My research uncovered many more twists and turns – heres a quick synopsis of the highlights. In 1903 Alexander Kerr started a fruit jar company in Portland, Oregon called the Hermetic Fruit Jar Company. The jars were made by the Illinois-Pacific Glass Company, located in San Francisco.

What year were canning jars invented?

Integral to this process is the Mason jar, which was created in 1858 by John Landis Mason, a New Jersey native. The idea of “heat-based canning” emerged in 1806 and was popularized by Nicholas Appert, a French cook who had been inspired by the need to preserve foods for long periods during the Napoleonic wars.

When were Kerr self sealing Mason jars made?

Kerr self-sealing jars and the Kerr Economy were created in 1903. Alexander H. Kerr also founded the Hermetic Fruit Jar Company in the same year. San Francisco man Julius Landsberger patented metal lids fastened onto a composition gasket.

How old is Kerr Mason jars?

These jars were made from 1904 until World War II, when they were discontinued in favor of the Kerr Glass Top. The line was reinstated about 1946, and production continued until at least the 1980s. All of these jars had the Mason beaded neck style, although the actual seal was at the lip or rim of the jar.