Baking in Mason Jars
Sometimes in producing a story I come across a surprising glitch. Case in point are these two images I recently shot for a story in Flea Market Style magazine. The glitch here was the fact that we found it is not recommended to bake in mason jars. After contacting the manufacturer we were told there's risk of the glass exploding during the baking process. Surprising to me since I baked the ones pictured here and have seen dozens of others do the same without any problems. But I suppose there are always exceptions.
So in an effort to protect public safety and the risk of liability we decided not to use these images. Of course, there are plenty of others I shot that made for a lovely story. I hope you're able to pick up a copy of the fall issue and sit back with a cup of coffee and enjoy it!
Would love to know your experience in baking with mason jars.
Any tips? Any tragedies?
41 Responses to “Baking in Mason Jars”
Never heard of anyone doing this. Was it hard to remove the tarts from the jars?
I’ve been seeing this all over blogland lately, people using mason jars for baking but haven’t heard of any exploding just yet. I think I’ll pass just in case, but they do look adorable 🙂
Darcy’s mom who is a baker/ candy maker extraordinaire ……makes petite breads and cans it in darling little mason jars!! {nut breads i.e. zucchini bread, pumpkin bread} I received some from her when Luke was born and it was a treat! You must eat it within 2 months. She is selling it along with her other goodies at the event…..
not really baking in them, but amazing what you can well, can! 🙂
xo {lovely pics!}
kara
Yes, I’ve heard of this, but you can solve the problem by canning like Kara mentioned.
Love the photos
Leann
These are so adorable!! Cherry tarts? Yummy….
Love the photos< Debra
Those are so cute! It’s a shame you weren’t able to use them in the magazine, but safety first! 🙂
I have seen some bloggers put no bake cheesecake in little mason jars. Maybe you could do that for the next issue. 🙂
I’ve been baking pies in them, and have not encountered a problem. I use new jars – if that makes a difference…
-Karoline
I have accomplished this with excellent results. I preheat my jars so that they are warm when they go in the oven and I also use a “bath” to cook them in. Wonder if that helps?
What a bummer that they cant be included in the issue – they are super cute 🙂
I had a rather large Catering/party planning co back in Illinois and we baked cakes/pies etc in these little jars… we even offered the jars unbaked with cute little labels… for b/day parties ect.. never had a problem or did the manufactures tell us of this problem.. interesting!
Your little pies look yummy!
Sandy
I made apple pie in my canning jars and they came out so yummy:) No explosions here, thankfully;)
~Debra xxx
Capers of the vintage vixens
Every year I’ve made Chocolate Kahlua cake in jars, seal them and give as gifts. Everybody always looks forward to them and I’ve never had a problem.
I’ve never had any problems….you would think if they can stand to be boiled for hours they could stand a little time in the oven.
I have to say you tarts are adorable!
Thanks for sharing
Have a wonderful day
I too have seen this baking of pies and tarts in canning jars
around on the blogs. It was touted these could be frozen and then baked as needed. I am aware that it is considered an unsafe practice(not that the jars will break, but from the food borne bacteria not destroyed by heat) to seal up tightly with the canning lid, any baked bread type product and expect it to be safe to consume some time afterwards. You can research this on the internet. I would also recommend you contact your local county extension (home economics) agent or the foods department(again home economics) of your state land-
grant university. In CA I think that would be at Davis? They
should be able to provide you with good information. It is too bad as the pictures are so great, but unfortunately too many people just take this idea and run with it without understanding what is scientifically at stake. It has frustrated me in the past to see such items for sale at church bake sales.
I’ve never baked in a Mason jar, but I have had a Pyrex plate explode in the oven when the heat was too high, so I use metal for anything above 400 degrees F. That said, I wondered if you couldn’t have achieved the same shape in a metal cupcake tin or popover pan? No worries about exploding glass there!
Not sure if you can click at the link that I sent you. It will answer all your questions and yes if done right the Mason Jar is not going to explode in the oven. They sure look yummy to me! Ciao Rita mammabellarte
http://chefmom.sheknows.com/articles/817093/How-to-use-a-Mason-jar-as-a-baking-vessel
I have some discontinued ‘tapered 1 1/2 pint wide mouth’ jars that I have used for years to bake/can banana bread in.(I bake the banana bread in the jar and set a sterilized lid on each jar as they come out of the oven.) I believe the purpose for these jars was to bake in ~ what else would you do put into that odd size? No problems here except that when I give them as gifts the jars never return! ;~P I have several older recipes for jar cakes that call for baking in the jars. I have been wanting to bake some pies in the 1/2 pint jars ~ just right for lunches!
I thought all canning jars were tempered to withstand high temps. in a water bath, pressure in a pressure canner and cold of the freezer? Maybe they just don’t make them like they used to!
I have berries in my freezer and I’ve been saving them for a pie. I am totally doing this!!
I haven’t tried baking in canning jars, but they simply look too cute to eat!!!
They sure do look good! I may have to give it a try and get back with you. Yum!
I have to admit, my first reaction to seeing the Mason jar pies was – wow! Who would have thought you could put those things in the oven?! If it works – and it obvoiusly did for you – why not? They withstand high heat for extended periods in the canning process, afterall. I have heard of them exploding when they’re super hot and touch even so much as a droplet of cool water. Anyway, they look absolutely delicious!
When my husband was deployed, I sent him a “cake in a jar” for his birthday. You basically bake cake batter in a greased jar and it slides right out when it gets to him. When it got to him, it was still really moist. He said it was like he just baked it. Although he could have lied… I’ll have to interrogate him on that later.
Those are the cutest little pies I have ever laid eyes on…they made my mouth water! Great shots too. I love the red, white and blues of the pic. Great job, Heather!
Love this update to making cherry pie in a jar!!
I actually have baked pumpkin bread in a “large mouth mason jar” many many times. I especially liked doing them for my two sons teachers when they were elementary school age! Great teacher’s gifts. I could send recipe if you like. I have never had any jars break in the oven either. Also, as soon as you take them from the oven you pop the lids on and they actually seal which gives the bread time to give and not spoil!
Love this and would like recipe. I’ll be looking for Flea Market Style next visit to the store!
I haven’t ever baked in my mason jars, but I have fixed up several desserts to carry to other places. They make quite a conversation piece when you show up to a girls-night-out with 15 pretty jars. =) I love the little pies baked. I may try it one day just to see how it goes.
Not only are these absolutely adorable looking but they look verrryyy delicious and I really don’t love cherries or any type of berries for that matter! Great Idea, maybe I’ll try it someday!
I’d probably listen to the manufacturer – they must know about their product. There’s clear glass baking dishes..just not as cute as the mason jars. I have had Pyrex “explode” twice but that was because I didn’t realize that taking a hot Pyrex dish from the oven and running cold water on it was a no-no. Temp extremes.
too bad you could not use the cute images in the mag- they look terrific- but better safe than sorry,
http://www.mel-designs.typepad.com
I’m somewhat paranoid by nature, I even get nervous with pyrex. I think my imagination can be a little overactive. They look delicious though.
they are darling, your photographs are lovely! i’ve not tried it myself but i love the idea! hope all is well! susan
Why not just use the pyrex custard cups?
the pictures look beautiful! too bad you couldnt use them in the magazine!
Those look so yummy….I can almost taste them from here!
Those are great shots–I’m glad you went ahead and posted these! I need to pick up that fall issue of Flea Market magazine!
I’ve never heard of that problem, though I HAVE seen/heard of people baking in mason jars.
It sucks that you can’t use those pictures, though! Such delicious looking little tarts! I’d love some.
I’ve heard of the Pyrex problem, it seemed linked to the change in manufacturing, vintage made in USA and new, made in China. Perhaps it would be the same with the jars? We all know vintage is better, this is just another example.
Yes! And I just found some large ones at the thrift!!
Hi Heather…I have done this for many years, and the only risk with the glass shattering (and it will shatter) is when you put a cold or frozen pie you baked in a glass mason jar, into a hot oven…
it happened to me after I had frozen it, put it into a hot oven like a ninny and walla: shattered glass
hope that helps…..
I bake cakes in mine often…I just did dark chocolate s’mores cakes a few weeks ago…I use the bath method and newer jars, I have never tried baking in my vintage ones. I have never had any of them shatter. I am making the petit pies this week for a baby shower, but we are doing all different flavors.
Could you share your recipe an how to for the apple pie in a jar? Thank you so much.
I have baked in canning jars, and so far have had no bad results. I have sent them to Iraq and Bosnia to my son in the army. Have also made a hamburger casserole and it worked out well also. I have made brownies, cakes, and lemon curd cake.
Getting ready to make these for my goody baskets for christmas, My questions is, after you put the crust and filling in , what temp and how long do I bakethem for. I have heard lots of people making these, and even seen them on Etsy, where a women makes breads and pies in them and sells them, And if you can, if I bake them, do I put the cover back on with a pretty ribbon and refrig them until I give them out?, can u help….thank you Linda, from NY
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