Cheap kilner jars vs 'proper' kilner jars?

[WeeGarden]

Hi all, hope this is the right place...

I made chutney for the first time ever with some green toms last night, and have been hit by the preserving bug. I put the chutney in a 'kilner' jar that I bought for £1 in Asda, and there is a rubber seal on it, which looks as though it's moulded to the lid.

I'm now thinking about making some to give to friends at Xmas. However, after searching around for more jars on the internet, I noticed that there is a price difference, and that you can get separate rubber seals for 'proper' kilner jars. What I would like to know is, are these Asda jars suitable for preserving and keeping things preserved? I did all the sterilising in oven, etc...

Have also seen ones in Ikea too - are these suitable?

Many thanks in advance!

Wee Garden x

[zazen999]

My ikea ones last year had beetroot in, and I have just finished one this week and the seal was fine.

[SarzWix]

I think any type of kilner jar is too expensive for jams, chutneys and pickles. They were really designed for bottling/preserving by the water-bath method, I think?

I use bog-standard jam jars - bought in quantity they are much cheaper, or can be saved for you by friends and family. They can be fancified for presents by tying circles of gingham or other fabric over the lids with a thin ribbon, and nice labels.

[mrdinkle]

I have been recycling jars, however I have also been buying 'smart price' mint sauce @ 15p, I froze some and binned the rest. Also, asda do smart price curry sauce (which was 4p a jar the other day).

I use the mint sauce jars for chutneys and the curry ones for pickled onions. I think this works out cheaper than buying new.

However, they don't put cheap mint sauce or curry sauce into nice hex jars

[mrdinkle]

Note:

Last year, Just after christmas M&S were selling their really nice traditional pickled onions off very cheap and they came in nice chunky kilner jars. Might be worth keeping an eye out in your local store after chrimbo as the pickled onions were proper nice and the price was worth it for the jars alone.

[Alison]

I've had bad experiences with cheapo kilner jars with them shattering when steralising them so avoid them like the plague. I only buy the proper things for bottling and use normal jam jars for chutneys, jams etc.

[WeeGarden]

Thank you so much for all your replies.

Shattering aside, do the lids/seals themselves differ? I.e. could I buy replacement seals for cheapie kilner jars? I'm just interested to know - will do what has been suggested here and buy cheap jarred stuff!

[amandaandherveg]

I searched yell.com for local Honey Producers/Farms/Bee Societies and spoke to a lovely chap that stocked 8oz Hex jars and 1lb squat jars. Popped over there last week with a friend to collect them and he only charged us 20p per jar. My friend was back over there this week for more.

[Alison]

Thank you so much for all your replies.

Shattering aside, do the lids/seals themselves differ? I.e. could I buy replacement seals for cheapie kilner jars? I'm just interested to know - will do what has been suggested here and buy cheap jarred stuff!

I think they vary and perhaps don't have the same level of quality control. I have some I keep beans and pulses in which I know aren't 100% air tight as I once tried to do some rhubarb vodka in one of them (after removing the beans, obviously ) and found it leaked when I shook it up.