How do you (easily!) remove labels from jars? Like this!

Maybe I’m completely wrong, maybe FavorFlav’s readers are extremely organized people who store things in a series of neat jars they bought at a cookware shop. Unfortunately, I’m not that organized. When I want to make jam, store herbs or try sourdough for the umpteenth time, I choose a jar from the collection in the pantry. But first you have to get the label off. How?

Small jars of capers or pesto (even store-bought, I’m showing my true colors here) are useful for making a little salad dressing, while larger jars of mayonnaise, vegetables or pickles are used for homemade applesauce, jam, and herbs, kernels, seeds and raisins – those little bags tear absurdly quickly. I always used to remove those labels by putting the jar through the dishwasher, but after one such label turned into papier-mâché and clogged the filter, and the entire dishwasher was covered in spinach, pasta sauce and gravy, I stopped doing that.

Strong glue

So what can you do? Trying to pull them off only works partly; the glue used for those labels is really strong. There are plenty of tricks online that involve coating the label with mayonnaise or peanut butter, but apart from dirty fingers and slippery jars, they’ve never produced anything positive for me.

Truffle oil

Fortunately, there are more people struggling with these labels who keep at it until they find the ultimate trick. First, lightly coat the labels with oil; it doesn’t matter which oil. Do you want to sacrifice the expensive truffle oil, or will you go for salad oil? It makes no difference—just do your thing. Then put the jars in a basin and pour hot water over them. Leave them overnight and you can simply wipe the labels off. Remove the annoying layer of glue underneath the label with a sponge. Run the jars through the dishwasher and voilà, bring on that homemade applesauce.

Also read:

• This is how you stock your Japanese pantry
• This is how often you should clean an ice cube tray (oops)
• 5 kitchen ingredients that are also great for cleaning

Source: Food52