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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAre Mason Jars Sexist?
Mason Jars were made by men for men. Isn't it about time we had a jar for women?
I was standing around in my kitchen the other day when I got the idea to make a candle holder out of a mason jar, and then to sell it on Etsy. My mom always told me I had a knack for creating things, so I figured why not? I'm sure no one has done it before.
I had some jars I could empty from when my husband and I jarred preserves last summer, only when I tried to open the jar, I couldn't. I used a towel, banged on the sides with a butter knife, but nothing could make it budge. Finally, I begrudgingly asked my husband for help and he opened it with no trouble. He's 6'3, so it wasn't an issue for his larger hands. Then I realized something: the problem wasn't me, it was the jar. More specifically, the man who invented it. A white man. Who was straight. And privileged.
Why should I have big hands to open a jar? Jars should come in many sizes so people of all strength profiles can open them. Making me rely on a man for ANYTHING is sexist. Really? REALLY???
I looked into it and found out that I'm not the only one having this problem. It's 2016. Isn't it about time we had a jar that reflected the year? Mason jars are even named after a straight man. Because of course it was. Women never get a fair shake in society.
Anyway, I hope someone invents this. It's a good idea. I just hope someone, anyone makes this thing a reality. Anyway, I'm off to make a candle now.
rug
(82,333 posts)Albertoo
(2,016 posts)Albertoo
(2,016 posts)panader0
(25,816 posts)Laura PourMeADrink
(42,770 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)LiberalArkie
(15,715 posts)jberryhill
(62,444 posts)Laffy Kat
(16,377 posts)That was funny.
Marrah_G
(28,581 posts)Odin2005
(53,521 posts)LiberalElite
(14,691 posts)Albertoo
(2,016 posts)LiberalElite
(14,691 posts)Brickbat
(19,339 posts)Texasgal
(17,045 posts)No...wait.. This has to be satire.
Sorry..
Oneironaut
(5,493 posts)oldandhappy
(6,719 posts)Jars are made in factories so I suppose they come in set sizes. I have never bought mason jars. I have trouble opening some plastic bottle top on juice bottles, some glass jars in several sizes -- not just mason jars. I have my grandmother's squeeze opener.
Retrograde
(10,134 posts)I can, using genuine mason jars (now made by the Ball Company) with 2 piece lids. While I often have problems opening commercially sealed jars, I have no problems with anything I can myself. The seal is created by the rubber part of the lid welding itself to the glass, and the ring is just there to hold it in place while the jars are being processed. When I want to use something I canned, I unscrew the ring (since I screwed it on in the first place that's not a problem) and use an ordinary churchkey-style can opener to lift the lid.
You don't want commercially sealed jars to be all that easy to open: they're sealed so the stuff inside doesn't pick up pathogens or other microbes floating around in the environment. I usually end up resorting to the tall husband method, but I soften them up first. If the lid is metal, holding it under HOT water can help, as it expands the metal a tad. Pliers or a large wrench also work. Hitting the bottle with a hammer is not advised.
TexasBushwhacker
(20,183 posts)It's all about getting a good grip.
Anyway, I think canning jars are designed with wide mouths to make them easier to fill. The little 6 oz jars are for jelly.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)It works well though, doesn't it?
Takket
(21,563 posts)WillowTree
(5,325 posts)Find some of the ones with the smaller lids and you'll be all set.
That said, I use Mason jars for storing many things from coffee to soup pasta to brown sugar and use mostly the wide-mouth variety because it's generally easier to fill and empty them. I have pretty small hands and have never had much hand strength, yet I rarely have any difficulty opening one.
The Straight Story
(48,121 posts)I once knew one that held a door open for someone
GreatCaesarsGhost
(8,584 posts)Egnever
(21,506 posts)The Straight Story
(48,121 posts)tblue37
(65,336 posts)kentauros
(29,414 posts)Somewhere in the comments are tips on making them solar-powered with rechargable batteries and a photocell (or that may be on another part of the same site.) Either way, once made, no need to open them again!
linuxman
(2,337 posts)So weak women will neve have a chance. Small handed girly men too.
So Far From Heaven
(354 posts)consider what they do.
I'm pretty sure that the originators of self sealing jars were NOT gender sensitive. If I remember correctly, you weren't allowed to own property much less vote when these thingies were first made.
However, I'm also pretty sure they didn't have a whole lot of technology back then to address the problem even if they were gender cognizant.
I claim they are asexual, having proven to be a total pain in the ass to everyone.
blogslut
(37,999 posts)problem solved
also, a good smack on the bottom of the jar
milestogo
(16,829 posts)to a secret potion which gives white males privilege. Once the jars can be opened by women, there is going to be a revolution...
Edit: Just hold the jar lid under hot water so it expands.
romanic
(2,841 posts)muriel_volestrangler
(101,311 posts)of the inventor is ... Jeremy Clarkson!
Now that's what I call sexist ...
leftyladyfrommo
(18,868 posts)They are for sale in all the craft stores. They are regular or painted, normal size or really small. All kinds of special lids so that they can be made into little lites.
Pretty amazing marketing really. Now that people don't can very much any more
One woman on Etsy sells them with solar lights and they are really cool.
Men weren't nearly so creative. They just used them to put nails and screws in.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)leftyladyfrommo
(18,868 posts)at Joanns. Which is what I have to do since I am a techno idiot.
One woman made these beautiful solar jars that just shimmer in iridescent colors like a jar full of fireflies. She sells them for $16 on Etsy.
Beautiful out on patios at night.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)A woman made those lights so that the lights don't have to be re-opened because they're so difficult to open in the first place
If she can do it, you can too
(the instructions on that site are quite simple and take one step-by-step)
We should have a contest
A HERETIC I AM
(24,367 posts)Just let your husband open the damned jars, for fucks sake.
It shows him you still need him for something other than lawn maintenance.
Of all the things to complain about.
Jesus H. Christ canning rutabagas while juggling flaming kittens
onyourleft
(726 posts)...lawn maintenance?
AngryAmish
(25,704 posts)underpants
(182,788 posts)Travis_0004
(5,417 posts)Making a lid large enough so large objects can pass through it.
Orrex
(63,203 posts)Not a fan of Sylvia Plath?
ryan_cats
(2,061 posts)Isn't that from Maddox's April fool page?
csziggy
(34,136 posts)You can see a picture of the Ball Brothers here: http://www.ball.com/history/ They are ALL men!
And the book they sell to teach how to can is "Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving!" (I think they messed up the name and it was supposed to be the "Blue Ball Book Guide to Preserving."
lame54
(35,287 posts)At least there are still spiders to kill
noamnety
(20,234 posts)Somewhere along my career, I attended a job-sponsored health awareness day and they gave out breast exam awareness jar openers. Kinda like these:
but with a more breast-centric slogan. I figure it gives me the advantage now, because my husband feels weird grabbing that and squishing it.
seaglass
(8,171 posts)never failed me, is much better than the rubber openers and it's only 4.99.
http://www.containerstore.com/s/need-it/kitchen/jarkey/12d?productId=10000651&ci_src={ifpla:17588969}{ifpe:27500988}&ci_sku=10014761&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=44-163155048-2&utm_source=channelintelligence&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=google
TacoD
(581 posts)it took me a while but I got it.
Dr. Strange
(25,920 posts)Initech
(100,067 posts)whistler162
(11,155 posts)but then they might get angry at you if you don't fill them and try to hit you. Just like the inventors great(x3)-grandson Jeremy Clarkson.
braddy
(3,585 posts)Laffy Kat
(16,377 posts)I can only reach the first two shelves on my cabinets, beyond that I need a step-ladder. I'm 5'3", not terrible petite for a woman. On the other hand, at least I can't see the dust on top of the fridge.
REP
(21,691 posts)Warpy
(111,253 posts)Once in a while, one of them was gorilla fisted after canning and gives me an argument. A quick dip in hot water (usually the pasta water for the sauce in the jar) will expand the metal just enough to break it free of the little piece of gunk welding it to the jar threads. A towel makes the ring feel softer to painful hands.
Liquids with tight lids are even easier, just a couple of quick smacks on the bottom of the bottle break the seal at the top.
Once in a blue moon a jar will give me enough of an argument to pull out my old church key, hook it under the rim and pull gently to break any seal. I keep the church key also in case I need to shuck any oysters, nothing's better.
I have never gone in search of a male neighbor to open a stubborn jar. I can always get the bastards open, gimpy hands and all.
(for the young, church key = old style beer can opener for those days before pop tops or ring openers)
Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)madamesilverspurs
(15,800 posts)who invented the lid on my bottle of prune juice. Try as I might, I could not get it open. My neighbor tried, with no success. I took it back to the grocery store's customer service desk, where I explained my plight to the assistant manager who gave me one of those indulgent yet patronizing smiles. After he turned dark red with his own failed effort to open the thing, he walked away and came back with another bottle. He asked if I wanted to try opening it, which I did (successfully). The bottle I couldn't open was the store brand; the one I was able to open was the more expensive one, much to the assistant manager's frustration. He did agree that the stubborn lid was a mean trick on seniors. But I got my juice.
Enrique
(27,461 posts)here's how to do it:
kwassa
(23,340 posts)panader0
(25,816 posts)So let hubby open the jar a give him a reason feel like a real man.
Jeannie does this with me regularly, and I have better self-esteem
because of it.
Did I mention I can palm a basketball?