The mason jar

It’s super trendy. It’s all over Etsy

Used for everything from canning to cocktails

But the simple mason jar has a fascinating history

And the number of mason jars sold in any given year usually tell us a lot about the state of the world

The mason jar was invented in 1858 by John Mason Landis

The idea was revolutionary at the time

A screw on zinc cap that created an airtight seal

It completely changed the food preservation game

The glass also allowed people to see inside

Something we take for granted today

Masons patent expired in 1879 which allowed other people to tinker with the design

The most famous was the Ball company

They were the first to mass produce mason jars

And some early jars are worth a lot of money

You may want to check grandmas attic

Mason jars sales tend to boom in times of crisis

When food is scarce and people are encouraged to can their own

The mason jar was popular during the civil war and massively popular during WWII

Sales declined sharply during the following decades due to supermarkets

But lately the mason jar is back en vogue

Is it just a hipster trend?

Or a sign of dark times ahead?

I guess we’ll find out

Who knew the simple mason jar

Could have such a fun story