Canning Jars and Ice Tea

Canning jars, or fruit jars, were plentiful around our house, and we used them for everything. We couldn't afford fancy stemware for drinking at meals, so we used pint canning jars instead.

It was always a little embarrassing, because I thought that drinking out of those jars meant we were below the poverty level. But that Kool-Aid Mama put in them was mighty good.

The directions on the Kool-Aid package clearly stated that you should add one cup of sugar per two quarts of water. Mama thought that if one cup was good, then two cups would make it twice as better. So we blissfully drank that grape and orange nectar from those ice-filled jars, with beautiful condensation on the outside that just made it better.

Fifty years later, I'm learning that it is "in" to drink out of canning jars. I have dined at numerous restaurants that served our beverages in them, and they always remind me of that Kool-Aid syrup we enjoyed so much. I really wish Mama was still with us to see that.

Nowadays, I have lots of fancy stemware and other glasses, but sometimes, we still use the canning jars for our sweet ice tea.

Nothing changes. Everything changes.

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