tattler lids this summer. I’ve had, except lifter mistakes, a zero seal failure rate with the weck jars. The tattler lids however run 1-4 jars of failure per load. Yes, I’ve followed their original directions and their updated directions. It may be my rings are a bit older… but… as far as work is concerned, the weck jars win, hands down.
Now, if I can get a lifter, fix the canner stacking and the funnel issue…..
see, now you can laugh at me 😀
I’d love to figure out a real solution to minimize plastic use. It’s easy to buy more glass or stainless food storage containers for my personal use, but not so easy to figure out what to do with all the plastic containers that are used for the local butter, yogurt and cheese we like to support (good quality reusable ones, but still plastic). They don’t accept them back for re-use, I have hundreds of them around the kitchen, the only way to stop them coming is to switch back to the nationally sourced butter/mozzarella/goat cheese etc. At least where I live they are accepted for recycling, but I’d love to figure out a way to not use them in the first place.
I’m putting the Lunchbot containers on my wish list!
I’d like to get a pressure canner so I can start canning some veggies (not pickled) and some meats. I think this will be healthier for me and my family. I also agree with other comments – I’d like to get rid of all my plastic tupperware and switch to glass.
I would eliminate all BPA plastics. I’ve tried, but I, sure there are some still lurking. Also working right now to change my diet and add more fruits and veg, eliminating red meat.
My son is starting school this fall and he needs to bring a lunch. I want to find good options for bringing those lunches besides plastic and paper bags. Something that will make lunch fun to eat.
I never knew these even existed, but I love them. Now I can get rid of the plastic containers for good!
I need to cut down on my use of plastic ziplocks for storage.
In our kitchen we do quite a bit of meat curing, smoking, & preserving along with veg & fruit preserving. So I think the one thing I’d want to change is designating certain cutting boards, knives, utensils to use with meat only.
Not only for health reasons (meat things touching only other meat things–no cross contamintaion) but it’s amazing how dull knives can get when you’re using them to de-skin pork belly. Hands down the next time you go to use that knife you’ll try to cut into the tender skin of tomato and it will be absolutely useless (and frustrating).
I only just started reading your blog, and I attended your talk last week in Phoenixville. I blush to admit that it had never occurred to me that the standard metal lids I had been using since learning about canning at my mother’s knee contained BPA. I’d really like to try these lovely glass jars and lids.
I would like to use glass containers for leftovers, and tattler reusable lids for canning.
I’d like to master cooking in cast iron. I’m still struggling with making my fry pans “non stick”, but I’m getting there. This is an AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL giveaway – thank you!!
I’d like to move all of my “tupperware” over to glass or ceramics. Since I take my lunch everyday I need quite a few and only have a couple!
Swoon at the giveaway! wow.
My switch would be to continue to get away from plastics and switch to glass and/or stainless. Have bookmarked Mighty Nest because WOW they have the goods to do just that.
Thanks to you and them for such a fabulous giveaway!
oh, I’d like to replace all my old worn out aluminum bakeware with glass! and bamboo cutting boards would be cool too.
Ditch the gross cleaners for homemade/better quality cleaning products!
I’d like to replace a lot of my plastic storage containers with exclusively glass and/or stainless steel. I’m picky about my plastic, but still, I feel like I use too much.
i am trying to phase out canning lids containing bpa, who knew this stuff was so bad!?
To make my kitchen healthier I am looking for alternatives to the disposable canning lids. I’ve considered tattler lids, but am really interested in these wreck jars!
To make our kitchen healthier, I’d like to store grains and beans in the freezer for long-term freshness, replace plastic with glass, and freeze more vegetables. The Weck jars are lovely!
I’d love to get more cutting boards. I want one of those sets where you have one for each type of food (poultry, fish, meat, vegetables) to reduce cross contamination. Today’s my birthday! Maybe that will be bring me extra luck with the drawing this week. 🙂
I’ve slowly been turning over my plastic storage into glass storage. It has been a slow process, but I hope to finish it up this yr.
Like other responders, I would like to get the plastic and BPA out of my life as much as possible. I love items that I can reuse again and again, and the Ball and Mason jars in my house attest to this! Having a good sized garden and growing many of my own fruits and vegetables also helps me have a healthier diet. I also know where my food came from and what’s it in when I can, freeze, or dry it myself.
I am slowly collecting clear glass food storage containers. When I can easily see what I have, I have less food waste.
I’d like to use less plastic bags and more glass jars for storing leftovers and taking for lunch. Thanks!
I like the idea of getting rid of plastic food storage, but I haven’t wanted to move to glass (I drop way too much stuff). I’m liking the idea of stainless containers tho. Haven’t seen those before.
The durable, portable lunch container is the last stand for plastic in my kitchen, and it needs to go! Time to switch to glass or stainless.
I need a new skillet, without any icky coating on it. I, like many, am working to get rid of my plastics and use more glass.