Kilner jar

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A Kilner jar is a rubber-sealed, screw-topped jar used for the storage of food, which was invented by the Kilner family and produced by John Kilner & Co, Yorkshire, England. Classically, it was a glass plug with a rubber seal attached to it in the top, with the whole being secured with a metal screw-top lid. Contemporary "Kilner-style" jars usually have a lid made entirely of metal. Kilner jars are used for storing and preserving home-made jams, marmalades and other relishes. They are also used for pickling food such as eggs, onions and garlic.

[edit] Variants

Kilner jars are often confused with a similar jar featuring a metal hinge and a rubber seal. In the UK, these are sometimes known as "French Kilner" jars.

[edit] History

John Kilner, born in 1792, invented the Kilner jar along with his associates. He later founded the John Kilner & Co glass company in 1842 that produced this jar. Although enjoying commercial success, rival glass manufacturers were quick to create alternatives - and the Kilner family business (by then called Kilner Brothers Ltd) went bankrupt in 1937. The patents and trademarks of the Kilner Jar were sold to the United Glass Bottle Company in the same year, where more modern Kilner jars are still being produced today.

[edit] Trivia

British broadcaster and Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson is the great-great-great-great grandson of John Kilner. This relationship was explored in a series-one episode of the BBC genealogical programme Who Do You Think You Are?.