6 Best Wide Mouth Mason Jars For Canning Tomatoes Old-Timers Swear By
Discover the top 6 wide-mouth Mason jars for canning tomatoes, trusted by generations. We share the brands old-timers rely on for a perfect seal.
There’s a moment every summer when you look at your tomato plants and realize the kitchen is about to become a war room. The countertops will disappear under a sea of red, and the big stockpot will live on the stove for a week. When that time comes, the last thing you want to fight with is your canning jar.
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Why Wide Mouth Jars Excel for Canning Tomatoes
The difference between a wide mouth and a regular mouth jar is immediately obvious the first time you try to pack whole peeled tomatoes. With a wide mouth jar, the opening is the same diameter as the jar itself, making it easy to place tomatoes without mashing them into pulp. You can use a ladle or your hands to pack them in snugly, preserving their shape for recipes down the line.
This isn’t just about getting food in; it’s also about getting it out. A wide mouth allows you to easily scoop out crushed tomatoes or lift whole ones with a fork. Cleaning is also a breeze—you can get your whole hand and a sponge inside to scrub every corner, which is a real chore with the narrow shoulder of a regular mouth jar.
From a technical standpoint, the wider opening simplifies two critical steps in the canning process. First, it’s far easier to run a spatula or bubble popper around the inside to release trapped air pockets, which is essential for a safe seal. Second, measuring the correct headspace—that crucial bit of empty space at the top—is more accurate when you aren’t fighting a narrow bottleneck.
Ball Wide Mouth Quart Jars: The Gold Standard
When you picture a canning jar, you’re probably picturing a Ball jar. They are the undisputed workhorse of the American canning kitchen for a reason: consistent, reliable quality. The glass is thick, the measurements embossed on the side are trustworthy, and the two-piece lids have been sealing harvests for generations.
The quart (32 oz) size is the most versatile for tomatoes. It’s perfect for whole, halved, or quartered tomatoes, holding enough for a family-sized batch of chili or pasta sauce. When you’re processing 50 pounds of Romas, the quart jar offers the best balance of volume and manageable handling in a water bath canner.
You’ll never struggle to find them, or their replacement lids and rings. This universal availability is a huge asset. There’s nothing worse than running out of lids mid-project and knowing the local hardware store will have exactly what you need. For general-purpose tomato canning, the Ball Wide Mouth Quart is the benchmark.
Kerr Wide Mouth Jars: A Trusted Canning Classic
Kerr jars are the other legacy brand you’ll see on pantry shelves, and they are every bit as reliable as Ball. For all practical purposes, they are interchangeable, made by the same parent company with the same high standards. The glass quality and jar dimensions are identical, meaning they fit in canners and hold the same volume.
Some old-timers will tell you they prefer the Kerr lid, which has a slightly different composition for its sealing compound. They’ll swear it creates a more reliable seal, but in modern production, the performance is virtually identical. The choice between Ball and Kerr often comes down to what your grandmother used or what’s on sale at the store that week.
The most important thing to know is that Ball and Kerr wide mouth lids and rings are completely interchangeable. You can use a Ball lid on a Kerr jar or vice versa without a second thought. This simplifies your inventory and means you can buy whichever brand of lids is available without worrying about compatibility.
Ball Wide Mouth Pint Jars for Smaller Batches
While quarts are the workhorse, pint (16 oz) jars have a critical role to play. Not every recipe needs a full quart of tomatoes. Pints are the perfect size for canning diced tomatoes for a single pizza night, a batch of spicy salsa, or a rich tomato chutney.
Think in terms of your future kitchen needs. A pint of home-canned salsa is a perfect gift. A pint of seasoned tomato sauce is exactly what you need for a quick midweek meal for one or two people. Using smaller jars prevents waste and means you don’t have a half-empty quart jar sitting in the fridge.
Pint jars also align better with the rhythm of the garden. Early in the season, you might only have a few pounds of tomatoes ripening at a time—enough to fill a few pints, but not enough for a full canner load of quarts. Processing in smaller batches keeps your kitchen from getting overwhelmed and ensures no tomato goes to waste.
Ball Half-Gallon Jars for Tomato Juice & Broth
You’ll see half-gallon (64 oz) jars on the shelf and think they’re the key to efficient bulk processing. This is a dangerous assumption. Current USDA guidelines do not recommend canning tomatoes in half-gallon jars unless it is a thin liquid like pure, strained juice. The large volume and density of whole or crushed tomatoes prevent heat from penetrating to the center of the jar, creating a serious food safety risk.
Their proper use is specific and limited. If you press a massive batch of tomatoes and end up with gallons of thin, watery juice, the half-gallon jar is a safe and approved option. The heat can circulate effectively through the liquid, ensuring the entire contents reach a safe temperature during processing.
Never use these large jars for tomato sauce, whole tomatoes, or anything with chunks. The risk of botulism is not worth the perceived convenience. For anything other than clear juices and broths, stick to quart jars or smaller.
Golden Harvest Jars: The Economical Choice
Get 12 Golden Harvest 500 ml Mason Jars, each with lids and bands, perfect for canning fruits, pickling vegetables, or making jams. These versatile jars also function as stylish drinking glasses.
If you’re just starting out or need to build a large inventory of jars on a budget, Golden Harvest is a solid option. They are a more economical brand, often found at a significantly lower price point than Ball or Kerr. They use the standard wide mouth lid and ring system, so they are fully compatible with the lids you already have.
The tradeoff is in the fine details. The glass sometimes feels a bit lighter, and some seasoned canners find the embossing less clear. Over many years of repeated use, you might experience a slightly higher rate of chipping on the rims or seal failures compared to the premium brands, but for most uses, they perform perfectly well.
Think of them as a great entry point. Using Golden Harvest jars can be the difference between canning your harvest or letting it go to waste because you couldn’t afford enough jars. As your budget allows, you can gradually add Ball or Kerr jars to your collection, but there’s no shame in having Golden Harvest on your pantry shelf.
Weck Jars: The Reusable Glass Lid System
Weck jars offer a completely different approach to sealing. Instead of a disposable metal lid, they use a glass lid, a separate rubber gasket, and two metal clips to hold it all together during processing. The primary appeal is sustainability—the only component you ever need to replace is the inexpensive rubber ring.
The system has its own learning curve. The clips can be a bit fiddly, and you check the seal differently. After the jar cools, you remove the clips, and if you can lift the jar by its lid, you have a perfect seal. This provides a very clear, tactile confirmation that your food is safe.
Weck jars are more expensive upfront, and this can be a barrier for bulk processing. However, for specialty items like tomato jam, gourmet sauces, or anything you plan to give as a gift, their elegant, old-world look is unmatched. They are a fantastic system for those who want to eliminate disposable components from their canning process.
Matching Jar Size to Your Tomato Canning Needs
The ultimate goal is to have the right jar for the right job. Wasting a quart jar on a tiny bit of salsa is as inefficient as trying to pack whole tomatoes into a regular mouth pint. Building a versatile inventory is key to a smooth and efficient canning season.
Your choice should be dictated by your final product. Use this as a simple guide:
- Whole or Halved Peeled Tomatoes: Wide Mouth Quarts
- Crushed Tomatoes & Sauce: Wide Mouth Quarts
- Salsa & Chutney: Wide Mouth Pints
- Diced Tomatoes for Recipes: Wide Mouth Pints
- Strained Tomato Juice (Thin Liquid Only): Half-Gallons
- Gifts & Small Batches: Wide Mouth Pints
If you’re just starting, buy one case of wide mouth quarts and one case of wide mouth pints. This combination will handle over 90% of your tomato canning needs. After a season or two, you’ll know exactly which size you use most and can invest accordingly.
Choosing the right jar isn’t just about storage; it’s about respecting the hard work you put into your garden. The right jar makes the process safer, easier, and ensures that the vibrant taste of summer is perfectly preserved for the cold months ahead.
