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A jar is a rigid, cylindrical or slightly conical container, typically made of glass, ceramic, or plastic, with a wide mouth or opening that can be closed with a lid, screw cap, lug cap, cork stopper, roll-on cap, crimp-on cap, press-on cap, plastic shrink, heat sealed lidding film, an inner seal, a tamper-evident band, or other suitable means.
The English word "jar" originates from the Arabic word jarra, which means an earthen pot or vessel.[1][2]
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.[3]
Jars can be used to hold solids too large to be removed from, or liquids too viscous to be poured through, a bottle's neck; these may be foods, cosmetics, medications, or chemicals.[4] Glass jars—among which the most popular is the mason jar—can be used for storing and preserving items as diverse as jam, pickled gherkin, other pickles, marmalade, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, jalapeño peppers, chutneys, pickled eggs, honey, and many others.
Modern glass food storage jars come in a variety of shapes, all of which have a circular opening on top for screwing on a lid:[5]
Ancient ceramic types include:
Preserved food in Mason jars
Reusable jam jar with flip-top or bail closure
Jar made of PLA-blend bio-flex, a bioplastic
Brown-glazed jar with design of three fish. Yuan Dynasty.
PP jar of skin cream with pump dispenser
Some regions[In what country?] 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.[6]
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