Can You Put Mason Jars in the Microwave?

Mason jars are perfect storage for perishable or leftover foods. The jars are airtight and you only need to place the contents inside then tighten the lid and refrigerate. However, you can also encounter challenges with regard to defrosting the contents in the jar using a microwave. 

As such, the question is: “Can you put mason jars in the microwave?” It is possible to put your mason jars in the microwave but there are certain factors that you should consider. Mason jars consist of glass material which picks up the heat so you need to be careful. 

Factors that Determine Your Use of Mason Jars in the Microwave

Indeed, you can put a Mason jar in the microwave but there are different factors that you need to consider. There are many precautionary measures that you should take. You may risk damaging your microwave or injuring yourself in the event that the jar shatters after overheating.   

Check the Age of Your Jar

The age of your mason jar plays a pivotal role in determining if it is still suitable for microwave purposes. If your jar is older, then it will be unsafe for microwaving since it can easily shatter due to high temperature. The main issue with glass is that it does not flex well like plastic material. 

Heat does not spread evenly across the glass jar during the microwaving process. This means that the areas that quickly receive intense heat will rapidly expand compared to the other parts of the jar. This will result in the glass shattering which can expose you to risk of injuring yourself.  

Can You Put Mason Jars in the Microwave

The other important element that you should consider is that Mason jars consist of rings and lids which contain metal. Metal is not ideal for use in a microwave so you must make sure that you do not put a jar with a metal lid in your microwave. 

If you decide to put a Mason jar in the microwave, then you must make sure that you remove the lid first. Glass material is non-reactive and it is possibly the best material for microwaving. Metal can give off sparks when putting in a microwave which can lead to damage your gadget.

Therefore, make sure that the Mason jar does not have a lid should you decide to use it in the microwave. You can place the jar in a microwave only if the lid is made of plastic which is not reactive. The other thing that you should consider is that you should slowly heat the contents to avoid shattering of the glass. 

Check the Safe Symbol

Before you use your Mason jar in the Microwave, it is important to check if it has a safe symbol. While a lot of Mason jars have this kind of symbol, other products do not have it. Therefore, it is crucial that you check for this symbol before microwaving the contents. It is important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions since they have better knowledge of their product. 

Proceed Slowly

When heating the contents in the Mason jar, you should proceed slowly and it is perfect to do so when the jar has no lid. You should steer often so that the heat is evenly distributed throughout the contents. There is a danger of the glass jar breaking when the other portion of the contents overheats faster than the other part. To avoid this, stir the contents evenly. 

You must also use either a towel or hot pad to extract the food from the microwave. One thing that you must know is that all glasses whether old or new tend to heat up once placed in the microwave. Therefore, you must use a heat resistant glove or kitchen towel to handle them. 

You should never risk using your naked hands to extract the contents from the microwave when the glass is still hot. You can break the jar after burning your fingers which can be a great loss. When you have successfully retrieved the jar from the microwave, leave it to cool a bit before emptying the contents.   

Thaw the Frozen Food First

It is not advisable to put frozen contents in the Mason jar in the microwave since this will likely result in the glass container breaking. The main reason is that glass material is not flexible so once it is exposed to rapid temperature changes; it will also expand rapidly resulting in it shattering.

The rapid expansion and contraction caused by overheating of frozen contents leads to shattering of the glass jar. To avoid this challenge, you must thaw the frozen contents first before microwaving them. Rather use cold water to thaw the contents in the Mason jar instead of putting it into a microwave with frozen contents.  

You can do this by placing a Mason jar with contents in a bowl containing cold water which helps to enhance the thawing process. Alternatively, you can leave the frozen contents in the open until you are satisfied that they can be put in a microwave. Indeed, the process is slow but it is better rather than opting for a method that can be dangerous. 

Can You Put Mason Jars in the Microwave

Conclusion

Mason Jars provide excellent storage for perishable or leftover food. The jars are made of glass which is good for storing frozen food. However, the challenge that you can encounter is about whether you can put a Mason jar in the microwave. 

Indeed, you can put a Mason jar in a microwave but there are certain precautions that you should. Glass is not flexible like plastic so there is a risk that it can shatter due to overheating. To avoid this, you must thaw the contents first using cold water. 

The other step you should consider is to avoid putting the jar with a lid in the microwave since metal is reactive. You should also use a kitchen towel to hold the Mason from the microwave. You must handle the glass with care to avoid injuring yourself.