Are Ball and Mason jars the same?
A Mason jar is a molded glass jar that is originally used in canning to preserve food. Other common names for the original Mason jar include Ball jars (after the Ball Corporation), fruit jars and simply glass canning jars. All Mason jars are not created equal.
What do the numbers mean on a Ball jar?
The numbers can refer to the plant location, the job or batch number and the date of manufacture. The earliest Ball jars, which were hand blown, are easy to identify because the bottom of the jar will have a mark called a pontil scar.
What does the number on the bottom of a mason jar mean?
Many Ball mason jars have a number printed on the bottom of the jar, but this is a mold number that does not indicate the year of production. Rather, the mold number tells you where the jar was positioned on the glass-making machine that was used to produce it.
Can you tell the year of a ball Mason Jar?
In fact, Ball used this patent date on their jars well into the 1930s, so this year cannot be used to accurately date a Ball jar. Ignore the mold number on the jar. Many Ball mason jars have a number printed on the bottom of the jar, but this is a mold number that does not indicate the year of production.
Where is the mold number on a Ball jar?
There will be a large number on the bottom of your jar. This is the mold number, and unfortunately also has no relation to the manufacture date. These charts tell you the approximate decade in which your Ball jar was made.
The numbers can refer to the plant location, the job or batch number and the date of manufacture. The earliest Ball jars, which were hand blown, are easy to identify because the bottom of the jar will have a mark called a pontil scar.
Many Ball mason jars have a number printed on the bottom of the jar, but this is a mold number that does not indicate the year of production. Rather, the mold number tells you where the jar was positioned on the glass-making machine that was used to produce it.
In fact, Ball used this patent date on their jars well into the 1930s, so this year cannot be used to accurately date a Ball jar. Ignore the mold number on the jar. Many Ball mason jars have a number printed on the bottom of the jar, but this is a mold number that does not indicate the year of production.
There will be a large number on the bottom of your jar. This is the mold number, and unfortunately also has no relation to the manufacture date. These charts tell you the approximate decade in which your Ball jar was made.
