Mason Jar Size Comparison Chart: From 2 Oz to 2 Gallon

Standard US canning jars run from 4 oz (quarter-pint) to 64 oz (half-gallon); 2 oz minis and 128 oz gallons sit outside the standard canning set.

A 4 oz jar holds a single serving of jam; a 64 oz jar swallows a whole batch of kombucha. Between those two sits every real decision a canner makes — and the mouth size matters just as much as the volume.

This chart walks the standard US range, from the quarter-pint up to the half-gallon, with the two lid sizes, the dimensions that decide shelf fit, and the one jar most people assume is canning-safe when it isn’t.

What Sizes Do Mason Jars Actually Come In?

The standard US canning range is 4 oz, 8 oz, 12 oz, 16 oz, 24 oz, 32 oz, and 64 oz. Those are the seven sizes with real canning charts behind them.

Two outliers get mixed into size guides often enough that they deserve a straight answer. The 2 oz jar is a mini or sample size, roughly 60 mL, sold for spices and party favors rather than water-bath processing. The 128 oz gallon jar shows up in retailer listings and storage guides, but it isn’t part of the commonly cited standard canning set — it’s a bulk storage container.

Familiar names map onto the ounces cleanly. A quarter-pint is 4 oz, a half-pint is 8 oz, a three-quarter pint is 12 oz, a pint is 16 oz, a pint-and-a-half is 24 oz, a quart is 32 oz, and a half-gallon is 64 oz. Recipes written in pints and quarts assume exactly this chart.

One caution before the numbers: “mason jar” gets used loosely. Several sources mix food-storage jars in with true canning jars, so check the jar’s own canning instructions before you process anything.

Mason Jar Size Comparison Chart: Volume, Lid, And Dimensions

Regular mouth jars take 70 mm lids and wide mouth jars take 86 mm lids, and that split decides which sizes exist in which format.

Height is what breaks shelves. A 24 oz wide mouth jar stands about 6 5/8 in tall, which clears most standard cabinets; the 64 oz half-gallon climbs past 9 in and often needs its own shelf. If you are planning storage rather than canning, the wider mouths are noticeably easier to fill, clean, and reach into — see how that plays out at larger volumes in these tested 2 gallon mason jar options.

Which Size Should You Actually Buy?

Match the jar to the job, not to the biggest number on the shelf. The size that fits your recipe is the size that seals cleanly and stacks without waste.

• 4 oz and 8 oz: jams, jellies, pesto, spice blends. Small jars mean a jar opens and finishes before it spoils.
• 12 oz and 16 oz: the workhorses — pickles, salsa, sauces, and most gifted preserves.
• 24 oz and 32 oz: whole tomatoes, asparagus spears, fermented vegetables, and anything tall you want standing upright in brine. The quart is the classic size for a full batch.
• 64 oz: juices, bulk dry storage, kombucha, and fermentation. Sources specifically flag apple and grape juice as half-gallon territory.
• 128 oz: dry goods, bulk storage, and large ferments. Treat it as a storage jar, not a canning jar.

Lid format follows the jar, so buy one mouth size and stay with it. Sticking to wide mouth for 16 oz and up keeps one lid size in the drawer and one funnel in the cupboard.

Is A 64 Oz Mason Jar Safe For Pressure Canning?

No — a 64 oz jar is generally not used for pressure canning. It is commonly described as a bulk storage, kombucha, and fermentation jar, and half-gallon jars fall outside what current canning guidance treats as safe for home pressure processing.

Water-bath processing is narrower than most people assume as well. The sizes that hold up for standard home canning are the smaller ones on the chart, and recipe instructions are written against those volumes. A half-gallon jar can still earn its shelf space for juice, dry goods, and fermenting — just not for sealing low-acid food under pressure.

When in doubt, follow the jar manufacturer’s own processing instructions rather than a size chart. The chart tells you how much the jar holds; only the jar’s documentation tells you what it is rated to survive.