Couldnt break the seal to get the top off a juice carton yesterday. My 12 year old boy said "Hey dad, hand it over I'll do it." I gave it to him for a laugh, not thinking he had any chance of doing it and to my embarrassment he did it straight away! Same thing today; couldnt open a jar of jalapenos, my kid brother (I say kid but he is 48) just opens it like that. Feel like I am turning into a wimp. Hope nobody's going to kick sand in my face when I go to the beach.
A little trick I learnt a long, long time ago was to get a blunt knife or similar object and prize it under the lid and release the pressure in the jar and bingo you can open it easily in the normal way..
Janet
I bought one of those gadgets from John Lewis that you can use to open any jar/bottle/container. I works for any size.
After all, I can't keep knocking on the neighbours doors every time I need a bottle of wine opened, they'll soon start to talk.....
I've never been good at jars (sometimes I'm such a GIRL!!) - I find it's not the strength you need though, it's the grip, so if I have a particularly difficult one, I put on my rubber gloves and I can open the jar then. Like Val says, you can get gadgets to help open jars and stuff - years ago I bought my Gran a thing that had teeth in a v-shape to help open jars and bottles (amusingly it was made to look like a shark with it's mouth open). Also, sometimes if you run the lid under hot water, it makes the metal expand ever so slightly, but enough to make it easier to get the lid off.
There are always ways, you'll get there,
Luisa x
1. put a little hot/boiling water in a shallow bowl/dish and stand the jar upside down in it - the idea is that the hot water heats the metal lid sufficiently to expand it slightly and break the seal. You will then need a tea towel or summat else similar to protect your hand from the heat and to stop it slipping. And of course you need to be careful while tipping the water in to the bowl, etc.
2. the MS Society sent me a nice little piece of rubber years and years ago and it's WONDERFUL, because it enables me to grip anything easily AND it takes up so little space in a kitchen drawer - where I'm careful to return it after use, so that I know where it is. Having just had a quick look, there are loads of similar items for sale online including, for example:
Ebay: GRIPPER PADS NON SLIP DISCS KITCHEN JAR OPENER £1.99 inc p&p
Amazon: Progressive Flexible Jar Openers, Set of 3 £4.90 inc p&p
The more expensive ones do look nicer from the pictures, but that's probably just me being an accessory snob
They're most likely on sale in the High Street too.
Lolli xx
Gripper pads pack of 4 for £1..... Poundland
Thanks everyone, its the mental adjustment to not being able to do it tthat rankles.Of course there is the superglue solution - smear it liberally around the top then go for it!
l find the easiest way to open a new jar is to hold the jar and give the edge of the lid a sharp tap on the worksurface a couple of times - it breaks the seal/airlock and always works.
F.
Don't do what my husband 'nearly' did yesterday and try tapping the jar on my lovely dining table. l shouted at him to stop and grabbed the jar and opened it myself. l'll give him 'pickled walnuts' if he marked my table!!!!!!!!!!!
The best jar opener I've found is the Zyliss Strongboy 2 Jar Opener
This can be found on Amazon UK for around £13 or from LAKELAND for around £16
There is a You Tube video that shows how it works.