15 Ways To Use Mason Jars In The Kitchen

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Here are 15 ways to use mason jars in the kitchen. Everything from desserts to vases to food storage!

Hi Friends!

Today I thought we’d chat about mason jars for a bit. I was looking in my cupboard the other day and I realized that I have a TON of mason jars of all different sizes. Then I started thinking about all the different ways I use them. I made a list of some of my favorite uses and then did some research to put together a fun little list for you guys of ways you can use mason jars in the kitchen. There are tons of ideas out there because these jars can be used in pretty much any area of the house….but I didn’t want to make the list too overwhelming, so I thought I’d just focus on kitchen uses for this post.

Do you have a cabinet full of mason jars? Here are 15 ways to use them in the kitchen. Everything from drinks to salads to canning to herb gardens, the possibilities are endless.

First, a quick review of just a few reasons why I love mason jars:

  • They can be used for portion control.
  • They’re microwave and oven safe.
  • They’re BPA free!
  • They come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and colors.
  • They’re relatively inexpensive.

I could go on an on…but let’s get to the list. Here are some easy ways to use mason jars in the kitchen:

how to sprout lentils

Sprouting beans, lentils and grains 

An easy way to boost the nutritional value and you can do it right in your kitchen! Check out my post on How To Sprout Lentils post to get started!

mason jar sweet potato mug cake
Single serve desserts

I almost always use a mason jar when I make my Microwave Sweet Potato Muffin! It’s the perfect way to avoid an overflow and leaves plenty of room to top with ice cream or yogurt! You can also use them to make parfaits, pies, custards and more. It’s super convenient because you can easily make individual portions and they can be baked right in the jars!

salad in a jar
Salads and Meals In A Jar 

These are perfect for packing in a lunch, picnic basket, etc. My friend Lauren wrote a Salad in a Jar post for me a couple of years ago with three yummy ideas to get you started. Put the dressing on the bottom and the lettuce on top to avoid sogginess and you can prep 4-5 salads at a time, store them in the fridge and have lunches ready for the week!

If you want to go beyond salad, Lexi just wrote a great post with some meal in a jar ideas like a Layered Taco Jar, Cajun Shrimp Jar and more! The possibilities are endless!

mason jar smoothie
Smoothies

Next time you make a smoothie, serve it up in a mason jar! The fact that they have lids make it easy to take one with you on the go! And in case you haven’t seen this cool trick, if you have the right kind of blender, you can attach your mason jar right to the blender, which means no blender jar clean-up for you! Check out this article for more details.

jars

Pantry Storage

Use jars to store pantry items like grains, pasta, beans, nuts and seeds. Larger mason jars can also be used for baking supplies like flour, sugar, chocolate chips, etc and even things like muffin tin liners!

flowers

Flower Vase

Brighten up your kitchen with a jar full of flowers. They make a perfect vase. Look for colored mason jars to add even more color to the room!

healthy cherry limeade
Serving drinks

There’s just something about drinking out of a mason jar that’s more fun than a regular cup! Try my Healthy Cherry Limeade if you don’t believe me! You can also use them to enjoy your coffee – hot or cold- or a fancy cocktail. Take things a step further and include the kiddos by turning a few mason jars into sippy cups! You can buy the lids or convert your own! If you like DIY projects, here’s an easy video about how to add a straw hole to your mason jar lid.

mason jar shaker

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DIY Shaker

Make a couple of these and use them for things like chia & hemp seeds, powdered sugar, toothpicks and parmesan cheese. All you have to do is pound a few nail holes into the metal lid of a mason jar! Here’s a great tutorial to get you started.

veggies in a jar
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Individual Appetizers & Snacks

Again, these jars can be super helpful for portion control. Try serving up individual veggies and dip jars as an after school snack, or make some individual 7 layer dip jars as an appetizer for your next party! Keep in mind that the wide mouth mason jars are probably best for this!

window sill herb garden

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Kitchen Herb Garden

Mason jars are the perfect size for growing fresh herbs in your kitchen. Here’s a great tutorial for getting started. Set them on your window sill to grow or, if you’re feeling more adventurous, you can grow them on your wall!

mason jar lid tarts

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Lid Desserts

One of the more creative ways I’ve seen to use a mason jar, my friend Christina used the LIDS to make Mason Jar Lid Tarts!

dessert in a jar
Gifts In A Jar

Whether it’s layering dry ingredients for a pancake mix or a batch of cookies, filling a jar with trailmix (like my Blizzard Bites) or flipping things upside down and using the jars to deliver a cupcake or muffin, gifts in a jar are perfect for holiday gifts, parties, baby showers and more!

cranberry sauce jar
Store Your Leftovers

Mason jars are great for storing things like soup, sauces, broth, salsa, nut butters, etc in the fridge!

mason jar food storage

You can also use them to take the place of some of your plastic tupperware containers as you make the transition to all glass!

salad dressing
Salad Dressing

Store-bought dressings are often full of unnecessary ingredients. Make your own in a mason jar and store in the fridge. Make sure the lid is on tight and just give it a good shake before each use!

canning salsa
Canning

If you grow your own fruits and veggies or just like to stock up when they’re on sale at the farmer’s market or the grocery store, canning is a great way to store fresh produce and have it on hand when it’s not in season! Try your hand at canning salsas, veggies, jams, sauces and pickling in mason jars!

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[Tweet “Looking for some new ways to use mason jars in the kitchen? Here are 15 ideas from @leangrnbeanblog!”]

And just as an added bonus, here’s a few non-food ways to use them:

  • Make a gratitude jar.
  • Use them to store leftover paint so you don’t have to keep the paint cans that take up so much space.
  • Make a terrarium.
  • Use one as a lamp base or make a lantern.
  • Store craft supplies.
  • Pour your own candles.

Let’s chat:
What are your favorite ways to use mason jars?! Leave ideas in the comments to keep the inspiration flowing! 

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

 

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Comments

  1. We only have mason jars for our glassware (minus wine glasses). It’s all sorts of fun. I store all sorts of goodies in them as well – homemade granola is a favorite.

    Reply

  4. I have a thing for mason jars. Decorating, cooking, storage…love em! The herb garden and the lid desserts are brilliant! My mind is spinning with ideas for lid desserts 🙂

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  5. Love this! So many good ideas! We don’t really have the ‘mason jar’ culture here in the UK – you can only find them if you hunt them out at a specialist store. However, I do have lots of jars I have saved that would be perfect for some of these ideas!

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  6. Awesome article!

    My favourite use for mason jars is the “meal in a jar”. It’s a great way to fit all that fruit into a greek yogurt. Love what you’ve done here!! And thanks so much for linking to our Wall Mounted Mason Jar Herb Garden!

    xo

    Reply

  7. These are all great and thank you for sharing. We have a ton of mason jars as well that are just sitting around. I actually wasn’t sure what to do with them but you have inspired me.

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  10. Great ideas! We use ours to store some dry goods in the pantry, and for sprouting and canning- although I haven’t done any canning in awhile. I also freeze soups or chicken broth in them, but it can be tricky not to crack the glass when they’re in the freezer!

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  11. I brought homemade infused water to my friends pool the other day in a mason jar. I realized I will never be more of a hipster than I was at that moment.

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  15. Great list Lindsay, you have given me soooo many new ideas! Most intrigued by the DIY herb garden. I definitely hope to give that a try! My favorite use is for my homemade almond butter, especially when it stays creamy even in the fridge so my spoon and I can visit a few times a day 😉

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  17. Oh my gosh, I totally forgot about that guest post I did on the salads HAHA! Thanks for including it in the roundup! I’ve been loving watching your whole pregnancy journey too Lindsay, I’m so happy for you guys and can’t wait to see pictures of your little bean! <3

    Reply

  18. This is awesome, I just pinned so I can come back and remember all the things I can do with the gazillion mason jars I have. I love using big ones for storage too… make it so much easier to get oats/chia seeds out rather than the bags! (I buy them both in bulk at Costco)

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  19. Okay as if I didn’t love Mason jars enough already… I only have one that I actually use as a glass and I love it. I need to go buy a case. I love the veggies and dip idea the most. that is SO smart and so much cheaper than buying pyrex!

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  21. I love mason jars! I have one cabinet dedicated to them 🙂 I use the big ones to brew kombucha, I store coconut oil, milk, and other liquidy things in them, and I also use them for making/storing sauerkraut and jam. I used to make the salads-in-a-jar all the time, but got out of the habit. Going back to that would be a good idea for when baby comes.

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  25. I’m obsessed with Mason jars as well and reading this super cute post has definitely made my morning 🙂 Great inspiration! I used a ton of these for my wedding decor, and my current favorite use for them is taking single serving bananas puddings to picnics and making overnight oatmeal for my husband and I. Great for grab n’ go dishes!

    Reply

  29. I love gifts in mason jars! My old roommates family will give homemade jams and preserves as gifts every year, and her niece does her own special hot chocolate in a smaller mason jar – such a cute idea!

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  30. Love mason jars. I use them for just about everything you listed plus I brew and drink cold-brew coffee in them, I mix up and eat my homemade oatmeal packet at work in the morning, make and store homemade spice blends and drink tea from them at work through the day. I save so much unnecessary waste at the office just by keeping a wide mount pint jar in my drawer.

    Reply

  37. I actually never discovered the awesomeness of mason jars until I moved to West Virginia for school. I love how versatile they are! :] Pinned!

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  38. i have a few jars but after reading this i want to invest in some more! so versatile. do you put yours in the dishwasher??

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  43. This is awesome! I have so many mason jars laying around that I need to put to good use! I need to be better amount controlling my portions with snacks and this is a great way!

    Reply

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