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York, were filled with a variety of foods that included must have been good because Underwood’s bookkeeper shortened the word
fruits, meats, vegetables, and oysters. Although the ‘canister’ to ‘can.’ While glass containers remained in use for another fifteen
company grew, it was not known to be highly years, the English language had acquired a new word.”
productive and profitable until 31 years later. The financial panic of 1837 meant heavy cost-cutting efforts were being
Canning in the U.S. for both domestic and made by Kensett and Underwood, and by 1839 Kensett and Underwood
military use didn’t really explode as an were using the less expensive, more durable tin containers. Oddly
industry until 1856 – the year that enough, this cost-cutting development brought about another level of
Borden’s condensed milk was invented. tin making that continued to be used as the economy came back.
Milk has a short shelf life and was difficult A bit later in 1862, a huge change came when Louis Pasteur’s
and expensive to obtain in some areas. famous pasteurization procedure was successfully tested. Mr. Pasteur
Borden’s solved the problem by removing was the first person who realized that wine and other substances were
most of the water from the milk and spoiled by bacteria. He also realized that pasteurization, a process of
adding a bit of sweetener, which when using heat to treat products, could curb the development of such
canned, can last for years without refriger- bacteria. Thanks to this discovery, the tin can became a staple in
ation if it remains unopened. It was an every kitchen for just about every type of food.
instant hit.
Home Canning Jars and Lids in the United States
Bacteria and Gas Expansion Home canning in glass jars also benefited from Pasteur’s discovery,
Impacted Canning although those exact canning methods used then were still not as
One of the biggest ongoing problems effective as they are today. The jars used fitted glass covers that could
with canning, both in glass jars or bottles and Ball Corporation tin can inside seal the contents, but not completely, and they were tough to handle
in metal cans, was a lack of understanding a wood jacket made in 1880 when hot.
about how the canned foods released John Landis Mason, an American tinsmith, made one of the
bacteria and gases over time. As a result, many early biggest innovations in home canning when he patented the Mason jar
canned items in glass jars tended to explode. Meanwhile, in 1858. One of the most important features of the Mason jar was the sealing process
items canned in metal cans, especially oysters ,tended to that created a hermetic seal, keeping bacteria out thanks to the system of putting a
release so many gases that the cans bulged and often round lid on the top of the jar and locking it into place by a metal “canning band”
smelled horrible when opened. (ring) that screwed down on top of it.
Here is a description of the process from an article Five brothers named Ball changed the home canning industry again in the 1880s
written by Stella Burke May in the November 12, 1939, after two of the brothers borrowed $200 from their uncle to buy the Wooden Jacket
issue of the Washington, D.C. Evening Star on Thomas Can Company. They were
Kensett, based in Buffalo, New York,
“The tin, or tin-plated sheet iron imported from England where they started producing
was cut by hand with tinners’ scissors and bent around tin cans with wood “jackets”
cylindrical molds by tinsmiths. It was a slow and painful used to store materials ranging
process. So was the cutting of bottoms; a circle was drawn on from kerosene and paint to lard.
a piece of tin and cut around with hand scissors. The tops were While first utilizing supplied
harder though because a hole had to be cut in the top for the glass jars, the brother began
insertion of food. The three pieces—body, bottom, and top— producing stand-alone glass jars
were then soldered together; at least twenty-five pounds of for fruit canning. In 1886 there
solder was used for a thousand canisters. A good tinsmith was a fire at their factory, but
could turn out sixty canisters a day. that didn’t stop them. They
“The filling was just as laborious. Oysters, meats, fruits, were given incentives to rebuild
and vegetables were inserted through the holes in the top of the their factory near a newly
containers. After the canisters were filled and properly heated discovered natural gas pocket in
to expel the air the cap hole was closed with more solder and Muncie, Indiana. Soon, they
the cooking of the food completed.” began purchasing other canning
A competitor of Kensett’s entered the canning field up companies, eventually becoming
in Boston. William Underwood was sterilizing fruits and the leader in glass canning jar
berries in glass containers. According to Burke, “Business production in the country.
In the late 19th century, the
company continued to grow
The Ball brothers from left to right:
William Charles Ball (1852–1921), and prosper, but not without
Frank Clayton Ball (1857–1943), experiencing some challenges.
Lucius Lorenzo Ball (seated) (1850–1932), Fires at its Muncie factories and
Edmund Burke Ball (1855–1925), warehouses in 1891 and 1898
George Alexander Ball (1862–1955) damaged its facilities, but they
were rebuilt. Despite the eco-
nomic panic of 1893, the company was able to produce 22 million fruit jars for the
year beginning in September 1894, and jumped to 37 million jars by 1897.
In 1903, the Hermetic Fruit Jar Company was founded by Alexander H. Kerr in
Portland, Oregon. His jars were among the first to have wide mouths making home
canning easier because jars could be filled faster and with less mess.
In 1915, Mr. Kerr also invented a new type of disk and gasket lid that was a
simple one-piece solution that was held in place during the processing of the food by
having a screw-on ring band instead. These “self-sealing” lids made it easier to seal
the jar because they did not have to be put in place after the heating process. This
new lid type was attachable to previously used jars. That meant those interested in
Thomas Kensett, an Englishman, began canning food in New York in doing a lot of canning each season could reuse jars from the previous seasons. It was
the 1810s. His son and namesake was one of the first to process oysters a real-time and money saver.
in Baltimore, beginning in 1849. “Cove” on the label refers to Cove
Street, a lane in Baltimore where several oyster houses were located. Continued on page 28

26 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles