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’m trying to use fresh fruit and veggies as well as some of the spice from our garden. I think this website could be very dangerous. The prize look fabulous
I’ve done healthy reusable lunch containers for my kids, steel water bottles for all of us, the awesome steel straws and bamboo utensil sets. We always microwave in glass with wax paper. Next thing would be to replace cookie sheets and baking pans that are non-stick. And getting into preserving would be awesome. Family faves are elderberry and yellow tomato jams. Also would like to try my own version of a recent favorite of mine which is a fig, raspberry, orange, ginger jam.
I am growing, preparing and preserving foods for my grandchildren with dietary issues. The Weck jars make the process so much more satisfying. The sparkling glass jars of fruits and vegetables are so appealing……taste is a visual sense as well as olfactory and gustatory…..plastic containers with no visual appeal are not an added value option.
I agree with a lot of others, more glass over plastic would be nice. Of course whenever I think that I knock something out of the fridge and cringe before it bounces and I’m relieved because it’s a plastic container and not glass…but that’s a whole other matter.
I also signed up for the MightyNest newsletter! SUCH A FUN STORE!
I would like to get rid of all the plastic in my kitchen and am slowly doing so but it’s hard.
I *really* want to switch to BPA free Tattler lids for canning, but replacing all my lids will be such an expensive task! Will have to do it incrementally…that’s one of the reasons I love the glass-topped Weck jars!
I follow MightyNest on Twitter and tweeted the giveaway! @jarslikejam
I’ve replaced most of my plastic with glass containers. I’ve also replaced my non-stick frying pan with cast iron. Next, I’m looking for an olive oil spray canister – the kind you can pump up with air.
I am trying to learn new gardening techniques (like organic pest control) so we get a better harvest from our garden. I’ve been gardening for many years but we just recently set up our garden at our new home in south Philly and I am having to deal with a whole new set of challenges including squirrels (we have the only nice green space for quite a few blocks and it us full of food!), stray cats, and the swarms of horrible borrer bugs that completely killed our squash plants this year. I am also learning new ways of preserving food for the winter like fermenting, drying, and of course canning.
I’ve been slowly transitioning my food storage/lunch containers from plastic to glass. It’s a slow slow process, as I feel obligated to use the plastic containers (mostly Rubbermaid stuff) until they fall apart or break.
I want to eliminate artificial preservatives and coloring agents.
The glasslock containers look great. They’d be a big help in getting the plastic storage containers out of the kitchen.
This is to answer the question for MightyNest’s giveaway:
The tulip jars are wonderful for jams – and much to my horror, I have never made OR tasted fig jam. That is definitely on the list…and those little tulip jars would make it that much more appealing. I’d like to trying pickling asparagus, too…in the asparagus jars, of course!
My kitchen is pretty good these days on the healthy front, but my current purse isn’t big enough for both a book and a grocery bag, so I often don’t have one on me when I just run into the supermarket on my way home from work. But I would love some jars to add to what’s already in my kitchen (and it’s my birthday this weekend, so it would be a nice gift for me).
I would love to get rid of all the plastic stuff in my kitchen. If I could store everything in jars, I totally would, but not sure I could stand the “harumph” I’d hear from my husband every time he’d open the fridge!!
This is a great giveaway – I’ll keep my fingers crossed!!!
I’d like to replace my non-stick pans with safer options.
I would like to switch to storage in glass,not plastic containers.
I am trying, trying to eliminate all plastic storage containers and plastic bags!
I just started canning this year, so far I’ve made strawberry, black raspberry, and blueberry jams, and dilly beans. I’d love to expand my canning supplies. I’d also love to ditch my plastic food storage containers, and get some nice BPA free glass ones. I bring my lunch to work every day, and those cheap disposable plastic containers are not cutting it.
I’d like to replace more of my plastic storage containers with glass or metal!
I want to remove all plastic storage containers from my kitchen. The larger Weck jars are so lovely that I wouldn’t mind storing my dry goods in them on an open shelf. Storage as art!
I’m really trying to get my kitchen more organized so it’s easier for me to work and can. I’m buying a new five-tier chrome shelf today!
I’d love to transition out my nonstick cookware for the seasoned cast iron Mighty Nest sells!
I’d swap out all my disposable water bottles, for the BPA-free ones. What a money saver too!
i would love to can more to eat more locally grown food throughout the year. we have successfully canned our own maple syrup (from our backyard!), but less successfully canned tomatoes. hoping to change that this summer, and this kit would help!
We have recently started using The Fresh 20 for meal planning and we need some containers that are non-toxic in which to keep our fresh ingredients and dry goods. Your canning ideas sound exciting and inspiring!
I would love to avoid using non-stick pans and Pam style sprays. I’ve seen the Misto work, so I really should just try it.
Beautiful jars and a great give-away!
OK, pretty much want everything over there but the one thing I would love to do (but that would be hard for me) is to replace all the vintage tupperware that I have and collect. I get a lot of ribbing for my avocado tupperware with the mismatched tops but I do love them. But new storage thingys would be great and healthier I believe. And, of course, I want all those weck jars for canning!
I’ve already eliminated all the plastic in my kitchen, but I’m still trying to grow some of my own food!
I’ve been slowly working to replace the old tephlon pans I inherited from my mom when I moved in to my old place with stainless steel or cast iron. It’s been a slow, budgeted, ongoing switch, but I’m glad I’m doing it.
Ahhhhh! I’d love to win this set. I love canning and the Weck jars have always intimidated me. I’d love to give them a try, though! We are making our kitchen healthier/greener in many ways, including storing FOOD IN JARS in stead of our standard plastic containers. I have a really good set of Rubbermaid containers that are really handy to store food items in, but alas, they are being relegated to the garage for nuts and bolts instead. Thanks a heap for this chance to win!!
I’m trying to eliminate all plastic food storage – containers, etc. we’ve transitioned to reusable sandwich bags for lunches, but now it’s time to get rid of the little “toss n go” kids containers…
I have been cooking from scratch more and trading plastic containers for glass. There are many wonderful items in the store!
I would like to change out more of my plastic containers to glass! Thank you!
I need better storage for the freezer. Zip loc bags are not doing as well as I’d like.
I’d like to replace all of my scratched non-stick pans.
I would LOVE to switch my spices to glass containers! and that popcorn popper looks very intersting
I’m planning on buying a vitamix blender so I can make delicious green smoothies!
I recently went to the trouble of getting all the nonstick cookware out of our house and I’m trying to transition all our food storage to glass and metal…
I am retired and on a limited tight budget. Winning these beautiful jars would enable me to preserve foods when they are “in season” and better enjoy a quality diet. Thank you for this opportunity!
I’d love to change out my plastic storage containers to glass, rid my kitchen of plastic bags and find a plastic wrap/aluminum foil substitute.
I am working on replacing anything containing plastic and BPA from my kitchen. Unfortunately the lids for regular canning jars contain BPA do I need to replace those with the glass version.
Thanks for the link – so many great items. And I’ve already ordered the glass popcorn maker. So excited to try this alternative to the popcorn in a bag!!
I read in the NYT on Sunday that Pam cooking spray has some yucky ingredients. I have to get a new type of spray oil!
I love the look of the jars and the sleek and shiny canner. I would love to have more glass storage containers, for keeping leftovers.
I want to make my kitchen healthier by eliminating the plastic!
I would love to replace my non-stick baking pans. The stainless steel pans on that website look great!
Storage of all herbs/grains/baking goods in glass jars – they are so pretty that way.
Those are some beautiful jars! I don’t know exactly what I’d put in them, but I know they would be used. Heading to Mighty Nest to see what else is fun to play with. 🙂