Martha Stewart Opens Stuck Jars With A Surprisingly Simple Trick

What's your biggest kitchen pet peeve? There's a lot of petty annoyances to choose from: sticky countertops, crumbs in the sink trap, electric kettles left empty so they short out when you try to flick them on, piles of dirty dishes in the sink, untidy fridges — the list goes on. But surely one of the worst is jars that just won't open, and they get stuck at the worst times. The crucial moment in a recipe, for example, or when you're late and just want some peanut butter for your next-level PB&J. Of course, this is where Martha Stewart comes to the rescue. Her trick for opening jars uses no special tools, and it works most of the time. All you need is a few rubber bands.

Stewart posted a vintage clip on TikTok demonstrating her rubber band jar hack. First, she attempts to open the jar with a store-bought tool before giving up and grabbing three thick rubber bands, fastening them tightly around the metal lid before twisting it. Of course, it opens on the first try!

Rubber bands work because they improve traction. Their rough, water-resistant surface clings to the jar lid, making it easy for your skin to grip. This is true of all rubber or silicone you might use to try to open a jar, but rubber bands have a little more going for them when it comes to thermodynamics. They warm up slightly as they stretch and cool as they shrink, which ups their grip strength. Perhaps she has a future in physics? She's basically got geometry down, as Stewart has a genius organizing tip to maximize space.

There are a few reasons why jar lids can be almost impossible to open. Firstly, sticky food residue on the thread inside the lid or on the lip of the jar can dry and adhere to the lid. Avoiding this is as simple as wiping down both the lid and jar before you put it away. But not everyone who eats in our house will do this, and some of us can't trust ourselves to do it when it's time for a late-night snack. Still, making sure jars are neat and tidy before you put them away improves your odds of a smoother opening in the future.

The second reason jars get stuck is a little more scientific. Metal contracts when it's cold; so when a jar is kept in the fridge, the lid actually gets slightly smaller. If you already screwed the lid on tight, this could have a noticeable effect and make it almost impossible to twist the lid off.

Finally, jars do what they're designed for: maintaining a vacuum seal. Most modern jars have a safety button that clicks down in the center of the lid. If it's down, your jar contains a vacuum, and the lid will be harder to get off. This is an intentional part of canning, as it keeps food fresh within a closed environment, but it can also be a real pain. Vacuum seals happen, intentionally or accidentally, when a warm or hot substance is placed in a jar and cools, contracting the lid. It can happen with Tupperware, too, if you're using a set with a plastic lid and glass container.

Martha Stewart's no one-trick pony! Stewart has the best gardening tips, she can host a stress-free dinner party, publish her 100th cookbook, and still have time to open all the stuck jars from the back of the fridge. In fact, Martha has three additional tricks for opening jars.

If you have something silicone on hand, like a heat mat or an oven mitt, drape it over the jar's lid and hold it while you twist. Just like the rubber bands, this increases friction and stops your hand from slipping. If there's a bit of dissolved sugar or other debris between the jar and lid, your increased grip strength should break those bonds.

The next Stewart-approved method is old but gold. Run the lid under warm water for a few seconds so any sugary residue melts and releases, loosening the contracted metal. If your lid is still stuck and seems sealed, you can also slot the edge of a spoon or butter knife between the lid and jar to release the seal. Do this carefully, as it could crack the jar.

Finally, if you want to keep it simple when breaking a vacuum seal, just give the jar a whack on the base. Yes, the time-honored ketchup-releasing trick also works for opening jars. Place a tea towel on the counter, put the jar on it lid down, and gently take your anger out on the other end. Martha Stewart has probably never gotten viscerally angry at a jar when it won't open, but we can't all be Martha.