5 Times the Lid Is More Useful than the Jar

Kelli Foster
Kelli FosterSenior Contributing Food Editor
Kelli is a Senior Contributing Food Editor for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, The Probiotic Kitchen, Buddha Bowls, and Everyday Freekeh Meals. She lives in New Jersey.
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published Aug 24, 2016
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We love Mason jars for organizing the pantry, storing salad, and shaking up whipped cream, but sometimes the most useful part isn’t actually the jar at all — it’s the lid. Here are five times when the metal seal and ringed lid are way more useful than the jar.

1. Use them in place of a muffin tin.

For those times you’ve filled your muffin tin and still have batter leftover, want to make a single cupcake, or simply don’t have a muffin tin, Mason jar bands come to the rescue. The metal bands that screw the lids onto canning jars are heatproof and the perfect size to hold cupcake liners in place to fill with batter and bake.

Learn How: Turn Mason Jar Bands into Muffin Tins

2. Create a perfectly round egg mold.

Want to make thick, perfectly round eggs for your breakfast sandwiches? No need to buy an egg mold — all you need is a Mason jar band. Coat the band with cooking spray and place it in a heated pan. Next, crack the egg directly into the center of the band. Let it cook for a couple minutes until the egg sets, then remove the band, flip, and cook another minute or two.

3. Make mini cheesecakes.

When used together, the metal seal and jar band can work in a similar fashion as a springform pan. Mini cheesecakes are easy to whip together and bake in a fraction of the time when you use this method.

Get a Recipe: Mason Jar Lid Mini Cheesecakes from It All Started with Paint

4. Bake individual tarts and pies.

From double-crust fruit pies to custard-filled tarts, one of the easiest ways to make these personal-sized desserts is with Mason jar lids.

Get a Recipe: White Chocolate Graham Mason Jar Lid Tarts from Dessert for Two

5. Make DIY votive candles.

I love DIY candles because even if you’re not a crafty person (that’s me), this is one project you can still easily tackle. Extra-wide votives made with the metal seal and Mason jar band make an extra-special touch on the dinner table and around the kitchen.

Learn the basic method: How To Make a Candle Out of a Pumpkin – Substitute canning jar lids for the pumpkin.

What’s the most clever thing you’ve done with a Mason jar lid?

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