Learn how to loosen the lid in no time.
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Nashia Baker is a skilled writer and editor in the journalism industry, known for her work interviewing global thought leaders, creatives, and activists, from Aurora James to Stacey Abrams. She has over five years of professional experience and has been a part of the Martha Stewart and Martha Stewart Weddings teams for the last 3 years.
Updated on February 16, 2024
In This Article
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In This Article
- Use a Silicone Item
- Use Hot Water and a Spoon
- Hit the Bottom of the Jar
- Use a Can Opener
Whether you're in the middle of cooking dinner or just want to make a PBJ, it's frustrating when you reach for a jar of mustard, preserved lemons, or grape jelly and find that you can't get the lid off. How can you open a stuck jar when no amount of twisting and turning will get it loose? You can buy a jar opener, but we're not fans of single-use kitchen gadgets. We turn to one of these four expert-approved ways to get the lid off that stubborn jar using items you already have at home.
- Ronna Welsh, cooking teacher and founder of Purple Kale Kitchenworks cooking school
- Greg Lofts, food stylist and recipe developer
Twist the Lid With Something Made From Silicone
One helpful way to loosen a tight or stuck lid on a jar is to grab something flexible made of silicone, such as a dish drying mat, oven mitt, trivet, or even a silicone cake pan. Make sure that it can drape over the entire jar lid. This is the go-to tactic of Ronna Welsh, cooking teacher and the founder of Purple Kale Kitchenworks cooking school. "The silicone's grip supercharges my hand strength," she says.
Run Under Hot Water and Use a Spoon
If you are still struggling to get the jar open, try this old-fashioned method:
- Run the jar lid under hot water to make sure nothing sticky is gluing it on, then wipe it dry.
- Slide the edge of a spoon under the edge of the lid, applying pressure against the jar until you hear a pop (that is the seal releasing).
Once the seal releases, the jar should be easy to open, but be careful when using this method as there is a chance of the glass breaking from the pressure of the spoon.
Hit the Bottom of the Jar
Another old-time method is to break the seal by hitting the bottom of the jar. Greg Lofts, food stylist and our former deputy food editor, uses this technique and says it works best with jars of sauce, specifically marinara varieties.
- Turn the jar upside down and place it on a dishtowel on the countertop.
- Use your flattened palm to bang the bottom of the jar to break the seal.
You can also just hold the jar with one hand and hit the bottom with your other hand. "I find banging on the bottom of the jar with your flattened palm is often enough force to create that pop sound, making the lid easy to twist and release," Lofts says.
Use a Can Opener
Other everyday kitchen tools can be handy for opening a stuck jar. A manual can opener with a key (the hook near the handle under the round blades) is well suited to the task, according to Welsh: Use the key part of the can opener to gently pry up the lid in several places around the jar lid, she says.
Updated by
Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.
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