* Mason Jars

One way I use my Mason jars is to save time in the kitchen.  Here’s a trick not too many people will still remember.  Did you know that you can use a small mouth Mason jar on your blender? Why would you do that you ask? Well you can use a jar on the blender to dice, chop, puree and blend small amounts of food. You don’t have to drag out your food processor for little jobs. If you have a small kitchen and rarely use a food processor anyway you may not even need one if you have a blender and Mason jars. 

It can also save on cleaning up because you can store your processed food right in the jar you used on your blender.  The only thing you need to wash will be the blender blade. But with an important warning! DO NOT DO THIS WITH HOT FOODS OR LIQUIDS! Since there is not a lid at the top for pressure to escape, heated foods or liquids can cause cracking of your jar or even cause them to explode! Please don't chance that. Cold or room temp foods only in the jar on our blender.

Almonds above, and below Mozzarella cheese.

I use it to make whipped cream, grind spices, peppercorns, to finely chop nuts, cheese, to make bread crumbs, even to grind up coffee beans. I do use it for finely chopping onions at times but they will get soggy processed this way.  You just have to remember that you can’t over fill the jar. Filling no more than half way usually is my rule of thumb, sometimes less.  Be careful when you first try this time saving kitchen trick and you will soon learn to love it too. Just make sure you use the small mouth or regular mouth jars, about 2 ½ inches across. The large mouth won’t fit.  Some mayonnaise jars will work too as they have the same size mouth as the small mouth Mason jars; which also means you can use a canning lid on the mayo jars if you want to.

Since it’s just my husband and I at home most nights for dinner, I can whip up just enough whipped cream for the two of us as our dessert topping in a pint size jar.  Of course you can use a larger jar as long as it is a small mouth jar. Whipping cream whipped this way will not be as stiff as when you use a mixer but for the time, effort and clean up it saves me it works out just fine. Sometimes I will make more than I need and store it whipped in the jar.  It doesn’t hold up for long, but we don’t mind our whipped cream a little flat.

Here is how I make whipped cream in a pint jar.  I fill it less than half way with heavy whipping cream. I add 1/4 tsp or less of vanilla, and a heaping Tb of powdered sugar to the jar.

I then remove the blender blade and put it on top of my jar.

This is what it looks like before I turn the blender on.  It takes less than a minute for it to whip.  Next you will  see why you need to not over fill your jar.

The cream jumps up to the top of the jar then settles back down a little way. It needs that space to whip properly.

Once it is finished whipping it will settle and you will no longer see movement in the jar. Remove it from the base and carefully remove the blender blade. Don't be tempted to lick it or use a finger to taste from the blade! Stir the whipped cream if you like.  I have tried to re-whip it after stirring to see if I could get it a little stiffer but haven't been successful. But really we don't mind. It still tastes great.  If you learn any tricks for a better whip let me know! 

This is how my whipped cream looks after using the blender and Mason jar method topping a jar (of course) of jello.

These are just a few ways I use Mason jars in the kitchen to save time, clean up and save space.

1.       To process small amounts of food, eliminating need of using a food processor

2.       To make whipped cream

3.       To grind/blend peppercorns and herbs and spices

4.       To chop nuts, make bread crumbs

5.       To chop/grate cheese

6.       To store processed food in and save on clean up

Have a look at my other post for more ways to use these jars, Glass Canning Jars, Fruit Jars, Mason Jars, Ball Jars ,and More Uses for Mason, Canning, Fruit Jars! 

Update**7/11/2013 Trevor wrote to tell me that he has been able to obtain a thick whipped cream by using 1/2 pint jars instead of 1 pint jars. It makes me wonder..... if the jar contains more cream to begin with maybe the pint would work as well as the 1/2 pint. Thanks for the info Trevor! I will try your method.

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