Hello Zada,

Without a doubt my absolute favorite use of reused bottles "in literature" 
(as you requested) was in Ray Bradbury's book "Dandelion Wine", in which 
they saved ketchup bottles to use for bottling dandelion wine.  Period of 
time: 1928.  Location:  The fictional Green Town, Illinois.  Here's your 
citation:

Bradbury, Ray
1957   Dandelion Wine.  Doubleday, New York.

Anecdotally, my grandma in Glasgow Montana used any bottles and jars 
available to preserve and pickle the excess from their Victory Gardens 
during the Depression.  They also brewed beer in their basement during 
Prohibition, and bottled it in recycled bottles and jars.  Thrillingly, I 
have their bottle capper...  My husband's grandfather in Craig Missouri 
reused mayonnaise jars for pickling his sauerkraut.

Zada, I imagine you can find a fair number of sources also in collections of 
oral interviews.

S. Walter

-----Original Message----- 
From: Komara, Zada
Sent: Saturday, March 12, 2016 10:38 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Sources for bottle & jar reuse in home canning?

Hello, all.

Could anyone provide me with citations for sources about the reuse of
mass-produced food jars in home canning and food storage?  I have
interviewed several folks in company coal mining towns for my dissertation
who have spoken about reuse.  Specifically, canning in non-FDA approved
jars (e.g. mayo and pickle jars) and using bottles and jars for food and
beverage storage (e.g. moonshine in reused liquor bottles).  My sites are
early-to-mid 20th century Appalachian company towns, but I would appreciate
any literature from other periods and places that might be relevant.

Thanks in advance!

-Zada Komara

-- 
Zada Komara
Research Assistant, UK Appalachian Center
Graduate Student, Department of Anthropology
University of Kentucky
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