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I’ve never really had an opinion on mason jars, in the past few years there seems to have been an explosion of uses for mason jars. These various uses can help you save money on household items. Companies have made new tops to increase the versatility of the jar, new ideas have emerged about how mason jars can increase the longevity of your food, most of all mason jars have become the new on the go food carrier.

1. ALL-ROUND HOUSEHOLD STORAGE

Who could imagine that something so simple as a different lid could drastically shift the way a simple mason jar is used. Masontops and Jarware are just a couple of companies that are really killing it Mason jar versatility, offering products such as oil topper lid and my favorite the honey lid complete with honey wand for easy use. I routinely drink honey and lemon water so the honey wand built right into the top makes it so much easier. They also make cold brew kits and a water bottle kits complete with insulated sleeve! You can get a divider for mason jars which is perfect if you were making an on-the-go yogurt parfait; you can put fruit in one side and granola in the other. Both sell spice jar tops in which you can turn a regular 125mL jar into a spice bottle! Ingenious, and inventive.

Outside of the kitchen you can also find reusable fly trap tops that fit any regular mouth mason jar. With hot weather comes an increase in flies and other winged pests. You could be ready with one of these tops and just grab a mason jar from your empty jars.

For the bathroom or kitchen you can get a soap dispensing lid to make your mason jars a refillable soap dish.

Household uses that don’t require special tops

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about ways to use mason jars without buying extra pieces for them .

Recycle plastic fruit or applesauce cups to add extra storage.

You can create extra storage for your wide mouth mason jars by turning a plastic fruit cup upside down and placing between the rim and the flat top to create storage for dry items like granola or nuts. Perfect for your yogurt parfaits!

Use it for storage in your bathroom.

Epsom salts, bath bombs, cotton swabs, Q-tips. Keep things sanitary by using mason jars for storage. You can also get a little crafty and tailor them to your bathroom decor.

2. Food Storage

In a previous post I talked about storing berries in mason jars to help lengthen the life of berries( 3 ways to make your food last longer and stay fresh! – plucky little pantry. ) Aside from berries you can also store vegetables in mason jars with a little water. Carrot sticks and celery sticks hold up really well plus having them pre-cut in the fridge will act as an incentive to eat healthier!

You can use them for storage in your pantry. If you are buying things in bags ( ex. Lentils, dry beans) you can always transfer them into a large, wide mouth mason jar for longer storage times. Plastic bags don’t offer the same longevity as a mason jar so they are preferable to use in your pantry. Don’t forget to label them! You can purchase mason jar labels separately or you can make your own!

Another great way to use mason jars for storage AND help save time and money is to use them to store premade mixes. Most of what you would store are the dry ingredients for recipes then label them, making sure to include the measurements for the wet ingredients. There really is incentive to cook at home if you have half of the recipe ready. Items like pancake mix, cookies, brownies, waffles, even soup mixes. Having these items ready to go can act as inspiration when you aren’t sure what to make and can help you to cook more meals at home from fresh ingredients rather than eating take out or processed food.

This post may contain affiliate link which means I may earn a commission from the sale of products . Please bear in mind I only recommend products I feel add value and pertain to the content.

3.On-the-go recipes for versatile mason jar meals.

There are a plethora of recipes for mason jars that have flooded my feed over the past few years. Here are a few I have adopted for use in my own house that are really helpful. They help save money but more importantly they help me to make healthier choices and can even mean the difference between eating or skipping a meal.

Breakfast

Overnight oats

Honestly, this is my all-time favorite breakfast option–mostly for hot summer mornings–but if I have a busy week coming up I will make a couple of these ahead of time and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days. I also love the flexibility of this breakfast. You have your base and then it is up to you what you want to add. I will mention that you may need to change the measurements of the base depending on the consistency or you can add some yogurt to make it less thick.

BASE (250mL mason jar)

1/2cup oats

1/2 cup milk

EQUAL PARTS QUICK OR MINUTE OATS AND YOUR CHOICE OF DAIRY.

Choice of berries, nuts, seeds, peanut butter. It’s totally up to you!

Fruit salad

Easy grab and go breakfast or healthy snack. Cut up your favorite fruits and fill the mason jar. If you are leaving it overnight or longer add 1 tbsp of lemon juice to prevent fruit from getting soft or rotting, Add yogurt if desired.

Yogurt parfait ( with 2 variations)

Another simple breakfast to make ahead.

Add a mix of your favorite berries

yogurt

granola

nuts/seeds

Layer in a 250 ML mason jar.

VARIATION:

This is my go to when I need a little more protein in my breakfast.

1 cup Vanilla yogurt( Greek yogurt for a thicker parfait or a creamier probiotic yogurt for a thinner parfait)

1 -2 TBSP Peanut butter or Almond Butter

1 Banana sliced

Granola to preference

Mix yogurt and nut butter till well combined. Add sliced banana, then sprinkle granola to preference.

The mason jar dividers are perfect for these recipes because you can keep your fruit and granola separate from the yogurt which keeps it fresher!

Dessert Variation

3 cups of Yogurt ( Vanilla or plain)

6tbsp of peanut of almond butter

Slice banana

1 cup graham crumbs

2Tbsp butter or margarine

1/2 tbsp peanut butter or almond butter

Chocolate sauce

Granola

Instructions:

Graham Crumble

1 cup of graham crumbs

Gradually Add 2 Tbsp of Butter and 1/2 tbsp of peanut or almond butter and melt. Mixture should not be too wet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until dry.

Assembling the dessert parfait

Mix yogurt and peanut or almond butter till well combined. Divide between 4 125ML regular mouth mason jars. To each jars add approx. 1/2 banana sliced, then sprinkle graham crumble and granola over top and finish with a drizzle of chocolate sauce. It’s a healthier take on dessert but still delicious! Feel free to add a little home made whipped cream to the top. ( Check out How to make easy breakfast using simple ingredients from your pantry. for the recipe. It was featured as our incredible ingredient)

LUNCH

Bulgur salad

Bulgar is a cracked wheat that has been parboiled, and dried. It is high in fiber which is good for all-round health. This recipe uses fine bulgur: it is so easy to work with and requires no stove top cooking. Just use equal parts bulgur and hot water let the bulgur absorb the water, then water fluff and drizzle with olive oil and a dash of salt. Once it is completely cooled it will be ready to use for bulgur salad.

2 Cups cooked bulgur

1/2 cup of the following:

Drained and rinsed chickpeas

Crumbled feta

Diced cucumber

Diced red pepper

Diced red onion

Add an addition 2 tsp olive oil

2tbsp lemon juice

Mix ingredients in a bowl and divide between 250 ML mason jars–Larger if you want the salad as a full meal.

Mediterranean Salad

Another great salad to take on the go and it’s great for gut health!

1-2 large tomatoes chunked

1/2 cup crumbled feta

1/2 cup red onion

1 cup cucumber chunked

1 tbsp Oregano

1tsp Italian seasoning

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice.

Mix ingredients and divide between mason jars.

Melon Salad

Another great cold option for a summer lunch.

1 cup cantaloupe

1 cup honeydew

1 cup watermelon

Cottage cheese

green onion

Chunk melons and mix together in bowl

Divide between mason jars

add 1/2cup cottage cheese per jar

sprinkle diced green onion.

Its important to keep this dish cold because of the cottage cheese. If you are able keep the cottage cheese separate from the melons and add it when you are ready to eat.

Drinks

You don’t have to buy specialty mason jars to drink from you can buy lids to change your mason jar into drinking glass for on the go,

Smoothies

A 500 ML mason jar is the perfect size to take a smoothie to go! There are a wealth of choices for ingredients and a ton of e-books and other resources to help you reach your health goals.

Iced Coffee

Another summertime favorite! You can make your favorite iced coffee and take them to go in your choice of mason jar.

Coffee ( cooled)

Iced

Carmel syrup, chocolate sauce, Vanilla extract. Etc

Sugar.

Add ingredients and mix.

HOW DOES USING MASON JARS HELP ME CUT DOWN ON CLUTTER AND SAVE MONEY?

• Buying in bulk- you can buy items in bulk and store them in your pantry and have mason jars to fill. Bulk shopping can save you money in the long run and also cut back on the number of trips to the store which will also save money.
• Buying specialized mason jar tops will help cut down on clutter and can help re-purpose mason jars. No need to buy various storage items or specialty mason jars.
• Mason jars are reusable, relatively cheap, washable and versatile.
• You can also use the jars for crafts and gifts.
• They are incredibly versatile!

This post may contain affiliate link which means I may earn a commission from the sale of products . Please bear in mind I only recommend products I feel add value and pertain to the content.