When storying about what’s in my freezer, I get countless questions about how in the world I freeze food in Mason jars, and that’s what inspired this issue. I can enthusiastically say that I prefer to freeze food in glass. I simply don’t feel that plastic can possibly be good for the body. For me, the joys of Mason jars include how well they seal--no drips! I love the size of the containers, and the ease of using them.

Often, as a hostess gift, I’ll bring a jar of meat sauce or chicken stock in a quart Mason jar. They’re fabulous to carry back-and-forth everywhere I go. I love the various sizes and the ease of use. I very much like the quart, but the pint is really nice! The smaller ones are perfect for my Pistachio Pesto or for taking some warm soup with me when having my hair colored.

Unlike plasticware, glass doesn’t become cloudy, so you can always see what’s inside. Plus, they go right into the dishwasher (though I prefer to hand wash the lids to prevent rust). You can get them anywhere, they’re inexpensive, and they have a very long shelf life. Mason jars are quite simply a master level food container.

Having said all that, I’ll be honest: I don’t necessarily recommend my system. I will happily share my steps to freezing, but I won’t urge you to adopt them. Why? Because I can’t guarantee that yours won’t crack. If you use this method, they’re unlikely to break, but sometimes it happens. It takes some practice to get the method down, and once you do, you’re golden. But you may occasionally find a cracked jar. Mind you, they won’t explode, just crack. And that’s the only reason I don’t 100% recommend it, even though I am convinced it’s the best storage method.

Make sure the jars don’t sit too close together in the freezer, as another way to ensure they won’t crack. Remember: the liquid is going to expand! And certainly don’t clang those jars together!

If you follow these directions, you’ll likely be successful at this freezing method. Again, the big caveat is that jars may crack occasionally. Over my many years of using them, I used to crack one every other month. But I’ve fine-tuned my system so that doesn’t happen anymore. To use what you’ve frozen, remove a jar and put it in the refrigerator to defrost the night before you need it.

I must say, my countless jars drive Roy a little bit crazy. When I get to Michigan, it’s practically his hobby to slip the week’s empty jars out of the house and into my car as fast as he can. I can be assured that when I arrive at the cabin, his mission is to immediately come out with the bag of jars he’s been collecting all week and put them in my car. It’s become a bit of a game. Somehow Roy feels like his world will be a better place if he can just get rid of some of those Mason jars. Meanwhile, my life is a better place the more Mason jars I have.