How much ounces of glass jars is considered to be large and small? Thank you.

Irina
  • Posted by: Irina
  • March 30, 2022
  • 1495 views
  • 10 Comments

10 Comments

702551 March 31, 2022
OK, you have finally provided some context to your question.

You could simply buy a small selection of different sizes. In my pantry I don't keep equal quantities of everything. When something is running low, I often transfer to a smaller container to save space and free up the larger container for something else.

One thing to consider would be square Lexans. The square shape holds more volume than a cylinder of the same diameter. Also Lexan lids have a lip so they are stackable without easily sliding off unlike Mason jars.

I buy Lexans at the restaurant supply store since these are standard storage containers for the F&B industry. They are polycarbonate (so nearly indestructible) and NSF approved. Of course, you can buy them online as well.
 
AntoniaJames March 31, 2022
I find 32 ounce / 1 quart wide-mouthed glass Mason jars to be marvelous for things like rice and beans, which I buy in bulk. I also put things like cornmeal, panko and specialty flours in quart jars. My bulk store allows me to put all of those items directly into the jars at the store, so there is no waste. 16 ounce / 1 pint jars are good for smaller amounts of things - for me, that's typically nuts and seeds, smaller quantities of rice, beans, etc., as well as for tahini, almond butter and peanut butter, which I also buy in bulk. I use 8 ounce / 1 cup Mason jars for items like sun-dried tomatoes, sesame seeds, chopped nuts used in baking, sugar for items where I only need a tablespoon or two, baking soda, sea salt, and certain herbs like bay leaves, all of which I buy at the bulk food store (Simply Bulk on Main St in Longmont, for those of you in Boulder County or Weld County). The smaller jars are also indispensable for storing in the refrigerator homemade dressings and other condiments, red onion pickles, and small quantities of leftover coconut milk, crushed tomatoes, and similar items. I hope this helps! ;o)
 
Irina March 31, 2022
Does your Mason glass jars let the air go through a glass lid, especially, with flour?
 
Nancy March 31, 2022
Similar to Antonia.
I started using glass jars (Mason, Bernadin, Atlas brands) for canning, then started using them for storage. Mostly bulk dry foods (quart) and spices (4 oz to pint).
Also sometimes use the pints to store a mixed liquid preparation (soup, hot cocoa, salad dressing) for a few days in the fridge.
 
AntoniaJames March 31, 2022
What is the context of this? Are there instructions for using a large glass jar, or a small glass jar, in a recipe? If you provide us with more details, we may be able to provide the most helpful answer. Thank you, Irina. ;o)
 
Irina March 31, 2022
I need some glass food storage for a dry foods.(flour,sugar,pasta and brown sugar).I have a few large glass canisters bit it’s not an airtight. I don’t know what’s a dimension of glass jars or tins should I purchase?
 
Irina March 31, 2022
I had a bad experience with airtight plastic containers for a dry goods and nuts.It’s a simple paradise for any bugs.
 
Gammy March 31, 2022
Keep in mind too, that sometimes the bug eggs can already be IN the flour or nuts when you purchased them. They are so small that they can go through any processing. So it may not be the container at all.
 
702551 March 30, 2022
Indeed it is contextual.

A quart jar might look very large for a tiny little old lady living by herself. That same quart jar might look very small for a parent with a spouse and three teenage sons. It might look miniscule to a chef running a kitchen that has 300 covers per lunch or dinner service.

It's also dependent on the item contained. A quart jar of cayenne pepper is very large, especially to the average American home cook who probably can't use that much in ten years. However a quart jar of pasta sauce might not even be enough to serve that family of five (two adults + three teenagers). And a quart jar of cocktail olives is might not make it through one day at a busy restaurant or bar even if it languishes in the back of your refrigerator for a year.

Ultimately it's just a marketing term. This is an ongoing problem with many contributed recipes here that call for "a small jar of ____" without specifying a quantitative measurement. Sometimes this can be figured out with a little bit of common sense or acquired kitchen wisdom, but that requires readers to possess those (not all do).
 
Nancy March 30, 2022
Irina - I think it differs by setting or context.
In a pub, for example, a 16-20 oz glass of beer (depending on country) is considered a normal drink. But serving milk or wine at home, about 1/3 or 1/2 that is considered normal.
Not large, not small.
Some places serve 4 oz glasses of juice as part of breakfast, but other serve 8 oz.
What will you use the information for? Cooking? Serving? Other?
 
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