My Love Affair with Agee Special Jars

Years ago, while renovating our charming but weathered 1920s bungalow (who am I kidding, it was falling apart), I stumbled upon a small treasure trove of jars tucked away beneath floorboards, stashed in the back of cupboards, and buried in the garden: old 1 litre and 500ml Agee preserving jars.

Most were the distinctive ‘Special’ Agee jars, which weren’t produced until around the 1940s. Those that could be salvaged (no chips, no cracks) were soaked, disinfected and treasured. As someone who’s always had a soft spot for practical objects with history, I began collecting them with full-blown preserving jar fever.

Special Agee jars are really something…their thick glass, the sturdy design, and of course the stories they no doubt carry from generations past. They’re not just jars…they were (and still are) tools of self-reliance.

A Slice of Kiwi Preserving History

Preserving was once an essential part of Kiwi life in the mid-1900s. Most homes would keep their pantries well-stocked with bottled fruits and pickled vegetables. Fruit would generally be ‘bottled’ into jars (what the US calls ‘canning’), while vegetables were often pickled or preserved in ceramic crocks.

By the 1940s, New Zealand households had two main preserving brands to choose from: Agee and Perfit. Agee had actually been around since the 1920s, originally producing ‘Queen’ jars (the one’s that had lids that clamp-type handles on either side of the bottle to seal).

Even though tinned fruit and vegetables were becoming more common in the 1930s, home preserving remained widespread and popular. World War II brought rationing, especially of sugar, a key ingredient in bottling. It’s interesting to note that extra sugar rations were issued during the fruit harvest so families could continue bottling. (Thanks agee.co.nz, I didn’t know that)!

By the 1940s and ’50s, Agee transitioned to new jar styles with screw-band lids. That’s when the ‘Utility’ and ‘Special’ Agee jars were introduced, the same types I found tucked away in the bungalow all those years ago.

Modern Day Dilemma – Finding Bands that Fit!

If you’re familiar with the Agee jars, you’ll know that although the Utility and Special versions use the same metal Perfit seals (found in most supermarkets), the glass mouths are slightly different sizes. This matters because the screw on band MUST fit tightly to work. The metal seal seals to the lip of the glass jar because of the band applies perfect pressure. It it does fit…it literally won’t seal which means your hard work literally gets spoiled.

Utility Agee jars require green bands, which are easily found at supermarkets. But the gold bands, which fit the Special Agee jars? I was starting to think they were as rare as actual gold.

So imagine my surprise (and joy) when I spotted gold bands in stock at Mitre 10! After so many years of keeping my Special jars mostly for decoration, I finally had a way to bring them back into preserving rotation. It felt like reconnecting with an old friend, nawwww!

And, something else I discovered? Special Agee Jars can be bought new…the same design just as per the 1940s originals. At around $10 each!

So whether you’re rediscovering old jars in the garden shed or grabbing new ones off the shelf, it’s wonderful to know the legacy of Agee preserving is still going strong. There’s something glorious about using the same kinds of jars our grandparents relied on.