# Mainstay 1/2 pint jars?



## SouthCentralUS (Nov 11, 2012)

I bought a case for a vac pack project I plan to do. They seem to be very thick glass. I was wondering if anyone had used them to can food.


----------



## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

Not a Walmart fan. They always seem to come up with new ways to make cheap crap look like it's decent stuff, then it falls apart when you use it.  Canning is too much work for me to risk the results with Walmart crap.


----------



## machinist (Jul 4, 2012)

Yeah, we used a dozen of their jars once because we caught them on sale. They worked fine for canning. We get a better deal other places, so that was a rarity. We usually buy jars at Dollar General and Ruler Foods, a Kroger-owned discount store.


----------



## Jim1590 (Jul 11, 2012)

They worked fine for us. Even the lids seem to work good.


----------



## SouthCentralUS (Nov 11, 2012)

The only Mainstay jar I have had experience with is a quart size my dh bought some moonshine in. It seems to be a lot thinner than the 1/2 pints I bought today. I would never use that quart for anything but storage.


----------



## Enchant18 (Feb 21, 2012)

Occasionally I use them for storing dehydrated food in. I have seen the lids warp on canned food. They seal but I've no confidence they will store as long as the ball lids.


----------



## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

We have had bad luck with Mainstay and Better Homes & Gardens jars.....

Regardless of glass thickness, the quality of the glass itself is more... I dunno, just more "breakable". 

Ball jars you can carry around loose, piled up in a big box and none of them will break. These durn chinese jars we have had break just contacting each other in the sink while washing them! 

NOT a fan. 
Money NOT well spent. 
Many regrets...


----------



## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

I have never heard of Mainstay. I don't shop Walmart. Some have suggested that these jars are made in China. Food, pet food, sheetrock, toys, one item after another from China is found to have poison in it. I don't trust products from China and I certainly wouldn't put my food in contact with anything from China.

I know that Ball or Kerr jars may cost a buck or two more per dozen but they mostly last a lifetime. I have a few jars I got from my grandparents. I keep these jars as collector items but I could use them if I wanted to, they are still fully functional.


----------



## Beaniemaster2 (May 22, 2012)

I wouldn't use them, heard too much breakage... If you have a Dollar General in the area, almost every week they have a coupon you can print on their site for $5 off $25 and I have used this to buy their brand... I have had no problems with them breaking while canning... Hope this helps...


----------



## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

I'll just say this.
Our chinamart carried ONLY mainstay last summer, lids and jars---AND I know because I looked for the Ball lids all summer before I purchased from Amish store in bulk.

Wonder why they did that???


----------



## Hooch (Jul 22, 2011)

im not a fan..I tried them and I had too many of the lids fail.


----------



## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

JayJay said:


> Our chinamart carried ONLY mainstay last summer, lids and jars---AND I know because I looked for the Ball lids all summer before I purchased from Amish store in bulk.


Don't you have a Big Lots near you? They have Ball brand jars.

Also check your local farm supply and feed stores, 
I can get Ball jars from them as well.



JayJay said:


> Wonder why they did that???


Greater profit margin.


----------



## SouthCentralUS (Nov 11, 2012)

Atwoods has the largest supply of Ball and Kerr in this area. I only wanted the Mainstays for a non canning project. I may try them for jelly.


----------



## SouthCentralUS (Nov 11, 2012)

Enchant18 said:


> Occasionally I use them for storing dehydrated food in. I have seen the lids warp on canned food. They seal but I've no confidence they will store as long as the ball lids.


You are right, they warp. I decided to try them for canning apple jelly since I had 4 gallons of juice. In the first batch 2 warped but one of them finally sealed. In the second batch 1 warped.


----------

