Open a Stuck Jar With a Knife

Jars can be troublesome little jerks. They're stuck tight and you're stuck trying to pry them open with your hands.

To make them easier to open all you need is a regular table knife. No fancy tool, no extra junk to fill up your kitchen, just a few hits with a knife.

For those who want TWO ways to open a jar with a knife, here's part 2.

To loosen the jar is just a matter of three or four hits on the lid with a knife so you get some dents. These dents loosen the seal and make the jar easier to open.

To be more precise, do this:

1. Hold the back of the knife against the jar at a 45 degree angle
2. Pull it back a bit
3. Whack the back of the knife hard against the corner of the lid so it leaves a small dent
4. Repeat 2-3 times around the lid
5. Open

In case you're wondering just how big of a dent is appropriate, here's a close up shot. You should be able to catch your fingernail in it.

Jars can take a pretty strong hit. I've never had a jar break while doing this and I've done it hundreds of times. Check out the video in the intro to see how much abuse a salsa jar can take.