Bake a cake in glass jar

Does a flower pot count?
I would imagine it would have to be pirex or the like to handle the heat.
I have seen cakes in a jar, a can and pipe too.
:bounce:

Canning jars can take boiling point (212 F) but I'm not sure about higher heat. You could try consulting the Ball website.

***
Apparently, Ball spun off their home canning to another company. I've send them an e-mail about your question- I'm curious too!

Couldn't get my hand out:D :D :D :eek:

Not recommended.

Food scientists and technologists have been strongly recommending against baking cakes in canning jars almost as long as the craze has been around - nearly twenty years. Scientific papers from the very early 1990's have been trying to dissuade home bakers from this very unsafe food handling practice.

Manufacturers of canning jars almost immediately indicated that their jars were not made for the purpose of baking breads or cakes. They stated that there is a chance of glass breakage caused by thermal shock.

Canning Breads and Cakes?
(University of Georgia)
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publication...can_breads.pdf

“Is it safe to bake and store cakes and breads at home using canning jars?”
[Penn State University]
http://foodsafety.cas.psu.edu/jar_bread.htm

Safety Of Canning Quick Breads
{utah State University]
http://extension.usu.edu/files/foodpubs/canbread.pdf


<<BUT>>

There are numerous sites on the Internet that tout the wonders of the procedure and how safe it is eg

"Cakes baked in Jars? Are you Kidding?"
http://www.realfood4realpeople.com/jars.html

Your choice............

I suppose the worst thing that could happen is cleaning glass shards out of your oven

(hmmm...not a pretty thought)

I dunno, maybe you could wrap the jar in aluminum foil to circumvent a mess.

I also have seen recipes using gutted oranges as shells. Or perhaps a 'steamed' cake using a bain marie. (still using the aluminum) I've found that the dry heat makes the glass much more vulnerable to shock.

(anybody ever 'fry' marbles and then dump them in ice?)

Not even pyrex is 100 % safe. We had a boudine that we warmed water for coffee in the microwave (minus the metal) and once it exploded when my son was taking it out. Luckily he was using a mit, but jeez.

Yeah, check with Ball or maybe Pyrex has a solution.

April

just curious

I'm intrigued by this thread, because i don't understand what possible advantage there would be in baking in a glass jar? Do you serve the cake in the jar and so it looks nice? but if so, how do you take it out, with a spoon and scoop it on the plates? Or do you remove it from the jar before serving, in which case, what can possibly be the advantage? get a metal pan the shape you want (I imagine if there isn't a tinsmith anywhere convenient to make it to order, some kind of metal can would work - like the huge cans they use for restaurant supplies, tomatoes, stuff like that. Moreover, glass is a lousy conductor, and not, as far as I ever read, the best thing to bake in anyway.

I'm guessing for retail sales

...like in a gift shop?

A* :p

I grew up with this technique, in very rural Alaska. It was always done as another way to preserve things like zucchini (zucchini bread) carrots (carrot cake) etc. Not to date myself, but home freezers were not common, maybe not accessible, or lack of electricity was the real issue.

I actually found the process recently in a early village cookbook and saved it. I've taken a fast look for it, but didn't locate. I'm in the process of a major office, cookbook, recipe and wall painting re-organization but will find it with in a few days and post it here.

I believe that the packed jars are placed in a pan, a deep water-bath, and they are placed in the oven. The water heats as the jar warms and bakes the batter while keeping the heat consistent on the inside and outside of the glass jar. When done, the lids and rings are placed on the jars and they are turned upside down to cool and seal.

The bread/cake shrinks as it cools so it will actually slip out of the jars very easily. Remember Boston brown bread in a can or the pound cake in old army c-rations? It slides out just like that.

I sent an e-mail to the company that makes Ball canning jars. Here's what I asked:

Here's the reply:

I missed this thread completely.
I'm assuming the thoughts of the manufacture are used as disclaimers. We bake many things in glass without worrying about bacteria. I have baked mude pies and other things in glass containers. The glass breakage will occur if the glass is shocked by temp. If they are cooled right nothing will break.
We used the small squat jars. Maybe I'm wrong but we have done this many times for buffets. We've done flourless cakes, brownies,puddings etc. Never did bread though.
Now if you are using this container to extend shelf life then by all means you will have a bacteria problem unless you use an additive. We have not sealed any products in the jars. Not long ago we did a flourless almost molten cappucino cake in glass cups. Topped with cream, they were great.
pan