Reuse Glass Jars in the Kitchen: What to Keep and What to Bin

A clean, whole glass jar with a sound lid can hold dry goods, but cracked, scratched or greasy ones are better sent to recycling. This guide helps you reuse glass jars in a Zero-Waste Kitchen: which jars to keep, how to clean, dry and label them, and which size suits which pantry item. It covers only the jars themselves, because storage, mould and pest control have their own guides.

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Which empty glass jars are worth keeping?

A jar is worth keeping when its lid still seals and its glass is whole. Coffee jars, jam jars, honey jars and sauce jars are common and come in sizes that match everyday pantry needs. Pickle jars with a metal or plastic lid are useful too, as long as the lid still closes firmly. Large jars suit rice, daal and sugar, while small ones hold whole spices and masalas well.

Which glass jars should you bin?

Check each jar before it goes on the shelf. Work through these checks in order, so nothing with a fault reaches your food.

1. Run a thumb around the rim and the thread where the lid screws on. A chip there means the lid may not seal.
2. Hold the jar up to a window or a bright light and look for cracks, especially near the base.
3. Check the lid for rust, flaking paint or a bent edge. Rusted lids go in the bin with the jar.
4. Wash the jar, then smell it. If the old food still shows through the scent, the jar is not ready for dry goods.

Greasy jars that do not come clean after a proper wash should also go. A cracked jar can break in the cupboard or while you are pouring, and a jar with a deep scratch is harder to clean fully.

How do you clean and dry a jar so it stays fresh?

Cleaning is what makes a reused jar useful. Nothing else matters as much. A jar that still smells, or is still damp, can spoil the next thing you put in it.

1. Soak the empty jar in warm water with a few drops of dish soap for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Scrub the inside with a soft brush, and give the rim and lid thread extra attention.
3. Rinse with clean water until no soap smell remains.
4. Dry the jar upside down on a clean cloth until no drop of water is left inside, then fit the lid.

Do not store a jar while it is still damp. Keep it dry until you fill it.

How do you remove the label without scratching the glass?

Peeling the paper is the easy part. The glue behind it takes more time. Leave metal blades in the drawer, and use a plastic scraper or the back of a spoon instead, since they are gentler on glass.

1. Peel the paper label slowly, pulling it back on itself rather than straight away from the glass.
2. Rub warm water and a few drops of cooking oil over the glue, then leave it for 10 minutes.
3. Lift the softened glue with a plastic scraper or the back of a spoon, never a metal blade.
4. Wash the jar with soap, rinse it, and dry it upside down as described above.

What should you store in a reused jar, and which size suits it?

Small jars with tight lids keep masalas handy and away from steam, and they are easy to see on the shelf. Larger jars hold sugar, dal and rice. Keep every jar dry inside, and use a dry spoon for sugar. Keep dry fruit in a sealed jar, and the dry fruit and nut storage guide covers when the fridge helps and when it does not.

Flour and pulses are a separate job, covered in the weevil-proof storage guide. Powdered spices are covered in the homemade powder storage guide.

Can you reuse a pickle jar for achar or other food?

A clean, dry pickle jar with a sound lid can hold dry goods. Using it for a new batch of oil pickle is a different job, so follow the sterilising steps in the homemade achar pickle safety guide rather than a quick rinse.

Why does a jar still smell after washing?

Wash it once more in hot soapy water, rinse well and dry it fully. If the smell stays, the jar is better used for a non-food job, such as holding buttons, screws or a sewing kit. Do not put dry food in a jar that still smells of something else.

Reusing glass jars questions people ask

Sources

• NHS: Cuts and grazes
• NHS: Tetanus

Bottom line on reusing glass jars

A jar is worth keeping if it is clean, dry and whole, and its lid still closes tightly. Everything else goes to recycling, and the sterilising for pickle stays with the achar guide.