“Used Weck Jars For Sale”
The other night my husband was perusing Craigslist {looking for who knows what} when ready to go to bed, l leaned over and said why don’t you ever look up anything interesting? {Meaning something I was interested in.} 😉
Like what?
I don’t know. Wool cutters or canning jars or …. glass greenhouses? Maybe someone is getting rid of one of those things.
A minute or two later he found someone on Craigslist wanting to get rid of their massive Weck jar stash. “Used Weck Jars For Sale”. JACKPOT!!! And after a few emails back and forth and some bargaining on my part, my husband drove down south to pick up the jars for me.
All 556 jars. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Well then. That sure puts a new twist on this year’s canning season, don’t you think?
It turns out the person who sold us the jars used to have a gourmet applesauce business {anyone remember the movie Baby Boom?}. And while I don’t know if he had a country baby named Elizabeth, he did have a boat car load of jars to get rid of for a rock bottom price.
Most of which were not used and still in their original packaging. {Seriously, only about 15% were used! }
Also included in the deal… over 1,100 gaskets.
And a bunch of plastic lids {for opened jars}.
And a few brochures too. If only I knew German I’d be able to read them.
Mom jeans. Are people still wearing those? And look at those peas and carrots all lined up so perfectly in the jar. That would take some serious packing skills.
Now if you’ve never heard of Weck jars before you’re probably thinking WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL. Why are you so excited about these jars?
Well for one thing, there is a HUGE quality difference between a Weck jar and an ordinary Ball/Kerr canning jar. For starters, the Weck jars are super thick {like crazy thick!}.
If you have ever held a truly vintage {most likely blue} canning jar, you know what I’m talking about. The old Ball/Kerr canning jars used to be much thicker and better made than they are today.
Weck jars are also a bit pricey {about 2-4x the cost of regular canning jars depending on what size you use and where you buy them}. But the quality is far superior than ordinary jars in my opinion. Plus there are a ton of different styles to choose from.
Also, when you can with Weck jars you use a rubber gasket, clamps and a glass lid rather than a canning ring and metal lid.
This is what the seal on a Weck jar looks like before going into the canning pot. See the little extra bit of seal on the right side of the jar? See how it’s pointing straight out?
Once your jar has been processed properly {water bath canner or pressure canner} that little bit of extra seal then points downwards.
12-24 hours after canning, you then remove the little metal clamps and store your home canned goodness on the shelf. When it’s time to open a jar, you simply pull on the extra bit and it breaks the seal, opening the jar. {If you need more detailed instructions , I wrote about them HERE}.
I love canning with Weck jars!
And so now the question is… will I be able to fill all these jars this season?
My original goal was to fill the canning cupboard this year… but now I feel like a better challenge might be to see if I can fill all 556 of those jars. If I did that, mealtime this winter/next spring would be a total breeze. 🙂
Yee-Haw! I’m so glad the HH carved out that religious family sized garden plot. Now I can plant my seeds with wild abandon because I’ll have somewhere to store all that homegrown produce this fall.
Wahoooo! Life is good!
~Mavis
Jennifer says
I have never canned anything, but have fond memories of watching my mama and aunt clear the garden and spend several weeks canning everything. My favorite was her Strawberry Fig preserves, since we had a massive fig tree in the backyard.I’m beyond excited for your find, or rather, HHs find.
Baby Boom was a great movie – dh and I watched it not too long ago. James Spader was a creep then and it shaped my thoughts of him forever.
Tracey says
I love the shape of the jars!
Julie says
I have no experience with Weck hars but they are lovely like a work of art to hold your harvested bounty. Have fun with them.
Kim says
I am swooning over those GORGEOUS jars. Maybe you should include one box of those in your Christmas giveaway??????
What a great find!
Cindy says
That’s a lotta jars! 🙂
Jamie says
What a find!!
andrea d says
And here I thought I got a steal finding one weck jar at the thrift store for .50 cents. What an awesome find! Happy canning
Jeanine says
Ha! Ha! The challenge is on! You are going to be super busy this summer and fall. Your HH has given you a to do list…like you give him. Where can you store all those jars? Craft Room? But, seriously, that was a total score! And I’m jealous with envy! You go girl! Your canning kettle will be red hot. Get planting!
suzanne says
That’s awesome! So happy for you. You gotta look up cowboy candy. Mom jeans are back or are they supposed to have had pleated fronts. Slim legs are apparently out. Not that it matters one bit.
Holley says
What a wonderful find!!! So happy for you! I can’t wait to see what you put in them and that cupboard filled to the brim!!! Happy canning!
Tammy says
*immediately searches Craigslist expecting just such a find near me*
What an amazing find!!!
Margo says
Congratulations on your wonderful find! My husband once found a set of nautical sconces at a thrift store for $7. Turned out they were real and worth hundreds. But I still think your canning jars are a way better find. Gonna be a busy summer!
Melissa says
I love this! A canner’s dream! Way to go!
Jules says
That is so great!! Your canning cupboard is going to look amazing
Mary says
The movie Baby Boom is my favorite and parallels my younger days. I moved from New York to Vermont and spent a year solo with our toddler son while my husband was deployed. Made lots of baby food! May have lost it like JC did over the water situation, snow and hauling firewood. Have been here since 1987 and now would not live anywhere else.
Doreen Frost says
Mary ~ that is wonderful. I too am a Vermont gal and wouldn’t change a thing :).
Kimberly Vassar says
That is an exciting find! And the applesauce in Baby Boom was a work of art!
Karen says
You can use Google Translate to translate sentences and whole paragraphs, give it a try!
Connie L says
Wow! So thrilled for you! I just had a terrible finding in my canning pantry. Several of my canning jars didn’t seal. In 15 years, I’ve never had this problem. I was hoping the quality of canning products, during covid, hadn’t changed, but my hopes were dashed! I’m determined to slowly get some weck jars to avoid future spoilage. Happy canning to you!
HollyG says
Amazing! Congratulations.
Tracy says
I’m so jealous! What a great find!
Mimi says
Wow! I love it when the right person stumbles onto an opportunity like that. Those jars will keep you busy canning for years. Perfect for gifts too. Congrats on your haul!
Dana Robinson says
You got a deal right there .. good job hh and mavis
LindaT says
Congrats on the great deal! I wonder what seaweed tastes like canned?
I got a big deal over the weekend on a brand new Nuwave Pro Plus infrared oven. Still in the box. Has anyone ever used one?
Lindi Turnipseed says
please share how much those jars were!
Teri says
What a great find; if anyone deserves it it’s you!
J in OH-IO says
Yes! On HH/your find and bargaining skills!
Oh, and Mom jeans are back and a big thing with the younger set- American Eagle has them for sale and I’m sure they can be thrifted. My daughter has asked to wear all my old mom jeans wear herself- they don’t still fit me and I save everything. What’s old is new again! One of her HS teachers even commented that she didn’t know Outback Red sweaters were back and was going to start wearing hers again! 🙂
Gail says
Just curious what size Weck jars you got.
Lynn Y says
Ohhh, those jars are just a beauty to behold. I guess only a canner would understand.
Emily says
I live near a college campus and I can report that mom jeans are back in style. Congrats on the awesome jar find!
Doreen Frost says
CONGRATULATIONS Mavis ~ what a find!!!!
Lolly says
I lived in germany yrs and yrs ago, and used to drool over the weck jars at the local obi (like a lowes/home depot…but with a bakery in the front! ). I didn’t even can! But the jars were gorgeous! I did buy a few, and used them as vases for flowers.
Oh, and I collected canning pots at flea markets and (mostly) on the side of the road during bulk trash days! I have one in the bathroom that I use for trash, one on the porch full of flowers, one in the kitchen with dogfood in it…and I prolly have a couple more here and there with something in them! I used to have one under my coffee table with my kiddos’ toddler toys inside! Most of the ones I have are pretty colored enamel on the outside! ❤️
Roxanne Finklea says
Oh my goodness! I love those Weck Jars!! Wish I could come across some in a deal. Congratulations on your obtaining them. And I’m loving your canning recipes.
Sincerely,
Roxanne
Jeff says
I am so jealous. But i travel to Europe often and but them there They are about 1/2 the price they are here. I love to can in them too. Although you got tons of jars its too bad that they arent a bunch of different shapes and sizes. Fall canning season should be fun at your house.
Jeannemara says
It is worth a Storage Shed as Your new pantry or sewing room. What a deal! That was a great find!