Why Are Amber Mason Jars?
History of Mason Jars
Mason jars were invented by John Landis Mason in 1858 while he was at the Whitall Tatum Company in Millville, New Jersey. At the time, most home canning jars used wax seals that were messy and inefficient at keeping food fresh. Mason’s innovation was to create a threaded jar with a zinc screw-on lid that formed an airtight seal. This process allowed for easy canning and better food preservation1.
Mason sold off the patent for the jar in 1858 to several other companies, who began mass producing what became known as “Mason jars.” This simple but effective jar design enabled home canning to become widespread in the late 19th century. The iconic jars are still popular today for canning, craft projects, and general storage2.
Amber Coloring
Amber glass gets its distinctive golden-brown hue from the addition of compounds like carbon, iron oxide, and sulfur during manufacturing (Benefits of Using Amber Glass Jars for Beauty Products). The amber color serves an important functional purpose – it naturally protects contents from light.
Visible light wavelengths like UV radiation can damage many substances. Reactive oxygen species induced by light exposure degrade the quality and efficacy of food, beverages, oils, medicines and more. Amber glass effectively blocks damaging rays across the UV and visible light spectrum (Benefits of Using Amber Glass Jars for Beauty Products, What are the Properties of Amber Glass Bottles for Cosmetics). Its transmission profile reduces photochemical degradation while still allowing products to remain visible inside the container.
Compared to clear glass, amber glass bottles prevent up to 95% of light from passing through. This protects perishable contents and maintains freshness longer without the need for additives (Benefits of Using Amber Glass Jars for Beauty Products). Its filtering properties make amber glass a popular choice for health, beauty, aromatherapy and other light-sensitive products.
Preserving Food
Amber colored Mason jars are commonly used for canning and preserving foods. The amber glass blocks 99% of UV rays, providing excellent protection for preserved foods and allowing them to be shelf stable for up to 18 months.[1] By blocking sunlight and UV exposure, amber jars help prevent the degradation and spoilage of preserved foods. This allows home canners to safely store canned goods like jams, pickles, tomatoes, and more without concern of light compromising the shelf life. The dark amber glass creates the ideal environment for long-term storage of preserved foods.
Fermenting
Amber Mason jars are a popular choice for fermenting foods and beverages. The dark amber glass blocks out most visible light, which can slow fermentation and cause off-flavors to develop. Fermentation relies on living cultures like yeast and bacteria to convert sugars into alcohol, acids, gases, and other compounds that add depth of flavor and health benefits.
The amber glass allows beneficial wavelengths of ultraviolet light in but filters out most visible light spectrum waves. This creates an ideal environment inside the jar for fermentation to occur. The amber color protects fermenting ingredients like vegetables, fruits, grains and water kefir from being compromised by exposure to light. It prevents degradation of nutrients and the development of off-notes in the final fermented product.
Home fermenters often use amber Mason jars when making kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, beet kvass, infused vinegars, wines, meads, ciders and other fermented foods and drinks. The amber glass jars allow controlled fermentation while keeping out mold and slowing oxidation. This helps achieve the desired balance of beneficial microbes, pH levels and enzymes for optimal nutrition and flavor development.
Beverages
One of the key benefits of amber glass for beverages is that it helps prevent light damage, specifically skunking in beer and wine. When beer or wine is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light, a chemical reaction occurs that causes the drink to take on a skunky odor and flavor. Clear and green glass bottles allow a significant amount of UV light to pass through, while amber glass blocks most UV rays.
According to research published by Eden Foods (https://www.edenfoods.com/articles/view.php?articles_id=181), amber glass can block up to 98% of UV light from penetrating the bottle, helping to protect flavor compounds in beer and prevent skunking. This is why many beer and wine producers choose to bottle their products in amber glass.
Compared to clear glass, amber glass has been shown to better preserve beer and wine quality over time. For light-sensitive drinks like IPAs and pilsners, amber glass can significantly extend freshness and drinkability.
Medicines
One of the key benefits of amber colored Mason jars is that they help protect the potency of medicines and tinctures stored inside. Light, especially UV rays, can degrade and alter the chemical composition of plant-based medicines over time. Amber glass blocks a significant amount of light from entering the jar and interacting with the medicine. This helps maintain the stability and potency of tinctures, herbal extracts, and other natural remedies stored in amber jars.
Amber glass allows only minimal light frequencies to pass through, creating an optimal environment for storing light-sensitive medicines derived from herbs, roots, flowers, and other plants. It provides more UV light protection than clear glass while still being transparent enough to view the contents. When choosing jars and bottles for preparing and storing homemade herbal medicines, amber glass is an ideal option.
Using amber colored Mason jars to store medicinal teas, tinctures, and elixirs allows you to keep them in a dark space while still being able to easily identify what’s inside. The rich amber hue blocks just the right amount of light to extend the shelf life and maximize the medicinal benefits of the precious natural medicines stored within.
Essential Oils
Amber colored glass is commonly used for storing essential oils because it helps prevent degradation from light exposure. Essential oils are very sensitive to light, especially ultraviolet rays, which can cause them to oxidize faster. When exposed to light, many essential oils start to lose their therapeutic potency and aroma more quickly.amber glass creates a UV light barrier, blocking 99% of light to preserve the integrity of essential oils.
This is why most commercially sold essential oils come in dark amber bottles – to extend their shelf life. Many essential oil users also transfer their oils into amber glass bottles for storage at home. Popular sizes include 5ml, 10ml, and 15ml.
According to Amazon, some of the most popular amber glass bottle options for essential oils include:
Amber Bottles for Essential Oils
SOLUSTRE Amber Essential Oil Bottles
Aesthetics
Amber Mason jars have a warm, vintage look that makes them popular decorative items. The amber tint gives off a cozy, nostalgic glow, reminiscent of old-fashioned glass bottles. When sunlight shines through an amber Mason jar, it casts a soft golden light. The amber hue complements rustic, farmhouse, cottage, vintage, and boho interior design styles.
These jars make charming accents on open shelves, kitchen countertops, window sills, and dining tables. Styling amber Mason jars with fresh greenery, dried botanicals, candles, or fairy lights enhances their decorative appeal. The vintage charm of amber Mason jars evokes sensory memories of canning season, homemade preserves, and family gatherings. Their nostalgic design elicits feelings of comfort, tradition, and simplicity.
Availability
Mason jars with amber coloring are widely available for purchase both in brick-and-mortar stores and online. Many major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond carry amber Mason jars in their home goods sections. Specialty stores like craft, kitchen, or home brewing supply stores are also likely to stock amber Mason jars. Online, amber Mason jars can easily be found at major retailers like Amazon, Walmart.com, and Target.com. They are also available through specialty sites focused on canning, fermenting, or home brewing supplies. The wide availability in stores and online makes amber Mason jars a convenient option for anyone looking to purchase jars for food preservation, fermenting, brewing, or other uses.
Cost
Amber Mason jars are a more affordable option compared to clear glass Mason jars. Clear glass jars allow light to penetrate, which can degrade some contents over time. The tinted glass of amber jars helps block light and extend preservation. This makes amber jars ideal for products that are light-sensitive, like oils and tinctures.
While clear jars may seem like the default choice, amber Mason jars provide valuable light blocking properties at a very low additional cost. The price difference is minor compared to the added benefits. Home cooks, crafters, and DIYers find amber Mason jars a smart budget buy for storing bath and body products, fermented foods, spices, dried herbs, and more. The tiny price premium brings big rewards through better preservation and storage.
