The "Preserving as my Mother did it!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Heading to Costo for a few things when Carol and I were sidetracked by the Amish farm that we had to pass.  Sign out front declared they had fresh corn, strawberries, tomatoes and potatoes.  Knew that once we made the turn into the farm lane we wouldn't get out without buying a few items to take with us.  Well, we picked out two tomatoes that had that vine-ripe smell, half dozen hears of multi-colored corn and a canning jar filled with bread and butter pickles that had pieces of red peppers and onions mixed into the liquid that held the pickles.  And boy, were they tasty.  They weren't placed in a Mason canning jar as we usually find at road-side stands, but they were in a glass jar with a lid that was tightly sealed.  We never have had any problems at all with products that we purchase at Amish farms in Lancaster County, since we figure they eat the same products and can't afford medical problems when the farm work is calling them round-the-clock.

An early Mason Jar.

 I do remember when my mom used to "can" items such as peaches, pears, pickles and jams of all sorts.  She bought her supplies at the grocery store and most everything she bought was in a box marked Mason or Ball on the outside of it.  The jars were always a light aqua in color.  The Mason jar was the forerunner in the canning industry.  Prior to the 19th century it was difficult to preserve items which were perishable.  Sometimes people would smoke, pickle, salt, ferment or store them in a cool dry place.  It was Nicolas Appert who developed a method to use a wax sealant, wire and boiling to preserve food.  His idea was good, but the glass that was used at the time was so thick you couldn't tell what was inside and the glass also would crack under real hot temperatures.  

Type of Mason Jar you may have or
can purchase on eBay.

When John Landis Mason, a resident of Vineland, NJ, created his new jar, canning became popular.  His jar was granted a patent on November 30, 1858, a date that was embossed on thousands of jars.  Many have survived and are still used for canning.  His method of sealing was with a cap screwed onto the lid with a rubber seal securing the top.  He had patents for not only his jar, but also for his removable rubber ring.  Mason's ideas were the basis for what we do today, but he never capitalized on his success and died after a life of despair.  After his patents expired other companies took up the idea and created a success story.  The Ball, Whitney and Kerr  Companies were a few that succeeded taking Mason's idea to fruition.  Some even manufactured his "Mason" jar after his patent had expired.  

My mom used both the Mason Jar as well as this Ball Jar
for canning.  Notice the word Mason on the bottom of the Ball jar.

The Ball jar was popular when my mom was doing canning primarily because imported jars were said to be "not recom- mended" and therefore had a hard time finding their way on the US market.  Eventually household refrig- eration grew in popularity and canning wasn't needed as much.  

The Kerr Glass Company made this jar.

More and more woman chose not to can food, since it was easier to  purchase products and keep them in the fridge until needed.  Kerr Glass Company was at one time a big industry in Lancaster, PA, making glass canning products for the homemaker.  The plant in the city of Lancaster has been closed for years, but I'm not sure what ever happened to the business.  Well, we broke into the jar of pickles today and thoroughly enjoyed them.  Will have to stop soon for another jar of them.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.