Jar

Types

• Bell jar – typically used in scientific laboratories to produce a vacuum; also used in Victorian times for display purposes
• Cookie jar – typically ceramic or glass, common in the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom
• Killing jar – used to kill captured insects
• Leyden jar – a historical electrical capacitor
• Specimen jar – an instrument used in anatomy to preserve specimens
• Apothecary jar – historically for storage of medicines; made of ceramics or more typically in modern centuries, clear glass. Typically cylindrical or with rotationally symmetric decorative curves, sometimes with a glass disc foot separated from the main body. Modern glass versions are also used for artistic display of the contents.

• Economy round or wide mouth jars – tall but rotund cylinder slightly rounded at the top and bottom, relatively wide with a wide mouth, commonly used for sauces like a mayonnaise
• Paragon jars – tall and narrow cylinder, commonly used for pickled foods such as olives
• French square or Victorian jars – roughly a small cube
• Spice jars – small cylinder or rectangular cuboid
• Hexagon or hex jars – regular hexagonal prism
• Mason jars – moderately tall cylinder typically used in home canning, sealed with a metal lid
• Kilner jar – similar to a Mason jar but sealed with rubber
• Straight-sided jars – cylinders with no neck. Squat straight-sided jars are suitable for creams which can be scooped out.

Ancient ceramic types include

• Amphora – large, but typically holding under 50 L
• Pithos – very large, typically the size of a person and holding hundreds of liters, Pandora's Box is often referred to as Pithos
• Canopic jar

Utility

Jars are sterilised by putting them in a pressure cooker with boiling water or an oven for a number of minutes. Glass jars are considered microwavable.

Some regions have a legally mandated deposit refundable upon return of the jar to its retailer, after which the jar is recycled according to the SPI recycling code for the material.