Mason Jars for
Storing Dehydrated Food

Ideal for Daily/Weekly Use of Dehydrated Foods!

Mason jars for storing dehydrated food are ideal for foods that I use on a regular basis.

Mason JarsCourtesy of Canva - Registered User

It's a great way to store dehydrated fruit and vegetables for a couple of reasons:

  1. They are airtight!
  2. Sand store easily on your pantry shelves in the kitchen behind closed doors. This keeps direct light off them - which is a good thing!

TOP Frequently Asked Questions:

Mason jars for canning?

Yes, Mason jars are ideal for canning, but we're using them to store our dehydrated foods.

Mason jars vacuum sealer?

A mason jar vacuum sealer is a useful device that removes oxygen from mason jars to extend the shelf life of foods stored inside. Some key benefits of using a mason jar vacuum sealer include:

  • Prevents Spoilage - By removing oxygen, it inhibits mold, yeast, and bacteria growth that causes food spoilage. This provides longer freshness.
  • Preserve Nutrients - Vacuum sealing minimizes air exposure and locks in nutrients, especially in vegetables, fruits, meats, and prepped meals. Light and oxygen degrade vitamins over time.
  • Saves Money - Enabling longer storage means less wasted food thrown out due to spoilage. Mason jars also enable bulk batch prepping.
  • Compact Storage - Vacuum compressed mason jars with rigid sides stack efficiently and maximize freezer and pantry space.

Popular handheld models like Foodsaver, NutriChef, and Vacu Vin mason jar sealers allow home cooks to leverage vacuum sealing technology right at the countertop with the classic mason jar to maximize food preservation and storage versatility.

Mason jars and lids? Where to get them?

Check out our Amazon links on this page. That's where I get mine. Walmart also have great deals on Mason jars.

Do I need to sterilize my Mason jars?

Yes, you do. See "Why It's Important to Sterilize Mason Jars Before Use" and the three methods further down this page!

Method 2 is my fave, but I have been known to do Method 1.

I've never done Method 3 but I would if I canned foods! (What a tease!)


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How to Grow and Dehydrate Herbs free eBook

How to Grow &
Dehydrate Herbs

Treat yourself today with my free eBook. Learn how to dry the top six herbs and make herb-infused oils and vinegars!

Click the book cover and that will take you to my secure download page and full deets.

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Pick up my Free eBook today!

How to Grow &
Dehydrate Herbs

How to Grow and Dehydrate Herbs free eBook

Treat yourself today with my free eBook. Learn how to dry the top six herbs and make herb-infused oils and vinegars!

Click the book cover and that will take you to my secure download page and full deets.

It's my gift to you as a way of saying "thanks for stopping by!"


Here are Some of My Filled and Ready-to-Use Mason Jars!

Mason jars in a row on a shelf, filled with dehydrated vegetablesTwo rows of my Mason jars inside a kitchen cupboard - filled with dehydrated food!

I keep my actual dehydrated goodies in one of my kitchen cupboards! :-)

Plus, they look great on your shelves. Impress your friends and family!

You can use smaller air-tight jars (half-pint) for items that you don't use a lot of—such as garlic, and spices.

I use air-tight jars for storing dehydrated food for everyday use.

When I'm ready to make a quick soup or need to add some dehydrated vegetables to a recipe, I can quickly add some dehydrated vegetables without having to mess around preparing fresh vegetables.

Now don't get me wrong, I'll take fresh vegetables over dehydrated any day, but we're all about doing this for long-term storage.

Use Different Sized Mason Jars for Storing Dehydrated Food: Handy for Daily/Weekly Use

"Ball" brand Mason jars with an oxygen absorber inside each of them

Keeping the dehydrated vegetables in different-sized mason jars, means I'm not opening up my Mylar bags all the time to retrieve a vacuumed packet and having to re-seal the Mylar bag afterward.

This way, I can easily and quickly grab a jar to make a quick vegetable soup.

Shown in the photo are carrots, celery, and sliced garlic in the front.

Mason Jars of Clear Glass are Great... You Can Easily See What's in Them!

I like the fact they're made of glass; not only can you see the contents in the jar, but you can see at a glance how much of the contents remain!

When you're ready to refill your jars from your stock, just go pick out one from your stash of stored Mylar bags.

Open it, take out a packet (or two), reseal the Mylar bag, and refill your jar!

Important: Do not forget to sterilize your jars before use.

Why It's Important to Sterilize Mason Jars Before Use

If you're planning on canning or preserving food at home, it's important to sterilize your Mason jars before use. This will help to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold and will keep your food fresh for longer.

There are a few different ways to sterilize Mason jars.

Method 1: Wash the jars in hot, soapy water, and then rinse them well. Next, place the jars upside down on a clean towel and let them air dry.

Once the jars are dry, you can sterilize them by placing them in a preheated oven (200°F) for 10 minutes.

Method 2: Sterilize the jars in a dishwasher. Use the dishwasher as an effective method to sterilize Mason jars as part of the dehydration preparation process - but don't mix the jars along with other dirty dishes!

Running washed/clean Mason jars and lids through a full dishwasher cycle on the hottest wash and dry setting helps achieve sterilization in a few ways:

  • The very hot water temperature maintained throughout the dishwasher's main wash cycle (150°F - 160°F) is sufficient to destroy any remaining mold, yeast, or bacteria present.
  • The sustained, moist heat exposure for 30+ minutes is longer than boiling water alone to permeate the jar material fully.
  • The combination of high heat plus dishwasher detergent further breaks down and dissolves microbial films for better surface sterility.
  • The steam generated while drying serves as a final sterilant flush just before the jars come out sterile and ready for lids to be put on.

As long as jars come out piping hot from the dishwasher to be used immediately in the dehydration workflow, the heat and pressure maintains in-jar sterility quite well.

Method 3: Boil the jars in a large pot of water for 10 minutes.

Once you've sterilized your Mason jars, they're ready to use. Be sure to fill them with food while they're still hot to prevent bacteria from growing.

Mason Jars at Amazon

Mason Jars Regular Mouth Quart Jars

  • Ball brand regular mouth Glass Mason Jars. Quart size (32oz)
  • Package of 12

Mason Jars Wide Mouth Pint Jars

  • Ball brand wide mouth Glass Mason Jars. Pint size (16oz)
  • Package of 12

Mason Jars Wide Mouth Half Pint Jars

  • Ball brand wide mouth Glass Mason Jars. Half-Pint (8oz)
  • Package of 12

* As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The price you pay does not increase.

Where Did the Name 'Mason Jar' Originate?

The Mason jar was named after its inventor, John Landis Mason. He patented the jar in 1858, and it quickly became a popular choice for canning and preserving food.

As you know, Mason jars are made of glass, and they have a screw-on lid that creates an airtight seal. This makes them ideal for storing food for long-term storage.

Re-Use Oxygen Absorbers in Your Mason Jars

We also need to have a 100cc oxygen absorber in the jar, and an easy way to tell if the oxygen absorber is 'worn out' is when you take the lid off. If the lid opens without a popping sound, you will need to replace the old absorber with a new one.

NOTE: I'll keep the 'old/used' 100cc oxygen absorber and put that in the smaller jars (the jars I use for the elephant garlic and spices).

Even though it may not have much 'life' left in the old oxygen absorber, there's probably enough life left in it for a small jar. Change out the old absorber for a new one when you cannot feel any air pop resistance at all when you remove the lid!

Thanks for stopping by to read why Mason jars for storing dehydrated food are ideal for everyday use.

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Susan Gast, founder of Easy Food Dehydrating

Hi, I'm Susan Gast, founder of Easy Food Dehydrating. My passion for dehydrating food began in 2010 while seeking crafty uses for abundant tomatoes. I've since devoted myself to elevating the art of removing moisture from fruits, vegetables, meats, and so much more!
JOIN ME as we unlock the magic of food preservation through dehydration together!
Read About Me here.

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