It’s August and I’m swimming in tomatoes this year. I’ve made some fresh marinara to use now and to freeze for later, as well as turning my fresh tomatoes into a self stable option that will allow me to use those garden tomatoes later this year.

Since I started canning my own food, I’ve always used Ball mason jars. One reason I use the brand is because I figure if I’m going to go to all the trouble of canning, I want to make sure my time and monetary investments aren’t wasted. I trust the Ball brand, since I have never experienced failures or breakages with the jars since I began canning.

Recently, Ball released a new pint jar design, called Honeybee, which features an embossed bee and honeycomb shape on the jar. The design is super cute and would be perfect for holding honey-infused items, great for storing honey, a fun way to drink your summer lemonade or iced tea, and they’re ideal for canning jams.

I haven’t made even one jar of jam this year, and last year at this same time, I was up to my elbows in jam. This year, I’m using the Honeybee jars for something that’s technically a fruit, but it’s not too sweet. 

I planted just over 20 tomato plants with the intent to preserve as much as possible this year. Now, my tomatoes are really coming in, so I used a couple of the pint jars for canning up some crushed tomatoes that I can use in recipes later this fall and winter. And, when I’m pulling those jars out of the pantry on a cool or blustery day, I know I’ll get a wonderful reminder of summer when I look at the design of the Ball Honeybee jars. 

If you’re interested in buying the Honeybee jars, you can get them in a four pack for just under $11 and they are available online or in stores. 

*Note: I received these jars for free in exchange for an honest review of using and writing about the product.