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’d love to get rid of the plastic; I’m almost there, but it seems like it multiplies in the back of my drawers!
Definitely convert all the plastic to glass or some other non-plastic alternative. And improve using our water bottles consistently (with six people in the house, not easy).
I’m brand new to canning so thanks for the chance at all the gear.
I’d really love to take my lunch to work in glass or stainless steel every day. I’m almost there, but I have a few stragglers left hanging around… including my favorite to-go dressing container.
I lust after Weck jars. In a big way.
I would like to replace my plastic storage with glass. Love weck jars!
I’d like to buy enough glass/metal storage containers that I can get rid of the plastic ones I’ve been using for years.
it’s way past time for me to replace my wooden spoons and i would love to have a couple of to-go coffee cups that my local coffeeshop could use for my coffee.
I’d love to get rid of all of my plastic bowls….I’m almost there, but it’s like an addiction. Love the clear glass bowls on the MightyNest website…safe and easy to see what you are mixing. 🙂
To make my kitchen earlier, I would like to replace my nonstick pans with cast-iron skillets and eliminate all plastic storage containers for glass ones.
I’ve seen the Weck jars only once in person – they are gorgeous!
I would love to make the switch to more re-usable solutions for my kids school lunches. It’s so easy to throw things into plastics bags, but I know that’s not the best option.
We are in the process of getting rid of all the plastic – we switched to glass storage containers for leftovers to start…but so much more to go!!
Non-stick pans. I wish I could find a good alternative that works as well and lasts as long as a traditional non-stick pan.
Thanks so much for telling us about MightyNest. I have slowly started to eliminate plastic containers in my kitchen, using canning jars and other glass containers. But those Weck jars are so beautiful and I have been coveting them, so this is a fanastic give-away! Also the selection of lunch items and kitchen cookware on the MightyNest website is very good.
I am with everyone else, trying to get the plastic out of my kitchen…
I’d get all new bamboo utensils!
I’d love to replace my falling-apart tupperware with glass. Or replace the teflon pans left over from college with something healthier.
I would really like to get rid of most of my plastic storage containers and switch to all glass.
I’d love to add one of their cast iron pans or a dutch oven to my kitchen tools. Thanks for the giveaway!
I’d like to replace all my plastic bottles with glass water bottles and my reusable plastic coffee mugs with porcelain mugs. I’d also like to get some cast iron skillets instead of the regular non stick pans that I have.
I love MightyNest – I also want one of everything they sell. Gotta love those Weck jars – but I really would love some aluminum containers to bring my lunch. Glass is lovely, but heavy.
Great giveaway! It’s a toss up between getting rid of my non stick pans and my plastic storage containers.
I am trying to get rid of my plastic storage containers and switch over to glass…
a few years ago, i started canning to make our lives healthier; my next task is to reduce/eliminate plastic from our lives. it’s so hard to not be dependent on plastic!
I’m in the process of switching from plastic to glass storage containers. Weck jars would help that process nicely.
I’m shifting everything to glass – no more plastic. Love your book – have already made two batches of your strawberry vanilla jam. Yum!! 🙂
There really aren’t many changes left to make! Perhaps simply that I would like to add more Weck jars??? 😉
I would love to replace the remainder of my plastic ware with glass. I only with that size options for glass had more variety of sizes!!!
The Glass Microwave Popcorn Popper would make a great change in my kitchen.
Wow, what a great set – I am seriously coveting that stuff! Trying to eliminate plastic from my cookware and storage stuff. Learning to can is a project I’m just getting started on, and I would LOVE to win this.
Oh what a great giveaway! I’d love to replace my canning jars with jars that don’t have plastic/bpa lined lids but haven’t yet committed to make the hefty investment. This set would be a great start 🙂
I would like to find some solution or replacement for ziplock bags.
I’ve been slowly been getting rid of the plastic for the last few years, but I’d really love to ditch all of the non-stick/teflon pots.
I need to start collecting glassware for refrigerator storage.
I’ve made a lot of changes to my kitchenware in the last couple of years–no more plastic containers, glass storage, etc. I would like to continue my changes by replacing paper towels and zip lock bags. Love the glass straws!
Thank you for all of this wonderful information, AND for hosting all of these lovely giveaways! 🙂
One thing I would love to do with my kitchen to make it less toxic is to store food in all glass containers, instead of plastic. I’m slowly making the change-over, but some months are easier than others. ;);
One change I’d make with my kitchenware situation is to replace the remainder of our plastic food storage containers with glass.
I am slowly replacing all of my plastic storage containers with glass – a few each month!
I’d like to purge my kitchen of every bit of plastic — lids, utensils, etc. — that it holds. It’s already pretty green, but I want to go greener!
I want to get rid of all non-stick and aluminium pots/pans and utensils!
I would love to get rid of all my plastic nalgene water bottles and replace them with glass water bottles. That would make me feel much healthier – I hate drinking out of plastic!
Woah, that is a really nice canning set! To make my kitchen healthier, I’d like to replace more of my storage containers with BPA-free and glass containers. We are slowly switching over, but still have a few questionable relics…
Trying to get rid of as much plastic as possible.
I would like to shop in bulk more often and store healthy grains like quinoa and also nuts in reusable containers to eliminate a lot of the cardboard and excess packaging in my pantry.
Awesome giveaway! Like many others, I would like to oust BPA from my kitchen!
I have started to change my kitchen over to glass containers, stainless steel pans, wooden spoons…I would like to buy some of the safe sippy cups and lunch things for my kids this year. I would also like to try some of the weck canning jars because I have heard the aluminum canning tops can be bad for you. 🙂
I’m making an concerted effort to kill all the plastic in my kitchen and move to glass storage, wooden utensils, buying in bulk and filling my own jars, etc.
thanks for this giveaway … I’m a long-time lurker, and love your recipes.
I am really looking to get all the non stick pans out of my kitchen. It looks like they have some good choices over there, thanks for the links & the giveaway!
To make my kitchen healthier I would love to get a powerful juicer! I tend to buy a lot of smoothies and other fruit juices and I know it would be healthier if I could make my own! I also really liked the bamboo cutlery on the MightyNest to pack for my lunch or picnics. Thanks for the chance to win, I’d love the chance to try out those beautiful jars!
Hmm, my one kitchenware update that I would love right now would be a new 18/10 Stainless pan, 12 inch. I’m a military spouse and that one pan didn’t come out on the other side the last time we moved. (mysteries of life) We bought a crappy $20 walmart pan that’s shedding teflon like it’s the end of the world, but I want to move up to a stainless or cast iron pan next. We’re in the middle of a new PCS, so the crappy pan is staying behind.
I am an avid canner and crafter and I was all over the movers to pack my hard won jars of jams, pickles, and preserves carefully. We wound up with 4 huge boxes and I hope that they all come out on the other side intact. I would love those Weck jars and put them to *very* good use in a hurry.
Side Note: I bought the Tattler lids to avoid BPA and save money (long term) and while I’ve definitely had more seal failures and siphoning, I would still purchase them for the reuse you get. I’ve only had one jar of cherry jam that just refused to seal over and over.
Here’s hoping for birthday luck!
This will be my first year to can. My mom did it when I was little. I’m excited to learn. Need any help I can find.
I want to get rid of all plastic in my kitchen. I’ve already started by buying smarter, which isn’t always easy. I’ve also been reaching out to companies that use less and letting them know how much I appreciate them. A small thing, but I feel good about it.