The Genius Way Martha Stewart Used Mason Jars For A Sophisticated Picnic

Mason jars have a whiff of nostalgia about them — not so much that they evoke an old-timey "grandma's pantry" feeling (Grandma probably bought pre-canned food like everybody else), but more of an early 20-teens boho wedding or hipster bar vibe. Martha Stewart, however, was hipper than the hipsters, since she was into mason jars decades before they became trendy. According to a 1979 article published in Food & Wine, the yet-to-be-famous Stewart, who was then described as a Connecticut-based caterer, said she'd use them to pack an entire picnic.

Okay, so what does an all-mason jar picnic look like? While we have no idea what a modern-day Martha would serve if she weren't too busy posing for pinups, walking red carpets, or running her restaurant on the Las Vegas strip, 1970s Stewart had a whole menu planned out. One jar would be for carrot and sorrel soup, another for asparagus and string beans in a mustard vinaigrette, and yet another for cucumbers and cherry tomatoes in rice wine vinegar. For the entree, there would be sliced cooked beef and boiled potatoes in a tarragon vinaigrette, while dessert would be grapefruit and orange segments mixed with shredded coconut and Grand Marnier. Everything would be accompanied by white wine sangria, which would, of course, also be in a mason jar.

Some people like to use mason jars for meal prep layered salads, but Martha Stewart seems to have long since moved on from her mason jar picnic days. Instead, she now uses them for basic kitchen storage. Her jars hold pantry essentials such as flour and dried beans, but since she keeps them out in the open, they serve a decorative function, as well.

Stewart has shared a few other tips and tricks involving mason jars, one of which involves using them to hold sewing supplies and converting the lids into pincushions. Another is a variant on a fun and functional garlic peeling hack — instead of using two bowls to shake the skins off garlic cloves, she uses a mason jar as a shaker. Perhaps the most radical thing she's done with mason jars, however, is to return them to their original purpose. Yes, she actually uses them for her home-canned tomatoes, imagine that. Perhaps in another few decades, the rest of the world will catch up with the ever-in-the-vanguard domestic diva.