Use a church key. And in case you don't know what one is, this is one:



Use the rounded end and it comes right off. I hang one on a magnetic hook on my fridge. Very useful.

OP, the top should come off. You may need to use more force than you are expecting. Just grab ahold of the lid with your fingers, squeeze tightly, and pull. You shouldn't need to use a knife or can opener or anything.

Or you could try using a bamboo chopstick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWvze7gIuzE

or here's another simple way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvDRYA7U_4U

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a canning jar. Do you need help opening boxes too?

Way to be an asshole. Sorry I'm a city girl who's never encountered a canning jar before. But I have encountered assholes like you before, as well as people who don't know things I know and unlike you, I don't try to make them feel badly about it.

snap

Anonymous wrote:It's a canning jar. Do you need help opening boxes too?

Way to be an asshole. Sorry I'm a city girl who's never encountered a canning jar before. But I have encountered assholes like you before, as well as people who don't know things I know and unlike you, I don't try to make them feel badly about it.

OP, this shouldn't be so hard. Just keep trying the butter knife. If you can't do it, start lifting weights.

Anonymous wrote:It's a canning jar. Do you need help opening boxes too?

SOL! (snicker out loud!!!! in an embarrassing way!)

Anonymous wrote:OP here: I already tried using a butter knife, and it didn't work.

To PP 12:34: it's homemade Santa Rosa plum jam.

I'll try to borrow a can opener and hopefully that works.

Slide the butter knife between the remaining lid and whatever is underneath -- there could be a layer of wax on top of the jelly, which is sticking to the lid. Get a bit of the knife in and wiggle it back and forth. It will pop off.

It's a canning jar. Do you need help opening boxes too?

OP here: I already tried using a butter knife, and it didn't work.

To PP 12:34: it's homemade Santa Rosa plum jam.

I'll try to borrow a can opener and hopefully that works.

It's a hipster thing!

Those are standard canning jars and lids. You might want to use a butter knife to get under the edge of the lid and pop it off. We always had regular plastic lids to replace the canning lids after opening them.
My mother canned food-jams, jellies, pickles, tomatoes, whatever. It wasn't a foodie thing.

Try a triangular shaped bottle opener and go around the lid.

What's in the jar? Homemade or store-bought?

So the center metal part is still on. Just put the tip of a knife under it (jam it under if you have to) and then use the handle as a lever to pop the top off. It can have quite a strong seal!

Would it help to put the jar under hot water??

I was given some jam by a foodie friend. It came in this type of jar: http://www.simplebites.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/jam-jars.jpg

I unscrewed the outside lid that goes around the sides of the top of the jar. Then there's a flat top covering over the top. Um how do I get that off? I tried with my finger/nails, and tried prying it off with a knife, to no avail. How do people get inside these types of jars?