From Canning Jars To A Space Telescope!

Aug 20, 2023

When you look back in history you never know what you will find. I had a surprise as I researched the Ball Canning Co. Not only are Ball jars still being manufactured, but the company is out of that business and into space technology. In 2021 Ball designed and built the advanced optical technology and lightweight mirror system for the James Webb Space Telescope!

They have been making glass canning jars since 1884. That business began in nearby Buffalo, NY. Soon the factory moved to Muncie, IN to be able to expand using natural gas resources there. Those familiar glass jars have been around for close to 150 years. If you are among the folks who are still canning you can relax. You are in good hands as you fill those jars.

I started out to research the beginning of the modern canning era. When I was first married, we had a very large garden that my in-laws planted. There was a lot of produce to be taken care of. I learned to can.

At that point I had no canning materials of my own, but quickly acquired some from various sources. My mother-in-law had some extra jars that she gave me. My grandmother gave me a large porcelain canning pan and some of the jars that she used to use. As the produce was ready, I began collecting jars from any source I could. I even went to my great-aunt’s house for some supplies. She was glad to have them removed from her basement. She contributed many jars as well as a funnel to fill the jars. It is nostalgic to think that I am using my great-grandmother’s funnel each time I can something.

Some things I had to purchase. I needed a set of tongs to remove hot jars from the pan. I needed more jars and of course, I needed lids. I learned that I could get wide-mouth lids as well as standard lids. I much preferred the wide- mouth lids when I did tomatoes.

My mother-in-law’s aunt helped me collect more jars. She was preparing to move to a smaller place and needed to clean out her basement. I went up there and helped myself to her canning jars. As I prepared to can the produce from the garden, I had enough jars to use. She also gave me some buckets to use to pick berries.

For a shower gift I received a canning cookbook from my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. I read that book from cover to cover as I learned the process. I also purchased a Ball canning book with more information. I spent my evenings reading about how to can things. I have to say those books were life savers. They answered most of my questions. My mother-in-law was able to answer more of the things I did not know.

I was living in a mobile home so there was little room in the kitchen to work. If I had my canning pan on the stove, it was full. It took up a lot of space. I worked on my kitchen table. My empty jars were there to be filled.

One of the first things I canned was beans. Consulting my trusty cookbook, I determined how long they had to cook. I used the water bath method. My beans looked so nice when they were prepared. All of them sealed. You always waited to hear the pop of the lids when you were done.

I went on to can many other things that first year. Finally, we had the garden cleaned out. I had tomatoes, peaches, plums, cherries, and many kinds of pickles to show for my hard work. I also canned honey since we had bees.

I stored my canned goods in my mother-in-law’s basement. When I needed to open a can a went down to collect it.

One day when I went into the basement, I noticed beans all over. My beans sealed but they would not keep. They all exploded and I had a mess to clean up. I also had no beans that first year. That was the end of using the water bath method. By the next season I purchased a pressure canner.

I noticed in my research the there are now different sizes of jars. Most of them seem to use the standard lids, but I could tell some of them did not. If you are ordering lids, be sure of what you need. Some jars are sold with the rings and lids, but be careful of those purchases as well. You do not want something that you cannot find lids for next year.

Ann Swanson writes from her home in Russell, Pa.. Contact at [email protected].

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