14 Ways To Use Mason Jars Around The Kitchen

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All hail the mighty mason jar. These jars, which are named after their inventor John Landis Mason, have been around since the mid-1850s and were primarily designed to make the canning process easier. However, while they're still everyone's go-to container for preserving and pickling, mason jars can be used for far more than their intended purpose. Their sturdy nature and stylish, rustic appearance have made them an unlikely candidate for a host of varied storage and utility uses, particularly in the kitchen, where they can be employed for countless different things.

As you might expect, mason jars make an excellent vessel for keeping your food fresh, with dry goods, seasonings, and herbs especially well-suited to being kept in them. However, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Mason jars can be used as fridge organizers, freezer containers, or dish soap dispensers; they can be used to pour items out of, or into; and they can even be used to cook your food inside. Plus, because mason jars cost a couple of bucks each, they're a surprisingly cost-effective way to make your kitchen look super stylish. Join the mason jar revolution with these handy tips and tricks.

There's a lot that we love about blenders — but their containers aren't one of them. Standard blender pitchers are often way too big for what you need them for, and they can come adorned with ridges and rivets that may look cool and provide structural integrity, but which make them a nightmare to wash up. It's also fair to say that most blender containers aren't exactly stylish, and they can be a bit of an eyesore in your kitchen.

Did you know, though, that you can sub out your blender pitcher for a mason jar instead? Mason jars fit most blender bases perfectly, with their screw tops fitting effortlessly into the machine's ridges. Not only does this give you a blender pitcher that's easy to wash up and dishwasher-safe, but it also provides you with a one-portion container that's a doddle to take on the go. You can blend your green smoothie right in the mason jar itself, screw on the lid, and pop it in your bag. It's also a great option if you're making a couple portions of a sauce like pesto, which you may not need the space of your regular blender pitcher for.

No measuring cups? No problem. If you've misplaced your measuring cups, or you simply want a more stylish solution for all of your measuring needs, then mason jars are the way forward. Mason jars come in a huge range of sizes, from quarter-cup containers all the way to eight-cup, 64-ounce ones. Just grab yourself one or two of each size, and you're good to go.

The advantage of using mason jars over measuring cups, aside from the fact that they look way better than most sets, is that they run in much bigger sizes. If you're making a massive batch of cakes or muffin batter, you no longer have to do things cup-by-cup: You can instead grab your largest mason jar and fill it straight up to the top. Just make sure you label your jars when you get them so that you don't forget which size is which. Plus, if you're measuring liquid ingredients, you don't need to worry about your cups rusting in the dishwasher. You can throw your jars straight into a regular cycle, and they'll be sparkling clean in no time.

Food shakers are one of those kitchen tools you don't think about not having until it's too late. Well, if you have a spare mason jar hanging around, you don't have to worry about not owning one anymore. Mason jars can be turned into food shakers incredibly easily, and to do so, you simply need a hammer, a nail, and a cork or cutting board. Oh, and the mason jar too, of course.

Simply remove the canning lid from your mason jar, separate it from the ring, and place the ring to one side. Then, take your nail, and hammer it into the canning lid carefully, placing the corkboard underneath it as a cushion. Repeat this several times, to make as many holes as you'd like, before popping the canning lid back into the ring. Crucially, when you do this, make sure there aren't any metal splinters clinging to the bottom of the holes you've made. You don't want to shake them onto your food.

You then just have to fill your jar with whatever you want to shake onto your food. Icing sugar, salt, or flour — the choice is yours. Screw the lid on, and store your jar somewhere safe.

Are you sick of your kitchen drawers being a site of total mess? We are too. If you don't have in-built organizers for your drawers, your utensils can quickly become a tangle of plastic and metal. You can spend seconds, even minutes, searching for your spatula or spaghetti spoon, usually just when you need it. The only way to avoid this is by getting sorted, and mason jars can help you do this easily.

To use mason jars as a storage solution, you simply have to turn them to a 90-degree angle and place them at the back of your drawers, facing out. They then work as dividers, in which you can store all of your longer kitchen utensils. Everything from knives to whisks to ladles can be tucked in these and pulled out easily. You can also use smaller mason jars for your cutlery drawers, again by turning them on their side and pushing them to the back. Alternatively, your mason jars can be used to store utensils on your kitchen counter: They're especially useful next to your cooker so that you can grab a spatula the moment you need it.

If you want an easy make-ahead soup, use your mason jar. These jars are the perfect containers for a batch of ready-made soup, but they can also be used to make your own version of a cup noodle — and a healthier, more substantial one at that. You start by placing any soup base you're using at the bottom of your jar, with any additional ingredients that you want to flavor your soup going in there too. This could be as simple as a chicken bouillon cube, or as complex as a multi-layered soup base filled with ginger, garlic, and miso.

Then, add your cooked protein of choice, followed by your noodles or rice and any veggies. When it comes to making your soup, you just pour boiling water over the top, and wait until everything softens or wilts. These mason jar soup kits are perfect as a quick lunch, which you can take to the office and prepare fresh on the day. The best part is that you can create loads of different types at the start of the week and store them in your fridge until you're ready to eat them.

Cooking for one can be a delight — but no one likes to clean up afterward, right? Well, by using mason jars, you can make meals in minutes and keep your kitchen sparkling clean. Because these jars are designed for canning food, they're incredibly heat-resistant, meaning that there are plenty of cooking uses for your mason jar and that they can be placed in the microwave or oven without fear of them getting smashed. Their shape makes them perfect for making individual pot pies, which you can crown with a pastry top before popping in the oven.

Mason jars can also be used to make exciting spins on classic dishes. We bet you never thought you could make a pizza in a mason jar, for instance, but doing so is a breeze and takes barely any time at all. You just layer up your pizza ingredients, cook, and plunge your spoon in. Plus, your mason jars aren't reserved for your main course. Jarred blueberry pancakes can be cooked in your microwave in just a couple of minutes, and come out fluffy and juicy every time.

When you buy fresh produce, you're lucky if you have a couple of days of peak freshness before it starts to wilt and wane. We often think that we're at the mercy the shelf lives of our produce, but the truth is that we can extend that shelf life a fair bit using a mason jar hack. All you need to do is take a mason jar and fill it with water, and then pop your produce inside, before placing it in the fridge. Your vegetables will soak up the water and stay crisp and juicy until you're ready to eat them.

It's worth mentioning that this will only work with certain vegetables, particularly those that have a long stem designed to absorb moisture. Asparagus, lettuce, and green onions can all benefit from this mason jar trick — and you can even grow new green onions from offcuts in your receptacle. Mason jars can also be used to extend the shelf life of fresh herbs: As with your vegetables, just place your herb bunch in the jar stem-side down, with the leaves poking out. They'll retain their flavor and scent way more effectively.

Salt pourers can often be lacking in style. You don't exactly need these kitchen tools to look great, but it's nice when they do, right? Thankfully, you don't need to put up with ugly salt pourers anymore — you can use a mason jar trick to make a salt pourer that all your friends will envy.

To make a salt pourer out of a mason jar, you'll first need to buy one (grab one of the plastic ones already full of salt for a few bucks). Empty out the salt into your mason jar, and then cut the top off the empty salt container, so that you have a flat bit of plastic with the foldable spout. Insert this piece of plastic into your mason jar's canning ring, and screw it onto your jar.

One of the key advantages of making a salt pourer out of a mason jar is that you can see exactly how much salt is inside. Plus, it'll be way sturdier than your original pourer, and you can reuse it when it's empty. You can also use it as a sugar pourer, or to pour liquids.

We tend not to use the walls in our kitchens very well. Instead of seeing them as storage solutions, we leave them bare and instead shove every herb and spice we have into our pantry. Rather than do this, we implore you to consider using your walls as a stylish way to store your dried goods, using a combination of mason jars and magnets to achieve this.

This trick takes a little craft, but once you get going, it'll be a breeze. Start by grabbing a collection of small, hexagonal mason jars, and a bunch of button magnets. Glue or tape each magnet onto the inside or outside of every lid (as long as they're strong enough, it won't matter which one you go for), leaving things to dry, before pouring your spices into each one. You can then attach your jars to any metal surface in your kitchen. Try purchasing a slim metal board and hanging it up next to your stovetop, so that they're in easy reach, or placing them on the side of your refrigerator.

If you're anything like us, you like your fridge to be neat — and that's easier said than done when you're working with a million different containers. Refrigerator shelves can quickly become a chaotic mess of yogurt pots, cottage cheese tubs, and leftover liquids stashed in Tupperware. Not only can it be a stressful state of affairs, but it can also stop you from physically seeing your food, and whether it's spoiled or not.

This is where mason jars come to the rescue. Grab yourself a set of jars, and then decant items into them. Foods like yogurt and cottage cheese can be taken straight out of their tubs and placed in jars, and not only does it look way better, but it helps you cut down on the amount of plastic sitting in your fridge. Similarly, leftover sauces, gravy, and even solid foods can be stored in jars, helping to cut down on clutter. Just make sure that if you're transferring food to jars you label them with their use-by date so that you can keep an eye on their freshness.

We bet you didn't know that you can freeze food in mason jars — but, people, you can! These jars are perfect for stashing pretty much anything you like in your freezer. Not only are they sturdy, but their canning lids create an airtight seal that prevents your food from developing any freezer burn. They're particularly good for storing liquids like soups or leftover tomato sauce, but you can also pop any solid foods you like in them too.

If you are storing liquids and want to be smart about your space, we've got a quick tip for you: Freeze them upright, and then turn them on their side. Mason jars are fairly leakproof, but like anything they can be a bit temperamental, and if you turn them on their side straight away, you could end up with a load of liquid on the floor of your freezer. If you freeze your food upright, you'll turn it into a solid block — and then turning them on their sides will allow you to stack them more effectively.

How many times have you pulled a bag of flour out of your pantry, only to find that you end up covered in it? Or that your sugar bag has split on its underside at some point, and you're left with a pile of granules on your kitchen floor? Baking ingredients can be notoriously messy, and when you're opening and closing their flimsy bags multiple times, things can quickly tear and break. The solution? Grab yourself a couple of cheap mason jars, and decant all of your baking ingredients into them. Just one of many mason jar baking hacks out there, this one makes organizing a breeze. 

When doing this, labeling your mason jars correctly is crucial. It's all too easy to pour plain flour into one jar and self-raising flour into another, and then forget which one is which. Similarly, salt and sugar can look pretty similar, and if you're merrily pouring one into a cake recipe, you'll want to get it right. The best part about this trick is that mason jars come in loads of different sizes, so you can grab smaller ones for items you might not need as much of, like baking powder or confectioner's sugar.

You can infuse liquids in pretty much any receptacle you want, but in our opinion, mason jars are by far the most fashionable ones out there. They're also the kind that will be least likely to impart flavor you don't want into your drinks. Because they're made of glass, mason jars don't retain smells or flavors in the same way that a container made from plastic might. Instead, you get a clean, pure taste every time. Additionally, they just look great on your counter or in your fridge — and that's a big part of it, y'all.

As for what liquids you can infuse in mason jars, the choice is up to you. Infused water is an easy starting point: You just throw whatever fruits and herbs you like into some fresh water, leave the whole thing for a little while, and then pour it out for your guests. You can also make something a little stronger by rustling up some sloe gin or infused vodka. As for how to serve it, grabbing an Ergo Spout or another detachable spout for your mason jar can prevent any spillages.

A kitchen's aesthetic can be ruined instantly by an ugly dish soap bottle sitting next to your sink. Most of us just accept that as a fact of life, but the craftier among us have figured out that there's a better way. The solution is to use a mason jar to create a fashionable dish soap dispenser, that allows you to see exactly how much soap you have left and can be refilled and reused for years on end.

Making a dish soap dispenser out of a mason jar is surprisingly simple — you just need an empty jar and a Stainless Steel Soap Dispenser Insert. Cut a hole in the top of the canning lid, and then insert or glue the insert into it. Then, fill up your mason jar with dish soap, screw the lid back on, and you're good to go. If you want to make it look even better, you can paint the outside of your mason jar with some matte, pastel paint, or just leave it bare so you can keep an eye on your dish soap stock.