Are you already thinking of trashing those empty glass jars around your home or office? Hold on a bit.
500g glass jars are creative pieces for decluttering homes or workspaces. Beyond using them to store jam, you can repurpose them to add a touch of creativity and personalisation to your environment. In this article, we will inspire the interior designer in you, by sharing 11 insightful ways to repurpose the empty jars lying around your space. Shall we?
Summary Table of the 10 Uses for 500ml Glass Jars
|
Use |
Home/Work |
What You'll Need |
|
Pickling fruit and vegetables |
Home |
Jar, vinegar brine, produce, airtight lid |
|
Storing dried bulk items |
Home |
Jar, airtight lid, labels |
|
Sewing kit organiser |
Home |
Jar, lid, sewing supplies |
|
DIY cookie mix |
Home |
Jar, dry ingredients, recipe card |
|
Craft supply storage |
Home/Work |
Jars, lids, labels |
|
Fermenting food |
Home |
Jar, produce, salt or starter culture |
|
Terrarium |
Home/Work |
Jar, pebbles, soil, small plants |
|
Cosmetic and bathroom organiser |
Home |
Jar, lid or open top |
|
Snow globe or seasonal display |
Home/Work |
Jar, figurines, glycerine, fake snow |
|
Bouquet vase or flower display |
Home/Work |
Jar, water, flowers |
Choosing the Right 500g Jar & Lid for Your Project
The 500g (or 500ml) jar is a versatile size, but the specific type of glass jar and jar lid you choose can make a big difference depending on your project. Here’s a quick guide:
● For Pickling & Fermenting: You'll need a jar with an airtight seal to keep out harmful bacteria and let the fermentation process work safely.
● For Food Storage (Dry Goods, Cookie Mix): A simple glass jar with a lid that provides a good seal against moisture and pests is key. A standard twist-off cap works well.
● For Craft & Decor (Terrariums, Snowball, Vase): The aesthetic is most important here. Clear glass jars are perfect for showcasing the contents. The lid is less important for function, so you could even leave it off, use a cork stopper, or choose a decorative lid that matches your style.
● For Office & Bathroom Organisation: Clear glass jars are ideal for seeing contents at a glance. A simple twist-off lid, where necessary, keeps dust out and looks professional.
All our 500g jars are available in a range of designs, from classic round jars to hexagonal, square, or orcio jars, ensuring you can find the perfect fit for your project and brand, whether you need a single bulk glass jar or are sourcing wholesale jar lids separately.
1. For Pickling Fruits and Vegetables
Thinking of a perfect way to pickle your fruits and veggies? The glass jar you want to trash is what you need. Pickling is a classic approach in the use of pickle jars. Our 500ml size of jar is perfect for having small batches of fruits and vegetables preserved. Whether it is strawberries, cucumbers or carrots, the airtight seal provides the right environment to keep them fresh and delicious for a long period.
2. Storing Dried Bulk Items
Your pantry can look more organized with a vintage vibe. Use these preserving jars to store dried bulk items such as spices, nuts, grains, and seeds on your pantry shelves. This keeps them fresh and free from moisture or pests for a long period, while adding a sense of style to your kitchen.
3. Keep Your Sewing Kit Items Organised
Neatly organising sewing supplies spurs your productivity and makes it effortless to find what you need for your sewing project. Use our glass container to store and organise threads, needles, buttons, and other sewing accessories. Because of its transparent design, you can easily see the content inside and find what you need at a glance.
4. To Create Your Signature Cookie Mix
Having a DIY cookie mix of pre-measured layers of your dry cookie ingredients like sugar, flour, baking soda, and chocolate chips with an attached cute recipe card, can serve as a thoughtful gift for a loved one. It can also serve as a go-to cookie mix that saves you baking time.
5. Store Craft Supplies
Our collection of 500g jars is a perfect piece for organising your craft supplies. From glitters to beads, paintbrushes, and other crafting supplies, you can create a beautiful display of your supplies. Use various jars to group your items for easier identification.
6. Fermenting Food
500g glass jars are the ideal jars when you desire to ferment foods like sauerkraut, kombucha, or kimchi among others. With the airtight seal, harmful bacteria are kept away while the fermentation process takes place safely in the jar. The clear glass allows you to monitor the progress.
7. As a Terrarium
Transform the jars into a miniature terrarium for your home or office. Fill these decorative jars with pebbles, soil, and small plants of your choice to create a miniature oasis. With proper care, it will thrive and bloom into a decorative piece.
8. Store Cosmetic Accessories
From makeup brushes to bath salts/scrubs, cotton swaps, and other cosmetic accessories, you can organise them with various 500g jars. This makes them easily accessible and adds a touch of beauty to your bathroom counter.
9. Create a Snowball
With a 500ml glass jar, you can craft a whimsical winter wonderland scene for your seasonal decor. Fill your glass jar with tiny houses, miniature pine trees and fake snow and add some fairy lights for an extra glow.
10. As a Bouquet Vase
Display your beautiful flower bouquet or single blooms in our 500ml jar to achieve a beautiful centrepiece in your home, at an event, or workspace. Trim the flowers’ stems to fit the height of the 500g jar, add water and arrange the flowers.
Tips for Cleaning and Reusing 500ml Glass Jars
One of the most important aspects of reusing glass jars, particularly for food uses, is cleaning them properly before switching contents.
● For general cleaning: Wash in hot soapy water and rinse well. Most 500ml glass jars are dishwasher safe; place on the top rack. Lids, particularly metal jar lids, are better hand-washed to prolong the life of the seal lining.
● Removing odours: Strong-smelling previous contents, spiced pickles, garlic, fermented foods, can leave an odour in a glass jar even after washing. Soak the jar in a bicarbonate of soda solution (1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda dissolved in 500ml warm water) for 30 minutes before washing. For persistent odours, leave the jar open in sunlight for a few hours, UV light is an effective natural deodouriser for glass.
● Removing labels: Soak in warm water for 10-15 minutes until the label peels away. For adhesive residue, rub with a small amount of vegetable oil or use a bicarbonate of soda paste, then wash thoroughly.
● For food reuse: Always sterilise before switching to a food use. Place jars upside down on a baking tray in an oven at 140°C (120°C fan) for 15 minutes. Simmer jar lids separately in boiling water for 5-10 minutes.
Replacing lids: If a lid has previously been vacuum-sealed during preserving, don't rely on it for a fresh batch of preserves, the seal lining compresses on first use and won't create a reliable vacuum again. Replacement jar lids in all standard sizes are available from Southern Jar Company.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you reuse glass jars for food storage?
To reuse jars for storage, clean and dry them and the lids. For dry items, fill it up and screw on the lid. For pickling, use the right recipe to achieve the desired result.
What can be stored in glass jars?
They are used to store items like food, dry goods, spices, sewing supplies, craft supplies, cosmetic products, and other items.
What is the difference between a 500ml and 500g glass jar?
In UK preserve and glass jar contexts, 500ml refers to the jar's liquid volume capacity and 500g refers to the approximate weight of a dense liquid or preserve the jar holds when full. Practically, a 500ml glass jar and a 500g glass jar refer to the same size container, the different measurements reflect whether the jar is described by volume or by the approximate net weight of a typical product like jam or honey it's designed to hold.
Can 500ml glass jars be used for hot-fill preserving?
Yes, provided the jar and lid are properly sterilised beforehand and the jar is filled while both jar and contents are warm. Pouring hot jam or chutney into a cold jar risks thermal shock and cracking. Standard soda-lime glass jars, which is the composition used for most UK preserving jars, handle hot-fill at normal preserving temperatures without issue. Always check your jar is free from chips or cracks before hot-filling.
Where can I buy these 500g glass jars in the UK?
Southern Jar Company is your go-to UK supplier. We offer a wide range of wholesale glass jars and bulk glass jars for businesses, as well as individual jars. We also stock a variety of jar lids, including screw caps for bottles and cork stoppers .