What with near-instant delivery of whatever food item that we seek — be it ready-to-eat or even to prepare — and supermarkets around every corner in an urban expanse, it might not be long before the need to preserve food at home becomes a forgotten art. And yet, home-food preservation was a tricky affair even as recently as the 19th Century. Forget supermarkets and instant delivery platforms, even refrigeration was still largely preliminary back then, with home refrigerators still a thing of the future.
The beginnings of home canning
If we were to go back by 200 years, we’ll be confronted with a world that was just coming to terms with modern heat-based canning, pioneered by French chef and confectioner Nicolas Appert in the first decade of that century. While it worked remarkably well and was able to preserve a wide range of foods without adding any chemical preservatives, it was easier done in an industrial setting. It was extremely cumbersome, to say the least, for most home cooks, who had to wait for another 50 years for something easier.
John Landis Mason.
| Photo Credit:
Wikimedia Commons
That came courtesy John Landis Mason, a New Jersey-born son of a Scottish farmer. Mason was seeking a way to improve the home canning process, which in itself was still in its infancy.
Up until then, home canning involved the usage of wax to create airtight seal above the food that was being preserved. Stoppered with corks, the jars were then sealed with wax before being boiled. Far from foolproof, the messy process was quite difficult to carry out at homes. In order to keep themselves fed through winters, most people largely still took to smoking, salting, drying, and fermenting for canning.
A simple invention
Patent drawing from Mason’s 1858 patent.
| Photo Credit:
U.S. Patent US22186A
Mason’s invention was simple. He “invented new and useful Improvements in the necks of bottles, jars, etc., especially such as are intended to be air and water tight,” and received a patent for the same on November 30, 1858. Not only were these Mason jars made of manganese-bleached glass transparent and hence allowed users to see what was inside, but the threaded neck and screw-on lid enabled the formation of a seal even as hot contents cooled.
While Mason showcased uncanny shrewdness in coming up with the jar that he had, he was far from shrewd as a businessman. His 1858 patent didn’t cover all aspects of his invention and it wasn’t until a full decade later that he chose to address that.
Patent drawing from Mason’s 1870 patent.
| Photo Credit:
U.S. Patent US102913A
Chief among these was the rubber ring on the underside of flat metal lids that was instrumental with respect to creating the airtight seal, thereby making wax usage unnecessary. By the time Mason decided to act in 1868, his jars were already everywhere. His attempt to regain control over his jars were a disaster, and when he died in 1902, he was allegedly penniless.
Ball brothers get the ball rolling
His invention, however, fared way way better. By 1880, soon after Mason’s initial patent had expired, the Ball brothers — Edmund, Frank, George, Lucius and William — got the ball rolling. With a $200 loan from their uncle, the brothers bought the small Wooden Jacket Can Company of Buffalo, New York. They switched over to the production of tin cans and glass jars, changed the company’s name to Ball Brothers Manufacturing Company, and before long, were the largest producers of Mason jars in the U.S.
By the end of the 19th Century, people in the U.S. were able to eat a wider variety of fruits and vegetables than ever before, throughout the year. Nutrition levels improved overall as Mason jars made it possible to have certain fruits and vegetables that were previously unavailable in the winter months.
World War thrust
Both World Wars provided a boom to home canning and naturally, to Mason jars as well. As the government rationed foods and the cans used to hold them, there were propaganda posters that featured Mason jars encouraging the public to cultivate victory gardens and preserve what they grew at home. The decade between 1939 and 1949 alone saw three million canning jars being bought by Americans.
World War II propaganda poster.
| Photo Credit:
Northwestern University Libraries
The post-war years saw the popularity of Mason jars go down. What with improvements in industrial canning and freezing technologies to go alongside the migration of people from rural suburbs to urban houses with refrigerators, the usage of Mason jars reduced from late 1940s onwards.
There’s been a revival of sorts in this century, but it hasn’t always been for the original purpose. Yes, Mason jars continue to be used for preserving food at home. But they are increasingly being used in restaurants and kitchens, just to create the right ambience. What’s more, Mason jars are also doubling up as flower vases, drinking jars, utensil holders, or maybe even holders for stationery items!
Mason jars that serve as flower vases.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement
The pandemic boom
Just like how the World Wars provided a boom, the Covid-19 pandemic also provided an unexpected impetus to the re-adoption of Mason jars. With much of the world locked down, many Americans turned to home gardening as a let out during a difficult time. And when the time came to preserve the bumper crops of veggies and fruits, they turned again to Mason jars to help them out home canning.
Mason might have gained little out of his invention, but he left the world with an object that remains both functional and beautiful. What’s even more fascinating is that his same basic design has stood the test of time, thriving even now, more than 150 years later. The years in between have seen a few iterations and a number of related patents, but Mason’s screw-top Mason jar remains the most sought after even today.
Published – November 30, 2025 12:23 am IST
