Weed Jars: How to Pick and Sterilize Them Before Harvest

The best jars for storing weed are small-to-medium glass jars with a truly airtight lid, sterilized before you fill them: wash with unscented soap, rinse with a 10% bleach solution, rinse well, boil for 20 to 30 minutes and finish with 70% alcohol. Harvest time for your plants is creeping up, so it pays to get everything ready ahead of time instead of scrambling at the last minute, and that starts with your jars.

A big part of planning isn't just picking the right weather to harvest; it's also making sure you know where your buds are going to live once they're dry.

What kind of jar should you use for weed?

Remember, the number one rule is a sterilized jar with the most airtight seal you can get. The goal is for your buds to keep their qualities for as long as possible once they're stored.

You can use jars of different sizes, but it's best not to go too big. That way, only a small amount of bud gets exposed to air every time you open the jar.

The whole point of an airtight seal is to keep your stash fresh and potent for as long as possible.

There are jars made specifically for growers, and plenty of options out there. That said, good old mason jars can do the job just fine if they're a better fit for your budget.

What happens if you don't sterilize your jars?

If the jars you use to store weed aren't properly sterilized, you can run into several problems:

• Fungal and bacterial contamination: Cannabis is prone to contamination from fungi and bacteria. If the jars aren't sterilized, these microorganisms are more likely to take hold and multiply, which can wreck the quality of your buds.

• Lower quality: Unwanted microorganisms can speed up the breakdown of cannabinoids and terpenes in your buds, hurting the flavor, aroma and effects of your weed.

• Mold: Skipping sterilization raises the risk of mold growing on your stored weed. Mold doesn't just ruin the herb; it can also be bad for your health if you smoke it.

• Off smells and flavors: Jars that aren't cleaned and sterilized properly can hang on to smells and flavors from whatever was in them before, messing with your weed's aroma and taste.

• Loss of potency: Non-sterile conditions can make your weed lose potency faster, since cannabinoids may break down more quickly.

Bottom line: properly sterilizing your jars is crucial to keeping your stored weed high-quality, fresh and safe, and to avoiding health problems linked to contamination.

How to sterilize a glass jar to protect your harvest

Learning how to sterilize a jar can be one of the trickiest parts of storing buds, because if you don't do it right, your buds can end up with a fungal infection. Fungi can attack your harvest and damage the flowers.

To prevent that, knowing how to clean a glass jar is crucial. On top of a proper dry, you need to prep and clean the jars your buds will live in, which means sterilizing them before you store your harvest.

To sterilize your weed jars, follow these steps to properly prep and clean both the jars and their lids:

1. Wash the jar with dish soap, ideally unscented so it doesn't leave any artificial fragrance behind.
2. Wash it with a 10% bleach solution, making sure the solution touches every surface.
3. Rinse several times with good-quality water, like filtered or bottled water, to get rid of all the bleach.
4. Boil the jar for 20 to 30 minutes and let it cool until it's safe to handle.
5. Spray it generously with 70% alcohol and wipe off the excess with paper towels. Let the jar dry mouth-up, covered with a paper napkin held on with a rubber band so no fungal spores get in while it dries.

You can dry the lid the same way, covering it with a paper napkin. It's best to do all this indoors to avoid exposure to outside air.

How do you sterilize a plastic jar at home?

1. Pre-clean: Wash your stash jar with hot water and mild dish soap. Make sure you get rid of any visible residue or gunk.
2. Disinfect with alcohol: Use 70% isopropyl alcohol to disinfect the jar. Put the alcohol on a clean cloth and wipe down every surface, inside and out. Give the alcohol enough time to evaporate before you put any weed back in.
3. Heat sterilization: Fill the jar with hot water and make sure it reaches every inside surface. If the jar is heat-resistant, you can submerge it in hot water for a few minutes. If it isn't, pour hot water into it and let it sit for a while before emptying it.
4. Drying: Make sure the jar is completely dry before you put weed back in. You can let it air-dry or use a clean towel.
5. Airing out: After sterilizing, let the jar air out properly so there's no leftover alcohol or unwanted smell.

Keep in mind that plastic jars scratch easily, and those tiny cracks can harbor fungal spores or bacteria. So whenever you can, go with glass, which is easier to sterilize without damaging the material. And don't use extreme temperatures that could warp or weaken the plastic.