Pickle jar is a term that refers to the container that is used to store pickle. Pickling is a common practice in world cuisine and it is done to preserve various kinds of fruits and vegetables. It is recommended to keep pickled ingredients in safe container and that is called ‘pickle jar’. Pickle jar can be either an earthen jar or any kind of container with a broad mouth. It is very important to select the jar with a wide mouth as it would allow taking out the pickle out of the container very easily. The size of the pickle jar depends upon the quantity of the pickle. One should be very careful while selecting a pickle jar as pickles can also be served directly in these jars.
History of Pickle Jar
Pickle is a very popular condiment around the world and various equipments are required to make a perfect pickle including the most important equipment called ‘pickle jar’. From centuries pickle jar is used as a storing container and it has undergone many changes. First pickle jar was introduced in 1860 and at that time gothic style jars were very famous. Glass pickle jars were also in great demand in that period of time. These days, antique pickle jars are available in antique shops or in auctions.
Types of Pickle Jars
Different kind of material is used in making pickle jar and each jar has its own importance. Some of them are as follows:
• Glass Jar- Glass jar is one of the oldest types of pickle jar. It is best suited for any kind of pickle. It has wide mouth and it makes pouring and taking out process of pickle very easy. Glass jar is transparent and it allows seeing the pickle contents without any difficulty. Glass containers are usually air-tight and help in avoiding any contamination to the pickle.
• Plastic jar – Though plastic jars are very commonly sold for keeping pickles but they are not popular as glass jars. Many problems are faced with plastic jars like disfiguration, cracks, spilling and plastic smell. All these disadvantages of plastic jar make it a not-so popular pickle jar.
• Metal jar and bottles- these types of jars and containers should not be used to keep the pickles. During the pickling process, metal reacts with the pickle ingredients and may cause damage to the pickle.
The quality of the pickle depends upon the container in which it is stored hence a careful selection of pickle jar is always recommended. Cleaning and proper sterilization of pickle jar is also a very important task in order to avoid pickle contamination. Pickle jar is not only a preserving container but attractive pickle jars can also be used as a serving jar.