“The wonder of imagination is this: It has the power to light its own fire.” John Landis Mason
Rummaging through the church sale, there were numerous purchases, not just the clothes and books sections, but also collectibles ranging from the funny shaped lanterns to glass bottles and finally the mason jars. Speaking of the latter, these were a staple of the kitchens during the prime years of my grandmother and the generations before her. Without the existence of modern day refrigerators, the winter supply was primarily contributed by canning and preservation techniques.
Though the technique of preservation of food were in many rudimentary forms, it was the French chef Nicolas Appert who had brought about the method of preserving food by enclosing it in sealed containers. Among the earliest glass jars used for home canning were wax sealers (named so as attributed to the sealing wax poured into a channel around the lip to secure the tin lid). Although this process was complicated and error-prone, the wax sealing process was largely in popular use. As this method got slowly modified with screw on cap, till John Landis Mason took over with his innovative twist.
For every canning enthusiast, antique collector or simply any collector, the Mason Jar is a must on the list. A Mason jar, named after John Landis Mason, is a molded glass jar used in home canning to preserve food. From the first patented form of 1857, to the present, Mason jars have had hundreds of variations in shape and cap design. Although the collector’s treasure is the “Patent Nov 30th 1858,” signifying the date of Mason’s patent, as embossed on thousands of jars, which were made in many shapes, sizes, and colors well into the 1900s.
Today mason jar aren’t confined to the “canning section” alone, but form a big part of many aspects. From the aesthetic turn to food art, serving jars as well as “healthy shakes”, party essentials to leaflet holder, coin jars or quote jars, gift ideas and many more, owning the original one is a collector’s dream. Over the years though technology as well as modern science has progressed in leaps and bounds; there are certain “antique” things in life which still remain in the personal favourite or choice list.
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