lily57•19d ago

My $5 thrift store pickle jar exploded in the fridge overnight

I grabbed this MASSIVE vintage pickle jar from a thrift store near Portland last Saturday cause I thought it'd make a cool fermenting vessel. Woke up Monday to find the lid blew off and pickle juice all over every shelf, dripping into my vegetable drawer. Has anyone successfully sealed those old clamp-lid jars or is this a lost cause?

3 comments

3 Comments

aaron_perry19d ago

Heard those old clamp jars can leak if the rubber seal's dried out.

the_brian7d ago

Wait, is it really that serious though? I mean, I've had a few old clamp jars that the rubber was pretty crusty on, but they still held fine for dry stuff like sugar or rice. Maybe it's just me but a leaky seal isn't the end of the world unless you're storing liquids or something. @aaron_perry I could see it being a problem for pickling or jam, but for most stuff I'd just give the lid a little wiggle test before trusting it. Idk, I feel like people overthink these old jars sometimes.

carter.joseph19d ago

Yeah have you tried just soaking the seal in warm water for a few hours? That usually plumps them back up enough to get a good seal for a while. @aaron_perry theyre not too hard to replace either you can find generic rubber gaskets online that fit most standard clamp jars. Just measure the diameter and thickness before you order.