Tips for opening jars

[spork]

I'm sure others have thought of it, but I came up with this method for unscrewing stubbornly tight glass jar lids independently...

Take a thick rubber band. Like one used to bundle broccoli stalks at the grocery store. Fit around jar lid. For sticky grip. Twisting open the lid becomes easy peasy.

In the rare case even that doesn't work, I soak the metal lid in hot running water for five minutes.

 

[taxlady]

I'm sure others have thought of it, but I came up with this method for unscrewing stubbornly tight glass jar lids independently...

Take a thick rubber band. Like one used to bundle broccoli stalks at the grocery store. Fit around jar lid. For sticky grip. Twisting open the lid becomes easy peasy.

In the rare case even that doesn't work, I soak the metal lid in hot running water for five minutes.

Great method. All the women I know call those "broccoli elastics". Men look at us like we're nuts.

Rubber hose, the kind that's about a half an inch in diameter, works even better, but I don't have any of that

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I use a Playtex glove. I don't even bother putting it on. I just drape it over the jar lid.

 

[Selkie]

For those of us with arthritis and no gripping strength in our hands... rubber band or no, I recommend a Black & Decker power jar opener.

Long handled slip jaw pliers work well in opening bottle caps.

Campbell's makes a wrench/puller for finger tabs on cans... the kind used for sardines, pineapple slices, etc. It prevents anymore painful pressure on a finger joint.

An assortment of chip clips are used to seal bags... even bags that are self-sealing with a plastic zipper. The The amount of extra plastic they leave to grip and pull apart in order to rip open the inner seal for the first time just isn't enough for arthritic fingers to get hold. Just cut it off and use a chip-clip.

 

[thePanMan]

Most of the time the problem is the vacuum created when the lid is sealed on. There is a gadget called a Jar Key which you simply use to lift the edge of the lid away from the jar breaking the vacuum and in most cases allowing the lid to be removed easily. Not just a young persons product, many older people have found this solves the problem.

 

[Zhizara]

I swear by my round tuit. the material is the same as for plastic shelf liner and it works easily every time. I got a pack of 4 for $1 at the Family Dollar Store. I keep one on the counter like a coaster so it's always handy.

Getting older, my hands get hurt easily even trying to remove a lid, but the pain is teaching me to reach for my handy dandy tool instead.

I haven't been able to save any "broccoli bands" since I've lived here. They sometimes used them for celery too, but all the celery I have access to now have plastic sleeves.

 

[pacanis]

That's a great second use for those blue rubber bands. I never would have thought of that.

 

[CraigC]

You can also buy a piece if 1/8" sheet rubber from the hardware store.

Craig

 

[DMerry]

I have arthritis in my hands, but that's not the problem. When I try to open a jar that I have to grip tightly, its the bit of flesh and the skin on my hands that give me pain. I use a jar opener, but sometimes I turn the jar upside down and slam against a wood cutting board, making sure that the lid is totally parallel to the surface of the wood. This also breaks a vacuum. It takes care to do this, but it works well for me.

 

[Andy M.]

All the rubber gripping tools mentioned are a great aid in jar opening, however they are not always a solution. I have used the "bang the lid on the counter" method with success.

As we age, our hands lose strength and in some cases, develop arthritis. These factors make opening a bottle or jar a major issue. I have seen first hand how this makes opening any jar a difficult to impossible task. As a result, any jar opening aid that relies on the strength of arthritic hands isn't going to be effective.

When I first saw the Black and Decker electric jar opener I thought it was a gimmick. I have come to realize how helpful it can be to aging men and woman with hand issues.

I don't need one yet but who knows when that will change.

 

[Zhizara]

I don't need one yet but who knows when that will change.

When you least expect it! My first experience was opening a cabinet with a small plain knob. My knuckle just barely brushed the cabinet, but the pain was as if I had hit it with a hammer. The intense pain radiated all the way up my arm.

After hurting myself trying to open stubborn lids, I finally found my round tuits (I had them before). It was amazing how much less force is needed. I still tap the edge of the lid on the hard floor sometimes, but mostly, it just lets go easily. The rubber mesh really gets a grip, and at $1 for 4 of them....

I hope it will be many years before you experience this. It's upsetting to KNOW you're getting old.

 

[Andy M.]

...I hope it will be many years before you experience this. It's upsetting to KNOW you're getting old.

I already know! There are plenty of other clues Mother Nature provides to remind you.

 

[pacanis]

Bang the lid works here, too. My problem isn't hand strength or the lid slipping, it's when that pickle juice or roasted red peppers act as an adhesive and you need that little something to break the seal.

 

[Zhizara]

Bang the lid works here, too. My problem isn't hand strength or the lid slipping, it's when that pickle juice or roasted red peppers act as an adhesive and you need that little something to break the seal.

Try soaking it upside down in warm water just high enough to cover the lid.
I realize this won't help if you're in the middle of cooking and need the product now, but you get to know which ones are likely to give you this problem, and can get the lid loosened beforehand.

 

[babetoo]

counter banger here as well. the ones that really give me trouble are the big plastic lids on some products i.e. powdered creamer. sometimes i have to take a beer opener and lift up one edge. a big pain. i to use clips on bags and snack bags. i save the big rubber bands to keep stems together when i put flowers in a vase. the bouquet is more compact and looks better.

 

[Andy M.]

Our biggest problem is plastic Hellmann's Mayo jars. No matter how careful we are in resealing the jar after use, the lids seem to self-tighten in the fridge between uses to the point where even I have to make an effort to open the jar.

 

[Uncle Bob]

I sometimes run *Hot* water on/around the lid....

 

[Zhizara]

Our biggest problem is plastic Hellmann's Mayo jars. No matter how careful we are in resealing the jar after use, the lids seem to self-tighten in the fridge between uses to the point where even I have to make an effort to open the jar.

That's weird. I buy cheap mayo, and it's about the only lid I never have a problem with.

 

[pacanis]

I haven't boughten mayo or ketchup or mustard in a jar since they came out with squeeze bottles. I kind of miss having a big Hellman's jar around to put stuff in.

 

[Zhizara]

I haven't boughten mayo or ketchup or mustard in a jar since they came out with squeeze bottles. I kind of miss having a big Hellman's jar around to put stuff in.

I like those too, except for the mustard. It won't stay standing on the top, and makes a watery mess if I don't give it a real good shake. Next time I'm going to buy a regular jar!