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 have switch all of my non stick pots & pans with stainless steel & cast iron. I love your jam! Looks very tasty 🙂
I have a 20 year old supply of Tupperware which I would love to replace with galss containers.
As a newbie in the canning arena, all I can say is they are remarkably beautiful! I’ve never seen them before….they are jars with character!!
I want to go fully glass and stainless in all my cooking implements. I have already gone BPA free with all our drinking and storage containers.
I’m sloowly changing out my plastic storage jars for glass. Cleaning the scuzz around my kitchen sink on a more regular basis is probably also a good idea. 🙂
I am learning how to can and preserve more of our own food. I would also like to switch over to more glass containers instead of my plastic ones. Thank you for all the awesome information!!
I am replacing my lunch bag containers with canning jars, and am making a bag to carry them in also. It just makes sense to use them when they are not in use holding what was preserved, AND it is a lot healthier to use the glass containers. Thanks!
I would switch out all of my plastic tupperware, of course, but I would also get new cutting boards
I have started using more glass and less plastic. I still have a non-stick saute pan that I love and I have got to wean myself off of that and the rest of the plastic. Now if I could just convince my “convenience centered” daughter!
I would replace my pots where the lining is scratched. I am stubborn about replacing things like pots! Thank you for the opportunity to win such a wonderful prize!
More re-usable storage and less plastic!
So much of our pantry is lined with jars of fruit and veggies that I’ve put up…and it’s beautiful as well as healthy. If I had an unrestrained budget, I’d dump all the plastic storage containers and go with glass – all the way.
I am gradually replacing all plastic containers for glass and when it comes time to replace our pans I want ditch nonstick for stainless steel. I’m new to canning and just started this summer, I would love, love, love to add these to my collection, they are beautiful and a great conversation starter into the history of canning. 🙂
As I move to LAX wisconsin, I dream about these jars.
Eventually I would like to ditch all of my plastic left-over containers for glass ones. As for the Weck jars, last night I made a batch of your fantastic tomato jam and would have loved to preserve it in those.
Wow those jars are so neat! I have never seen or heard of these before, but I think they are going to become my newest “must have!”
Thanks for the giveaway!
For my kitchen I would love to do away with the plasticware and those glass square lunch cubes look like super useful!
canning pickled beets today and sure would have loved to put them in these!!
My 2 year old grandson loves anything and everything that comes out of my garden! I would love to preserve as much as possible to keep him happy until the next growing season begins. My canner was my Mom’s and has seen better days. The Weck jars are beautiful!
I just recycled my Teflon pan yesterday!
I’d love to get rid of all my plastic storage containers and switch to glass…. and it’s high time we got a composter going in the backyard to make better use of all our food scraps and coffee grounds. 🙂
I would love to try some of the new “diamond coated” pans – my pans are about 20 years old, still very serviceable, but something new is always nice – and they claim that the pans are better for your health.
And I would love to be able to use the glass-topped jars – I have a few old ones (Not Weck) but have no jar rings for them.
thanks
I truly care about the quality of the food my family eats. We try to grow our own food and buy locally as much as possible. A lot of my kitchenware was purchased at a time when non-stick pans and plastic storage containers were the hot items. I’m slowly phasing them out and replacing storage items with glass and other more environmentally friendly materials. We love to peek in the pantry and look at the colorful glass jars filled with foods that are preserved with love and healthier methods. We have a few products from MightyNest and would love to add more!
I still have a lot of plastic storage materials. More glass is needed!
I just found this page a week ago and I love it! I’m a canaholic! Planting, growing, harvesting, and canning is the best!!!!! Always always always can whatever i can can!!!
I am trying to swap out my plastic storage containers for glass ones.
Love to use the Glass Microwave Popcorn Popper, 2.5 quarts – probably taste better than the bag variety
I’m in the process of getting rid to all plastic container and teflons. Is going slowly but surely. I want to feed my family with no guilt feelings. thanks….
ps….love the site and the jars.
I would really like to get rid of all of my old tupperware and replace it with glass or stainless steal containers. Some of these beautiful jars would be a great start!
I would love to get rid of all of my Tupperware and replace it with glass.
I would love a total kitchen makeover to make preserving healthy foods easier!
I would like to stop using so many paper towels!!! Seems so wasteful but it’s like second nature for me. Trying to go a little greener, one step at a time 🙂
I am trying to get rid of plastic, too! Also cutting down on the paper towels – less waste is so much better.
I would love to switch from plastic to glass storage containers for my home.
Less plastic and more glass.
I recently replaced my microwave with a steamer and have begun replacing aluminum pans with glass and cast iron.
Canning supplies are definitely at the top of my list for the future.
I’m slowly replacing all of my large utensils..big spoons, spatulas, etc. I’m also trying to downsize and only buy gadgets and tools that have multiple uses!
I’d like to get rid of all plastic & teflon from the kitchen, and start jarring my own foods.
My mom has been teaching me to can things and those jars would be so great to have! I have been trying to get rid of all the plastic in my kitchen so I don’t have to worry about my family using them.
I am always looking for new ways to make my kitchen healthier. I already use jars for alot of things like lunches and of course storage. I am slowly in the process of getting rid of plastic cooking dishes and teflon pans. I have never seen this type of jar. I would love using them for all sorts of new uses.
Change my rogue pickling ways and buy new rubber seals. Then again, the beauty of these jars is that you can tell when they’ve sealed correctly! Still, I need more jars….
There is nothing I want right now more than some of those…they are so pretty and remind me of what my grandmother used to use to can/drink out of.
I’m giving up my non-stick skillet! Well-seasoned cast iron all the way 🙂
I’d love to get rid of the last of the aluminum pots, I think. Maybe at christmas!
I hadn’t even thought about the benefit of glass lids for canning until I read your post about Weck jars when I was researching them today. I’d like to switch to non-coated pots and pans with my next set… whenever I see the coating scraped, I freak out a little inside about that coating making its way into the food!
I really want to replace my yucky non-stick pans with stainless steel. Oh, and I would love to do canning on my own so I don’t end up buying tomatoes and tomato sauce. That’s the one thing I’m stuck buying in cans, everything else I do myself. I know it is simple but I can’t seem to get on it. I LOVE jars and this set looks amazing! Thanks for the giveaway.
I’ve been slowly switching out all my plastic leftovers containers for glass ones. Even though they make my lunch bag heavier, I feel so much more comfortable knowing I don’t have to worry about chemicals leeching into my food! Thanks for the giveaway–this canning set looks gorgeous, and just what I need to get my butt in gear and finally learn how to can!
I don’t use a ton of plastic in my kitchen, but I have some serving utensils and storage containers that could stand to be replaced. What a great resource that site is! (And your plum jam looks delicious too!)
Canning supplies! I’ve been reading (and salivating) but haven’t jumped in yet, mostly because we’re on a bare-bones budget with our recent move. The rest of our kitchen is glass, stainless steel and enamel, as I’ve disliked the taste of plastic since I was a kid.
I would love to replace all my remaining tupperware with glass storage containers.
If I had enough canning jars I would make my garden larger. Then I would be able to can a large variety of tomatoes and then make my own sauces. As is the few jars I have are reserved for homemade apple butter and applesauce. As a unexpected stay at home mom I really believe in feeding my 3yr old son the least processed foods that we can afford.