Jar sizes, and what each one is for

Size is a product decision

Whole dills need the height to stand up in. Spears tolerate a shorter jar and look wrong lying down. Relish and kraut are sold by weight and the shape barely matters. The product and the jar have to be chosen together, because choosing a recipe first and a jar afterwards is how makers end up cutting spears to fit.

The wide mouth argument

Anything packed by hand in pieces wants a wide mouth, for filling and for the customer getting it out again. A narrow neck on a spear product is a daily irritation for whoever packs it and a complaint from whoever eats it. This is the clearest case in the craft where the packing line and the customer want the same thing.

Price point follows volume more than cost

The jar is a small part of the cost per unit and a large part of what the product looks worth. A 16 ounce jar and a 32 ounce jar are not the same business: the larger one is a pantry purchase and the smaller is an impulse one, and they reach different shelves. Decide which you are making before you price it.

Settle it before the label

Net quantity is one of the five required label elements and it comes directly from the jar and the pack. Labels ordered before the jar is fixed are labels reprinted, which is why the calendar puts the container decision ahead of the label order.

The available label panel also depends on the jar, and a fermented product needs more label copy than a quick pickle because it carries handling instructions. A tall narrow jar can be the wrong answer for a reason that has nothing to do with the pickles.

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