Family Size Jars

Big jars for busy households

Family Size Jars grew out of the kind of kitchens where plates stack up, kids circle back for seconds, and neighbors sometimes stay for supper. Instead of changing the recipes, we simply pour more of the salsas, pickles, sauces, and fruits that people reach for repeatedly into larger jars. The cooking still happens in small batches on our Ohio farm, using tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and fruit from Great Lakes growers. Amish and family partners stir, taste, and pack as carefully as they do for the smaller sizes; the volume changes, not the attention.

These jars sit naturally beside our smaller 16 Oz Jars and steady 32 Oz Jars. Where the pints are perfect for trying new flavors and the quarts handle busy weekends, the family sizes are meant for the jars that never seem to rest. If your household empties salsa as fast as you can buy it, or keeps a pickle jar permanently on the table, these are the jars that make more sense. You open them without counting how many spoonfuls are left for tomorrow.

Big salsa jars earn their place quickly. They support full taco spreads, then stay out for nachos and late night snacks. A scoop over eggs, rice, or roasted potatoes the next morning hardly makes a dent. Many of these recipes overlap with the fruit and tomato salsas in our Tailgate Snacks picks and the grill-friendly choices in Summer Cookouts. The difference is that a single family size jar can handle both the parking lot gathering and the week of lunches that follows, without running dry at the wrong moment.

Pickles in this size are built for crowds and long weekends. A large jar from our Pickled Vegetables line can park next to the grill while burgers, sausages, and sandwiches keep coming off the heat. People fish out slices and spears, tuck them into buns, and eat them out of hand. By the time the coals cool, there may only be a shallow pool of brine left at the bottom. In Ohio yards and cabins, that is often the sign of a good evening rather than a problem.

Fruit and sweet jars also make sense in bigger sizes when breakfast tables fill up. A generous jar of peaches or pears can cover several mornings of yogurt, cottage cheese, or pancakes, then reappear as a quick dessert over ice cream or shortcake. Families who host visiting relatives or keep a full house through the holidays like knowing there is enough fruit to go around without rationing. The ingredient lists stay as simple as ever - fruit, modest sugar, water, and gentle spices - so the jars feel as at home on a Tuesday as they do on a special Sunday.

Many Ohio kitchens treat these Family Size Jars as a kind of reassuring backup. A row on the shelf means there will be enough salsa if extra teenagers show up, enough pickles if burgers stretch further than planned, enough fruit to round out a last-minute breakfast for guests. Smaller jars still have their place, especially for new flavors or quieter homes, but the family sizes are there for the staples that disappear quickly. They let people be generous with what they already love, without worrying about the jar running out before the meal does.

Through all of this, nothing about the cooking changes. The batches stay small, the kettles stay close by, and Amish and family partners keep the same careful watch over texture and seasoning. The larger jars simply carry more of that work to your shelves. For households that cook often, host freely, and pull up extra chairs without much warning, it can be a comfort to know that the “good jars” come in a size that understands how you actually eat.