Open a Difficult Jar
Jars are a handy way to store and preserve food, but sometimes, they are hard to open. If you find yourself struggling with a difficult jar, read this wikiHow for some tips.
10 Second Summary
1. Wrap a rubber band around the lid, then twist the lid off.
2. Hold the jar upside down at a 45-degree angle, then hit the bottom with your palm.
3. Hit the side of jar lid with a spoon handle at a 45-degree angle.
4. Dip the jar lid into a pot of hot water, wait 1 to 2 minutes, then open the jar.
5. Place the tip of a knife or spoon under the edge of the lid, then push down. Open the lid.
Steps
Twisting a Stuck Lid with a Gripper
- Find something to grip the jar with. Jar lids are slippery, and it can be difficult to get a good grip on them using your hands alone. Gripping the lid with something aside from your fingers can make it can make it much easier to successfully open a finicky jar. Grab one of the these items to help you get a grip:
- A rubber jar opener
- A rubber glove
- A silicon pad
- Grippy shelf liners
- A wide rubber band
- Grip the lid with your chosen item. Place your palm on the top of the lid and apply pressure. Grasp the edges of the jar with your fingers. Use your other hand to hold the jar steady.
- Twist off the lid. Most jar lids open by twisting to the left (counterclockwise). Keep a firm grip on the jar to avoid spilling its contents. Alternatively, you can grip the lid firmly and apply force on the jar instead of the lid. If you're still having trouble opening the jar, move on to a method that breaks the seal.
Breaking a Vacuum Seal with a Water Hammer
- Hold the jar tightly in your non-dominant hand. Hold it at a 45-degree angle with the bottom exposed.
- Slap the bottom of the jar with the center of your palm. This causes a water hammer effect, raising the pressure near the lid and breaking the vacuum. Only slap hard enough to break the seal, but not hard enough to hurt your hand or break the jar. You should hear a "pop" sound when the seal breaks.
- Unscrew the lid. Hold the jar upright and turn the lid to the left. It should come off without trouble if the seal was successfully broken.
Breaking a Vacuum Seal with Lid Strike
- Dent the edge of the jar lid with a firm object, preferably a spoon handle or the dull-side of a table knife's blade. Hold your spoon at a 45-degree angle. Use it to strike the side of the jar lid hard enough to make a slight dent. Rotate the jar about an inch and strike it again. Continue to dent the lid until you've gone all around and you hear the seal pop.
- Make sure you hold the jar tightly with your other hand, so the jar doesn't fall over and break when you strike it.
- Be careful not to strike the jar itself, or strike too hard. The jar could shatter.
- Unscrew the lid. Once you hear the seal pop, hold the jar upright in one hand. Use the other hand to turn the lid to the left and remove it. Check the jar's rim to make sure it did not get chipped before using the contents of the jar.
Breaking a Vacuum Seal with Hot Water
- Heat a small amount of water until it is hot, but below boiling point. You only need enough water to cover the lid when you turn the jar upside down into the water pot. Turn off the heat when the water is hot.
- Hot tap water will also do the trick, especially if the jar is cold to start. Fill a small bowl with enough hot tap water to cover the lid.
- Or you can simply run hot tap water over the lid, making sure it doesn't touch the rest of the jar.
- Place the jar upside-down in the hot water. Make sure the lid is submerged, but the jar itself is not covered in hot water. The hot water will make the lid expand temporarily and break the seal. Let the lid sit for one to two minutes, until you hear the seal pop open.
- Open the jar. Hold the jar upright, wipe off the water, and open it up. The lid should screw off easily once the seal has been popped. The heat may have melted the contents of the jar.
Breaking a Vacuum Seal with a Kitchen Utensil
- Grab a utensil you can use to pry up the lid. You can use a number of different kitchen utensils to break the seal. Try one of these:
- A butter knife
- A teaspoon
- An old-fashioned triangle can opener
- A bottle opener
- Any other strong, thin-tipped object
- Place the edge of the utensil under the lid of the jar. Stick it into the place where the bottom of the lid juts over the mouth of the jar. Push the utensil until it is firmly wedged between the lid and jar.
- Push the utensil up and out to loosen the jar. Apply force to the utensil like a lever. Separate the lid from the jar a little to break the seal. Scoot the utensil over and do the same in another spot. You should hear a "pop" sound when the seal breaks.
- Be careful! Thin glass jars could crack, plastic could puncture.
- Unscrew the lid. Once you hear the seal pop, hold the jar upright in one hand. Use the other hand to turn the lid to the left. It should come off easily with a gentle twist.
Direct Heat as a Last Resort
- Get a hair dryer or another source of direct heat. Heating the lid will cause it to slightly expand, breaking the seal. It can also help melt jam or other food that may cause a lid to stick.
- This method may only be used to open jars with metal lids. Do not heat plastic lids, as they may melt.
- Only use this method as a last resort. Heating a jar lid can cause it to become hot enough to burn your skin. Be very careful when handling the jar.
- Blow hot air around the edge of the lid. Do this just long enough to heat the lid. Don't hold it for too long in any particular place, or the lid could warp.
- Open the lid with a towel or glove. Don't place your hand directly on the lid, since it will be very hot. The lid should easily twist off. The heat may have melted the contents of the jar.
Tips
- The vacuum seal is made worse by refrigerating the jar, so try to open the jar before refrigerating.
- The striking method is not only useful for breaking the seal, but it'll also help if food is stuck in the lid. Warmer temperatures may also help soften any food that's preventing the lid from twisting.
- Mason/Ball jars have an separate threaded ring which moves independently of the dome cap. The cap is held fast by the vacuum formed in the jar, and a ring of sealant that softens during the canning process. Heating the lid of a dome-sealed jar with hot water will soften the sealant, making it easier to remove the lid. You can also use a bottle cap opener to gently pry the edge of the lid up to break the seal and release the vacuum.
- If you don't intend to reseal the lid, puncture it with the back end of a chef's knife. This will break the seal with the least effort, but render the lid useless.
- If the cap is small enough for a nutcracker to fit around it, this works like a peach.
- Or...Try moving your hand to a different spot on the lid before trying again. This can sometimes make an 'impossible to open' jar suddenly seem easy; it's all in the angle of attack, so to speak.
- Hit the lid's corner in several places using a spoon, but no more than the spoon's weight. After a few hits, if you are not lucky enough to see the lid just pop up the jar, it should be easier to unscrew it.
Warnings
- Be careful not to crack the jar, or else it could break while you're twisting it and cut your hand. This is another reason why gripping the lid with a cloth might be a good idea.
- If you chose to strike the lid with another object, check the rim after removing the lid for chips of glass that may have broken off (could be in food).
- Don't strain yourself! If all else fails, find someone with strong arms.
- Be careful when using butter knives to open a jar - they may not seem sharp, but if one slips while you are applying force to it, you can experience a very nasty cut.
- The cap of a Mason or Ball jar is held fast by the vacuum, and a ring of sealant that softens during the canning process. Heating the lid of a dome-sealed jar with a flame might melt the sealant to a liquid and contaminate the contents of the jar.
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