Glass Jars and How to Use Them

I've seen and read a little about Weck canning jars being popular in the US right now.   It only occurred to me this year that Weck jars might be something I could find here, since it sounds pretty German.  I started asking around in my go-to circles of research:  School Moms, Bread Group, Church Ladies.  The funny thing is, in this part of Germany, most everyone I know is re-purposing jars from other foods for canning.  There's actually a mild revulsion that happens when I ask about buying jars, as if only the most cold-hearted libertine would ever be so wasteful.....

....but, I went ahead and found some anyway on my own.  Tucked away in the dusty corners of an EXTREMELY expensive kitchen shop, as well as in one thrift store, I found a few miscellaneous jars sold individually. 

And then.....and then......a box arrived in the mail from my host sister, Birte --

-- with three more Weckgläser, all festively wrapped and full of the joy of commerce ...apparently, people can still BUY things with a clear conscience in Hamburg.    ;-)   How did she know, anyway?   How did she know that this is exactly the thing, the ungettable-get I am currently hunting, at precisely this time??? 

The same way she knew how to cure Eliza's ear infection....because she is amazing.  She also sent me a book called Selbstgemacht und Mitgebracht about using canning jars  --  

--- using them for all kinds of wonderful things, which you can then share & give away as the-best-kind-of-hostess-gift: 

I think this is very clever with the apple slices.....

....and I'm determined there has to be a way to make this, as well as  have it serve a practical purpose.  Still thinking, but that jar wrapping bag is SO GREAT, I feel weak.  It's for cakes baked in jars, by the way, which were popular a few years ago in the States -- I remember a frenzy of postings by the Glamour Blog Moms.  I've always wanted to make those jar cakes -- and brought a box of 12 new jelly jars to Germany with me for precisely that purpose....still mostly unused and waiting for me in the pantry, but with this knitted bag idea from Birte's book, my interest & motivation are fully awake.   

Who could not smile at a gift that looks like this, anyway?

Yum....but back to my own house and my own Weckgläser.  I'm using two of them now:

one for storing my tea from Kenya --

and one for storing those vanilla beans, on their way to being shared....   

I'm also going back to the thrift store to see if there are some more jars on that bottom shelf in the corner.....if I'm planning on giving any of these away, I'll need more.... ;-)