[Sanibean]

In the past I've made freezer jam and yesterday was given a lot of grapes, so about to make my first grape jam. I've been told if the jar had been used in the freezer, I could not use in a water bath. Is this true?

 

[siletz]

I have never heard that and don't see how it could be true. You cannot take a jar straight from the freezer and put it into boiling water as the temperature change would break the jar. But, just because the jar once held food in a freezer does not make it somehow inferior so that you couldn't use it for canning. I have found this link helpful in all things canning: http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html Happy canning and enjoy your grape jelly!

 

[suitcase_sally]

I've never heard of that either. If it were true, there would be some type of warning on the box they come in. In fact, my wide mouth pint jars are "canning/freezing" jars.

 

[sss3]

I have heard this. Something about freezing jars, makes them more likely to crack. Freezing supposedly, makes them more brittle. Didn't stop me. I've never had a problem.

 

[Melesine]

Was this possibly a plastic freezer jam jar?

 

[Sanibean]

This was something my mother has always told me, and she could not explain why.

So I followed a couple ladies on here and asked one of my cousins who's like a Pioneer Woman what she thought. She has used hers in freezer and canner both with no problems. So today I made jam. Easy enough job, just wish I had someone to clean behind me. Jars started sealing the minute I pulled out of the water bath. Sealing very loudly and I jumped because I was sure the jars were breaking and I was going to be burnt on hot jam. Not one jar broke so that ends that Old Wife Tale. (for me any ways)

 

[Jo in PA]

I freeze in my jars all the time. Then can in them. I have never had any problems.

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

Being an older single guy.... I only make small batches of jam or jelly at a time... Never more than 4-5 jars... I recycle purchased jam jars... When I cook jam, I microwave water in the jars so they are HOT, fill with jam, cap, let cool slowly, and keep in the fridge.... Actually... I've never had one of these jars not seal successfully as long as I had enough jam to fill the jar... I imagine I have used some jars 3-4 times now...

I have a couple glass baking dishes that are supposedly freezer safe... But I can't imagine using a glass canning jar, or any other jar in the freezer.... With my luck that would be a mess looking for a place to happen...

Good luck...

 

[suitcase_sally]

This mostly for the newbies in the group.

Not all canning jars can be used in the freezer. Regular mouth pint and quart jars cannot be used. The reason is, is because of the way the jars are shaped. When anything freezes, it expands. It expands in every direction - up, down and sideways. A "freeze' jar is shaped so that it is tapered from the top to the bottom so when the product freezes it is forced upward where the opening gets bigger, thus relieving the pressure. A regular mouth jar has a shoulder so when the product freezes and moves upward, it is met with the shoulder (resistance) and it cracks.

Hope this helps.

 

[Osiris]

Perhaps it was the other way around. Perhaps they meant that the freezer jars were not meant for pressure canning. I could see that. I've frozen lots of things in regular jars without any problem. Just don't fill 'em all the way. I steer clear of freezer jars because regular jars do it all anyway. Just me.