In the late 1890's, ealy 1900's, what were the 18" tall Mason jars (eagle /patent # like smaller ones) for?

Those jars were used for canning fruits and vegetables. Large ones were often used for pickling cucumbers, pigs feet, corn, watermelon rinds or anything else you might care to pickle. You could even brew in a large jar.

I believe pickling jars were passed down the line from grandmothers

to grandaughters and daughters. And if fruit was grown on the prop-

erty in abundance, then the taller jars were practical for holding more.

They were a nice gift to give to a neighbor who might have extra

mouths to feed, when times were tough. They were also a nice gift

to a new family, and were more special than the shorter canning

jars. I know my mother and grandmother used the tallest to the med-

ium size for canning pickled watermelon rinds, dill pickles, peaches,

and home made applesauce with cinnamon. Cherries were also

canned for winter as well, if you were lucky to have a tree with a

surplus of fruit. Basically, it's what you had to use, without having to

go out and buy more. I never saw anything in a small jar when I was

growing up. It was always the largest sizes that were used. Espec-

ially for grandmas' table when you came for dinner on a Sunday

afternoon. She would open a big jar of canned sweet cherries and

put an ample amount over a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream

that was usually hand made, and the taste was heavenly. How I

miss those old days, when a womans pride in her cooking, baking

and canning was always taken for granted by her family. She did

her very best and put alot of love into everything she made to

please them all.

I'm not sure. Probably any home canning.

In that era, pickle jars were glazed ceramic and kept in the root cellar.

They came filled with mincemeat from the grocery shop - I still use my grandmother's empty jars for pickling onions. She died in the 1920's.

Back then they had larger families And a jar of whatever was canned, was to feed a whole family

Pickled eggs for large families! Or, larger sized pickles for larger sized families.

Just a guess!

CJ