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 wish I could buy pots made in America instead of China. All-Clad is WAY out of my budget.
I’m working on making my kitchen healthier by using less plastic. I’m also trying to help the environment (and my budget) by using more of my leftovers and turning kitchen scraps into stocks, etc.
I would give anything for these beautiful jars!
One positive change I want to make in my kitchen is to switch from steam canning to water bath canning. I only do high-acid foods, so our risk has been fairly low, but I do need to make the change.
I’ve used cast iron cookware since I first moved out on my own at 18, and love, love, love it. Four years ago I bought a house that came with a hanging pot rack, which makes me love my cast iron all the more. I have been canning for about ten years, and every time I see a Weck jar I have unbelievable jar lust. My goal for this year is to increase the amount of lunches I take to work that are “home made” rather than eating out or buying something frozen for convenience.
I’d like the get away from using the plastic zip bags and I’d like to swap my aluminum stove top popcorn popper for a stainless steel one.
I do a lot of canning, but hate that the inside of the lids are lined with BPA. I’d love to try the weck jars to get rid of that problem.
Me and my 2 daughters are on a mission to get healthy. My 9 year old has shown a great interest in cooking healthy foods for our family. We would love to be able to preserve some of the yummy things she has made into jars.
I am slowly phasing out plastic storage containers, and also non-stick cookware. The hardest part is getting the boyfriend to take care of the cast iron! 🙂
I am trying to use less or no plastic to store freezer items. But it is expensive to change to glass for everything.
I just canned 60 pints of green beans and 24 quarts of dilly beans in 2 days!
I used to help my grandma can when I was younger, and would like to start doing it myself. I would love an actual canning set!
I would also love to replace our nonstick cookware with cast iron.
I have switched the entire house to whole grains. Never new what I was missing.
Definitely the little bites silicone ice pop molds…we’ve been eating LOTS of popsicles this summer and I want to start making our own healthier versions!!
Great refresher on the Weck jars! One thing I’d like to change would be to move away from plastics (BPA free or not) for storage. Winning the give away would be a great boost towards that goal since especially since I don’t own my own canner yet – and I could definitely use the lovely weck jars. Eco-friendly is the way!!
I’ve been canning much of my life. I would love to start getting away from the BPA lids I normally use to these glass jars/lids!
I would love to try these jars with all the canning that I do. I also freeze a lot of berries and tomatoes and am trying to use alternatives to plastic freezer bags and eliminate them all together.
I am trying to get rid of all plastic!
I’ve always loved the Weck jars visually, but was afraid to try them out for canning. Good to hear that they are definitely usable by modern safety techniques
I’m really trying to buy more bulk and divide out portions. And canning more things since food prices have started rising.
I would really like to go to glass containers and transition from plastic. Glass is beautiful and the plastic seems to break down so much and I worry about how much of that breakdown goes into the food being stored.
Oh wow – My heart skipped a beat when I saw this giveaway!
We have already made major changes to our kitchenware that is healthier..we don’t use plastic, we use canning jars to store our leftovers, cook in cast iron.. but one thing I’ve been wanting to get lately is some stainless cups and plates as they’re non toxic, heavy duty and toddler friendly!
I am trying so hard to purge all the plastic from my kitchen, ugh. No sooner do I weed some out than someone gives me a set of containers as a gift. I would also love enough tiny containers to eliminate the need for plastic bags.
I would love to use the Weck system to start canning more of our food. We’ve found a wonderful farmer’s market and would love to buy more local produce. This canning system would give us the opportunity to preserve some for later.
I’ve already gotten rid of nonstick cookware, using mostly cast iron. I’d definitely use a lot more glass instead of plastic, too. But with 2 toddlers that like to play with the storage containers, that may just be wishful thinking! 🙂
I’m slowly but surely replacing my pantry’s dry goods (beans, flour, etc.) Tupperware storage containers with glass jars. Mostly using repurposed jars from food items, but also having to purchase the larger sizes.
I’d love to can produce, salsa, pasta sauce, etc. but have been concerned about the BPA in the lid lining. These are a fabulous option!
I would like to try and cook more with cast iron and less with non-stick. Also, try to buy more organic items for meals.
lovely giveaway.
This would help us with our green mission. We breastfeed, cloth diaper, compost, buy local, then buy organic, have a small family car for the 4 of us, use cloth napkin, towels, family cloth, and feminine hygiene products…our next steps include growing more of our own food and jarring to stay “local” during the winter months. I really hope to be the lucky winner here!
Most of the pans I own are ones I have inherited from my family. One of my oldest ones I own is from my parents and they got it used before they got married almost 40 years ago. I am pretty sure we have consumed all the tephlan from the bottom of that pan as there isn’t any coating left on the bottom but plenty left on the sides. My goal is to replace the pans in my kitchen…pans that will require less oil to cook with as well as don’t include putting a plastic coating chunks into the meals I make. 🙂 I have been working a bunch over the last year thought work at encouraging less waste to be produced by my kitchen (which hopefully will help with the health of not only our family but the planet). Our waste is now being put into a compost pile, we are doing even more recycling. The great thing about the compost pile is in the future it will help to improve our garden soil which should also help us put even more local/healthy/organic food on our kitchen table and also locally (I have started up some food swaps in our community-the sharing of what we are producing in our own homes/gardens/ and so on.). When I have attended lunch events that used a great deal of plastic containers I have taken them home to wash and reuse instead of sending them to the dump. It is about doing what we can in our own homes awe well as helping to support/celebrate those in our community that are doing such great good while also helping to reduce our waste.
I’d love to do eliminate the few remaining non-stick items we have. More stainless and cast iron.
And I’d REALLY love to win this giveaway! 🙂
I would love to stop using plastic in my kitchen, but somehow I keep falling back to using it for some things.
I have cut out all man made oils and can as much as I can. I would to win.
Thanks
I’m transitioning from plastic to all glass storage.
I am buying no plastic containers and trying to leave canned food behind
Saving all containers I can to use as Tupperware… we go through those things way too quickly…
We are working to get rid of the last of our plastic storage containers in our house. Almost there! I’m really interesting in canning, too. I love these Weck jars, they look so beautiful, how can you not enjoy eating what’s in them?!
no plastic, including storage containers.
I would love to get rid of all my plastic and use nothing but glass. I just started canning this year and would love to have the Weck Jars, canning pot and pot lifter. Thank you for giving me the chance to win them MightyNest.
Oooo, to make my kitchen healthier? I would love to get rid of all the plastics I use for storage. From zip top bags to plastic containers, even reusing them feels like a waste of resources.
More glass less plastic!
We are doing more and more glass storage, rather than plastic, something I used to do much more of, then got lazy for convenience.
I would love to be able to compost my kitchen scraps and grow my own herbs again.
If I win I’ll have The Best gift for the award-winning canner in my life!
I would love to replace my dishes with some made in the US pottery, and my glassware with beer bottle glasses. 🙂
Total elimination of plastic in my kitchen. These weck jars will certainly help with that!
I’m always looking for better options than using plastic sandwich baggies for my kids’ lunches.
I would love to try preserving food, to try and avoid cans at least a little.
I’d also like to figure out my cast iron pan!
I am slowly replacing all my plastic food containers with glass. I have also started a garden this year after many years of not gardening…have already made strawberry and blackberry jam and can’t wait to start canning tomatoes (with your recipes from your book of course!)
I would love to get safer containers for leftovers!
I could make my kitchen healthier by going to all glass food storage containers. And oh, to have NEW good quality canning equipment!
I’d like to switch over to non-BPA canning lids and maybe try all cast-iron cookware (though I will have to remodel my kitchen to fit it in my cabinetry)