What to Expect from a Blog About Mason Jars

This blog is about mason jars connecting people. We'll highlight recipes, discuss environmental and health issues, swap advice about gardening and canning, and tell stories about collecting and using mason jars in a multitude of different ways. Read below for more!

Mason jars are one of those everyday objects that connect people.  Folks from different generations and geographical regions and subcultures acquire and use them for a variety of reasons.  People who garden buy them for canning purposes, making food in bulk for their friends and family.  Folks who don’t garden sometimes still want to preserve food they buy up in bulk for a great price or when it’s in season at the farmer’s market in order to make a favorite recipe, be it jam or salsa or something else delicious.  Canning jars make terrific drink glasses because they are so sturdy.  Crafters love mason jars as they are so useful for making gifts in countless forms.  They’re a favorite among collectors and decorators in both country and urban settings.  They have vintage and eco-friendly qualities and are beloved for their all-around versatility. They make excellent light fixtures and work upside down on most blenders!  Just about every home has a jar or two (or a box or two) lying around, either in active use or collecting dust; and chances are, whether or not the current owner knows why it is there or where it came from, there is most likely a happy story in each jar’s history.

This blog is about mason jars, canning jars, whatever you want to call them.  But it’s about more than just the jars.  It’s about the stories that come with jars, the different ways and reasons people use their jars.  We’ll talk about using jars as beverage containers and the multitude of new accessories that are being developed for mason jars, turning them into travel mugs and straw cups (and we’ll cover some products that weren’t even intended for jars but work well with them).  We’ll share recipes for shakes and smoothies and other cold summertime drinks and hot wintertime beverages.  We’ll dive into the mysteries of canning techniques and tips and tricks, not to mention more recipes.  We’ll talk about the benefits and pitfalls of using glass products versus plastic, including discussions about BPA and some of the more general debates surrounding the use plastics.  We’ll do our best to get up-to-date data regarding recycling and environmental issues, including the plastic bottle crisis, and talk about ways to “rethink” (which comes before “reduce, reuse, recycle”) before we create waste.  We plan to include a lot of DIY posts for those who want to do it yourself, and we might even host some contests for creative projects like knitting or crocheting and other crafty patterns for those who want to design cozies and sleeves for drink jars.  As often as we can, we plan to include a lot of interviews with folks who are experts in their fields relating to many of the topics already listed as well as more.  

Our goal is to keep this blog interesting for a variety of people from a variety of backgrounds.  If you have suggestions or ideas for this blog, please add a comment below or send us an email at info@thepintandahalf.com or contact us through www.thepintandahalf.com.  If you have a unique story that you think should be featured on this blog or are an expert in one of the aforementioned fields and are open to an interview, we want to hear from you!

**Please note, this blog will soon be hosted at a different address, please stay tuned for the official link!**