Friends will sometimes challenge me with the question, “can you freeze Mason Jars?” They’re nearly always surprised by the answer: yes, you can.
However, there are a few simple rules to follow so you don’t end up with shattered glass inside your freezer. We’ll walk you through them.
Freeze-Ability Index
How to Thaw
In the Fridge
Let’s set the record straight—literally. Yes, Mason Jars are freezer safe, but you should only use jars with straight edges for freezing, not the ones that are rounded or have “shoulders” at the top:
This is an essential rule for freezing liquids in particular because they expand when frozen and will push against the “shoulders”, causing the glass to crack.
Before we go over a list of Mason Jars that are safe for the freezer, we want to clarify one thing:
We’ve chosen not to include quart or gallon Mason Jars on this list because freezing in smaller portions is a best practice and curved Mason Jars are more prone to cracking.
Great for freezing:
• Baby food
• Sauces
• Smoothies
• Cottage cheese
Great for freezing:
• Cottage cheese
• Soup
• Broths & Sauces
• Applesauce
• Sauces & broths
• Fruit & vegetables
• Applesauce
• Over 1,600 Reviews
• 4.5 out of 5 Stars
I can’t recommend this enough: get a wide-mouth funnel for filling jars to avoid making a massive mess in the kitchen. This one is affordable, high quality, adjustable, and easy to use.
You can keep Mason Jars in the freezer for up to 5 months. It may not be wise to store anything in a Mason Jar that you plan on keeping in the freezer for a long time.
Major temperature changes to glass will crack it. Bearing this in mind, there’s only one correct way to defrost Mason Jars and 2 things you should never do when defrosting them:
If your Mason Jar cracked in the freezer, take the bag with the broken jar out of the freezer and throw it all away. This may seem wasteful, but dealing with glass shards can be dangerous and painful.
Here’s a few other questions we regularly see about freezing Mason Jars:
You may be tempted to reuse straight glass jars from your favorite jam or mustard, but don’t. Mason Jars with straight edges are the best because the glass is stronger and thicker (here are steps on how to freeze stuff in Mason Jars.)
Any Mason Jar that holds 32 ounces (a quart) or more is curved or has “shoulders.” You can technically use them for freezing as long as you leave at least 3 inches of space at the top of the jar for liquid or food to expand.
The only other thing to watch out for with Mason Jars is the metal lids will rust after a while. You can clean them with vinegar, but they’ll rust again.
I tried something new and bought some iLids. They fit on all Mason Jars, are reusable, dishwasher safe, PBA-free, and come in a rainbow of beautiful colors. Go on, buy yourself a present! You deserve it.
If you’re still uncomfortable with freezing glass jars, try these plastic freezer jars from Ball or Bernardin. They both get great reviews, are dishwasher safe, and BPA-free, too.
Do you know a better way to freeze Mason Jars? Or are you looking for info on something else? Leave a comment below or email us—we’d love to hear from you!
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