blue mason jar

the blue was probably used to hide imperfections in the glass or something like that.

blue isn't a safe color to store photosensitive things in. chemical suppliers use brown tinted glass for virtually everything to avoid sunlight getting to it. it's called 'actinic' glass sometimes.

i think blue will be fine so long as you keep it somewhere shaded for storage, not where sunlight from a window will sweep over it.

i wonder if they have green ones

Blue glass would have been more expensive to create than clear so it has a purpose. In the same way that quality bier is sold in darkened glass, it is to preserve it since sunlight breaks EVERYTHING down...including us

Most people not too long ago canned their foods themselves, but since the "cellars" they used to store their jars were dark already, they used clear jars for the bulk. However, when they were going to use something, but not all at once, they would transfer the contents into the blue jars. These blue jars were for around the kitchen where light was. So they kept a few blue ones for the kitchen and the clear ones for storage. Weee, get it?

yes, indeed, hang on to it.


out.

honestly I think you are all looking to far into the blue mason jar. I believe the colors on the jars are more of a decorative touch, and nothing more. These are canning jars and I know that my grandmother usually keeps them in the pantry out of light or on a shelf in the kitchen out of direct light. I don't think that the antique mason jars where made for any purpose other than keeping canned goods. I also don't think it had anything to do with hiding imperfections because they made several different colors including clear and they are all made in a glass mold. Blue glass (cobalt glass) was really popular at one time and now I know that a lot of antique shoppers look for this color of glass.

Look under collecting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mason_jar

BiG PuFFer said:

i wonder if they have green ones

Click to expand...

they do! but not as many as blue or clear, but they are out there.