I have no idea.. although I like the idea for dry storage.. I might have to hop over there

well you got me looking. I googled 1/2 gallon jars and I found some reviews on Ace Hardware with what people do with them

Here is a link that might be useful: Ace Hardware 1/2 gallon jars

They come up for discussion here often and dry storage is the common use. Some do use them for canning high acid juices as that is the only thing they are approved for in canning.

They do make good containers for fermenting things like sauerkraut in.

Dave

eep! are they wide mouth? because I would slap a pickle pro on top of a 1/2 gallon jar for kraut. I'm only doing quarts right now. I'm totally going to Tractor Supply today

Oh shoot. I am having a blonde or senior moment, or cranial flaulence. I misspoke. I meant to say Atwoods, not Tractor Supply. It was the Atwoods in Norman Oklahoma (Boomer Sooner!) where I saw the half gallon canning jars. However I am fairly sure that Tractor Supply will also carry some canning supplies.

If you are in the OKC area Crest Foods has half gallon jars, they were on sale the other day for $6.99 a case.

Justgot home from Crest, price now is $7.92 per case. I am going to try my hand at making some sauerkraut.

I use them for pickling larger cucumbers that won't easily fit in qt jars. However, in practical terms, trying to fish the last few pickles out of a half-gallon jar isn't that easy.

$7.99 at Menards. I'm gonna run down and grab some. I've got a dozen, but have just filled the last last night.

Why the love for them? They can't be used for canning anything except high acid fruit juices - apple and grape last I read.

Otherwise they are purely a fermenting or dry storage container so why spend the money on them?

Dave

They're great for pasta and/or bean storage and have a really neat nostalgic look about them that you just can't get from other ordinary "modern" containers. Plus, they're great for making and aging fruit flavored liquers and flavored vinegars since they have measurement marks on them. They take up less square footage than bowls of the same quantity because they're vertical. They have lids that fit, bowls usually don't. They're glass, which is usually safer than plastic, if you care about that aspect. I made a bunch of pickled beets in one a couple years ago that I didn't want to can. They went in the fridge. Less shelf space than two quarts or 4 pints. Last year's hot pepper haul went in one after they were dried. I can see them and won't lose or forget about them. Older standard mouth jars make great decanters. Lots of interesting shapes in the older styles. So they're fun to just look at.

I'm really, really liking the half gallon jars for making kraut. Fermented foods are a part of my daily diet and what I hope to do is work out a schedule for a continuous supply of fresh kraut. Started two jars 9 days ago after devising what I think is a very simple & safe barrier to keep the shredded cabbage etc below the brine level. I prefer refrigerating my ferments when they are finished and these jars are just the right size for my refrigerators.

My thanks to you gardenwebbies for the heads-up!

I have just discovered how useful the half gallon jars are for dry storage. I now have a couple dozen and I keep flour, sugar, pasta, rice, beans, etc. in them. I even finally have one filled with dried apples. I'll probably buy another dozen or so this year and I imagine that will be all I need for years to come.

I've started using jars for just about everything storage wise now. I even have some chicken chili and ginger syrup frozen in jars. I'm slowly whittling away at the canned vegetables in my pantry and replacing them with jars of dehydrated vegetables instead. I'm considering another larger dehydrator as a Christmas gift from my family this year. Looking forward to the day when I open my Pantry and see nothing but jars.