Let’s talk about the best uses for Mason jars because they can be so versatile. Today I”m sharing some of my mason jar hacks.
Some links below are affiliate links, meaning I may receive a commission should you purchase using my links, at no extra cost to you.
You can get them just about anywhere, Walmart, your local grocery store, Amazon, thrift stores or from Mason Jars Company” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener nofollow”>masonjars.com. They are definitely an important part of my zero waste kit. Here are the 11 best uses for Mason Jars:
Table of Contents
Mason jar uses in kitchen
1. Canning
Canning is probably the most obvious use for mason jars! I remember as a child my mom used to make jams, and preserve her garden bounty in mason jars! I have yet to master the art of canning (or gardening to yield enough vegetables for canning for that matter) but it’s on my to-do list.
2. Mason Jar Salad
My husband and I love making our salads for our packed lunches in mason jars. By layering your food properly, you get a fresh, healthy salad for lunch. Here’s the trick, the salad dressing goes in first, topped with a layer of protein. Veggies get layered on top of the protein, followed by cheese, lettuce and topped with any salad toppers you wish!
3. Overnight Oats
If you are in a rush in the morning but still want breakfast, making overnight oats ahead of time in a mason jar is a great solution. Here’s a quick recipe 1/3 cup of old fashion oats, 1 cup of milk, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter topped with fruit and nuts, I like bananas and pecans. Simply mix the oats, milk and nut butter, layer the fruit on top and let sit in the fridge overnight.
4. Veggies & Dip
The smaller 8oz. mason jars are great for storing veggies and dip. Simply pour some dip in the bottom of your mason jar, cut your veggies in small sticks and stand them upright inside the jar. It’s great for packed lunches for kids and adults alike.
5. Drinks & Cocktails
Drinks and cocktails also make my list of best uses for mason jars. Surely, you’ve seen cocktails made in mason jars! It’s a fun, casual way to share your favourite beverages with your company. I have some jars with handles, pictured above, that I found at the dollar store! They are quite handy to have around since regular mason jar lids fit these drinks if you want to save your drink for later!
6. BYOC – Bulk Store Shopping
Do you shop from a Bulk, Store? If no, why not? They are a great way to reduce your use of unnecessary plastic. Find out if your bulk store will allow you to bring your own containers (BYOC) to refill. Simply bring in clean, dry mason jars. They will be weighed and labelled before filling them, then the weight-adjusted at check out!
I found that shopping from bulk stores is not only good for the environment but it also good for your wallet. I love getting my spices and seasoning this way.
Mason jars uses outside the Kitchen
Mason jars have a classic look and can be used for so many more uses outside the kitchen, let’s explore these ideas, shall we?
6. Perfect for DIY cleaners (when paired with the right lid)
If you are a DIYer like me, perhaps you’ve dabbled in making your own cleaning products. If you are looking for ideas, please use my DIY recipe book that covers cleaners for the whole house. You can store your cleaners in mason jars. Simply pop on the appropriate lid (spray, pump, easy-pour) and you are ready to clean!
7. Hold your DIY Body Butter or Body Scrub
I make my own body butter and scrub. It’s really easy to do (and I really should make a how-to post on this). You can easily store your body butter or scrub in mason jars! These DIY projects make great gifts. I did this as a Christmas present for my sisters on Christmas.
8. Pantry organization
Another one of the best uses of mason jars is that you can use them to organize your pantry. Mason jars can make your pantry organized and look quite good. The trick here is to have several identical jars lined up side by side. If you have a Cricut, you can label your jars too. I’m obsessed with my Cricut at the moment, labelling just about everything!
9. DIY gifts (teacher gifts in a jar)
My good blogging friend Janice from Salads4Lunch shared this cute recipe for a beefy bean soup mix, I love the idea so much, so I’m sharing it with you. This jarred soup mix, stored in a mason jar, would make a great DIY gift at Christmas for family, friends or even your kid’s teachers. Check out the link below:
10. Vase
And for the final item on my list of best uses for mason jars, we have vases. There are so many crafts to do with mason jars. If you’re into the cottagecore or farmhouse aesthetic, then you’ll surely love the look of mason jars as vases. You can use them as they are, some vintage mason jars can look pretty good on their own, or you can dress them up with a coat of chalk paint or some burlap and lace to give them a vintage farmhouse feel.
You might wonder what to put in mason jars for decoration? Well, you can put dried lavender for one! Lavender smells so nice. Or, you can also put artificial flowers if you don’t want to be swapping them out often!
Final Thoughts
As you can see, if you are building your own zero-waste kit, you can’t go wrong by adding various sized mason jars to it. I think you can see from the best uses for mason jars, they are definitely a worthy investment to make.
I love my canning jars! I use them for my drink glasses everyday, are canning needs every summer and fall, I even use them for storing my homemade plant fertilizer.
I’ve always loved mason jars when I started ordering from a friend that would sell desserts on the jars. I love the recipes you have included def book marking this as we are moving and this will help us during the transition period.
I am a sucker for mason jars! So versatile!
Yessss another mason jar fan! I put everything in mason jars. My pantry is so much prettier when mason jars are involved!