How to Loosen the Lid on a Glass Jar

Loosen the lid on a glass jar to open it.

A stubborn lid on a glass jar can halt your cooking progress until you succeed in removing the stuck lid. You have several options to loosen a jar lid, including using thermal expansion to increase the inner diameter of the metal jar lid around the mouth of the glass jar. With minimal effort and just the right technique, you will soon have your jar lid off and be ready to continue meal preparations.

Things You'll Need

• Kitchen towel
• Butter knife
• Jar wrench

Instructions

Hot Water Method

1. Turn on the kitchen tap and run a stream of hot water.

2. Hold the jar lid at an angle so the stream of water hits the jar lid in the center. Allow the water to run off the bottom edge of the jar lid and hold the jar lid beneath the water for one to two minutes.

3. Remove the jar from the stream of water and cover the lid with the kitchen towel to provide additional gripping power.

4. Twist the lid from the jar.

Butter Knife Method

1. Insert the tip of the butter knife between the bottom edge of the jar lid and the glass jar.

2. Pull the handle of the knife toward you to create a lever with the knife (prying the jar lid away from the jar).

3. Remove the knife and repeat the same process in one or two other spots around the edge of the jar lid.

4. Twist off the jar lid with your hands.

Jar Wrench Method

1. Place the center opening of the jar wrench over the jar lid. The design of the jar wrench will accommodate almost any size jar lid.

2. Grasp the bottom of the jar firmly with one hand and the handle of the jar wrench firmly with your other hand.

3. Turn the jar wrench handle to the left to loosen the jar lid.

References

• HyperPhysics: Thermal Expansion: How to Loosen a Jar Lid
• The Art of Manliness: How to Open a Stuck Jar Lid