Can it

The DIY cooking fad (as opposed the the plain old cooking Mom had to do) is apparently giving new life to the jar that made Muncie famous:

The iconic Ball Mason jar may be 125 this year, but its versatility makes it fresher than ever.

The rounded-shoulder jars originally were produced for canning peaches and pickles. Today, preserving edibles has evolved from a survival tactic to a huge foodie movement.

"People are so into being their own chefs right now," says Lauren Devine, fresh preserving community manager for Jarden, producer of Ball Mason jars in Muncie, Ind. "So the food inside Mason jars has gone way beyond apple butter. You're seeing gourmet chutneys and Thai dipping sauces. People also are into local food and saving the produce they find at farmers markets and, increasingly, from their own gardens."

The jars are also getting a makeover this year, which I'm not so sure about: "Jar lids will be silver to coordinate with sleek stainless steel and brushed nickel finishes found throughout the home." I don't have any "sleek stainless steel" or "brushed nickel finishes" in my home, so those silver lids might look a mite pretensious in my kitchen.

The story mentions uses for the jars other than canning, such as measuring (amounts in ounches and cups are listed on the sides), gifting (layered mixes are popular), holding flowers or candles, and, of course, storage, the use I have most often made of them. They have held everything for me from marbles in my youth to poker money spare change today.

And Mason jars, I have discovered once or twice, can also be invaluable on long car trips, but we don't have to go into that here.