I was recently doing some research into the history of a particular gold
rush town in Interior Alaska (not important which one) and I found a
description of the following method for making "homemade" jars for use
in preserving.  Apparently, this one house matron would take a cotton
string, dip it in kerosene, then tie it around the shoulder of a
bottle.  Then she would light the string so it burned all the way around
and heated up the shoulder of the bottle.  Finally, the bottle was
dunked into a bucket of icy water, and the rapid temperature change
caused the neck and finish to snap off, leaving the cylindrical portion
of the bottle, which could be filled with preserves and sealed with wax.

Anyone on the list ever heard of others doing this?  I'm curious to try
a little experamental archaeology and see if it works. . .


Kris Farmen
Northern Land Use Research, Inc.
Fairbanks, Alaska