I'll admit it. A few years ago, when the Magic Bullet was introduced to the "As Seen on TV" market, I wanted one. As a former smoothie drinker, I used to hate the post drink clean up. Washing a huge blender after making a single glass of nutritiousness can be a real bummer. It's the reason I don't make smoothies these days, but that will no longer be the case if this mason jar trick works in my kitchen.
Amazingly, most blender bases can screw into a standard Mason jar, transforming a recycled jam container into a mini blender beaker. Elise over at Simply Recipes originally originally learned of this trick from her mother.
Apparently 40 years ago or so... manufacturers used to include a Mason jar in the box with the blender. Mom recalls even a booklet that listed the many things one could make with the Mason jar blender, including ground spices, whipped cream, and peanut butter. We use this trick most often to make whipped cream. The blender whips it right in the jar, so if we have extra, it's already in a jar for storage. And it is easier when it comes to making small quantities.
Not only is this little set-up great for smoothies that you can take on the go, but it works great for grinding coffee beans, spices, and as a makeshift food processor.
via Workshop SF
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Thanks for the tip!
I was considering getting one of those mini hand held things but this way better!
truly cool, and it appears to work on my mason jars with a not-too-recent oster blender... thanks!
Really cool. I actually did break down and buy "smoothie cups" when I bought my Oster a couple years ago. They came with a spare blade/rubber ring/cap bit, but I could never find a good place to store the spare blades.
Half-pint mason jars to the rescue! Now, my spare blades will stay clean and I will not have to worry about getting stabbed by a rogue blade thrown hastily in a drawer!
They look kind of cute, too.
Yup, the mason jar on the blender is an oldie-but-goodie!
But remember that the smooth sides of the mason jar doesn't have those grooves and edges that the regular blender jar has. They create a vortex that moves the contents toward the blade and helps with getting everything to blend evenly.
If you have an Oster, they make these awesome little mini blender jars
(8 oz). They're super convenient and I always find them when I'm thrifting.
But mason jars are plentiful and cheap and work ok, just give the blender a few tilts while you're blending.
I have been doing the same thing.. and recently created a hack to make it cordless using off the shelf Cordless drill and standard drill bit attachment. Up to 1400 rpm speed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1Jstm7PVhk
there is also a fan page on facebook for those into hacking their Oster Blenders.
I have been doing the same thing.. and recently created a hack to make it cordless using off the shelf Cordless drill and standard drill bit attachment. Up to 1400 rpm speed Oster Cordless Blender Hack video Demo
there is also a fan page on facebook (Facebook Oster Blender Hacks) for those into hacking their Oster Blenders.
I have an ancient Osterizer and the original small Mason-type jar that came with it. It actually doesn't work all that well for anything other than liquids even though it is shaped in the way Slow Lorus describes. I use it anyway, but it's a bit frustrating.
Mind blown. Breakfast smoothie now includes 50% less dishes.
This is so strange since I literally just found this out and bought a ton of mason jars last night for this purpose!
Before I had a blender, I would use my hand mixer and a mason jar to make milkshakes for my daughters. We love to use mason jars for everything - especially flower vases.
I looked at the Simply Recipes post on this, and wondered what happens after step four: unscrew the jar and everything pours out all over the counter, or do you have to turn the whole blender base upside down? In which case, if I was entranced by the idea of ingredients being blended in a mason jar, I'd probably just stick my immersion blender in the jar and not have to do quick flips.
@M'Elizabeth - you pick it up off of the blender base, blade/gasket assembly still in the mason jar, just like you would your blender jar if you were using that instead. Then you turn the jar over and remove the blade/gasket assembly once the mason jar is sitting with the opening safely up in the air. No need to turn the blender base upside down. :-)
Quite cool. Would try this!