Meghan Markle is REALLY Excited About Jam Jars. Can You Blame Her?
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Meghan Markle—make that Meghan Sussex—has been getting a lot of grief about some advice she recently shared related to her new As Ever endeavor. It involves rinsing and reusing the jam jars of her new-to-market raspberry spread, which her critics are saying is too obvious of an idea to qualify as a tip. “Hopefully the Duchess has trademarked this idea,” says one not-impressed writer at New York Magazine.
Now the writer has a point (it is a bit of a duh), but honestly Meghan’s focaccia recipe won us over—and we’re all for spreading (heh) the use-what-you-have gospel. You could also say we’re jam jar experts around here—we’ve never met a mason jar we didn’t like, and we even turned the iconic gingham-lidded Bonne Maman jar into a Halloween costume (we really did).
So while going so far as calling the jar a “keepsake” may be a stretch, we’re here to speak on behalf of the unfairly derided glass vessel, which can do far more than hold letters (Meghan says to use them to “tuck away love notes”) or act as a flower vase.
5 Things to Do with Old Jam Jars
Make More Jam
Because why not? While there’s no shortage of jam, jelly, and preserve recipes to be found in these parts, Country Living Food Director Charlyne Mattox recommends Red Pepper Jelly and Spicy Tomato Jam for savory sorts and Strawberry-Lemon Jam and Blueberry Thyme Jam for the sweet-toothed.
Get Organized
Those small glass jars can come in quite handy in the kitchen or pantry. We’ve seen them used to contain everything from ingredients (spices, sprinkles) to junk drawer supplies (thumbtacks, rubber bands).
Swap Them with Wine Glasses
“I have a strict no-plastic policy,” says designer, entertaining enthusiast, and author Lela Rose, who frequently uses jelly jars in lieu of wine glasses or tumblers. (She’s especially a fan of the quilted style.
Mix Up a Cocktail
Before you even bother rinsing out your glassware, consider using the residual jam to create a fruit-infused cocktail. Try a vodka-infused Strawberry Lemonade, bourbon-infused Orange Marmalade Old-Fashioned, or a gin-based Blackberry Gimlet.
Corral Craft Supplies
Leave it to our friends Amie Sikes and Jolie Sikes-Smith (the sisters behind Junk Gypsy) to come up with an idea that involves glitter. Here, in their craft room in Round Top, Texas, the sisters use old jam jars to keep colorful glitter within reach in a more aesthetically pleasing way.
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