Used terracotta jars: how to reuse them after running out of oil

What to do with used terracotta jars after running out of oil? Here are some ideas for using them at home and giving them a new lease of life

You know those ceramic oil jars? If you love jars from the Frantoio Muraglia collections, you know it by now: one of our jars is never just an oil container. In fact, the special feature of the jars we offer for our extra virgin olive oil is that they are true design objects: not for nothing are they handmade and hand-painted by Apulian ceramists.

That is why each of our jars is unique. What also makes them special are the limited editions we offer, such as the one signed by Pierpaolo Gaballo or the Gallo jar signed by designer Stella Tasca. A Frantoio Muraglia jar, therefore, is more than just a container.

But what to do when the oil runs out? In short, how to reuse used terracotta jars?

Let’s discover together some ideas for using a used oil jar in a different way.

Ceramic oil jars: how they were used in the past

It is said that the first jars were made by the Etruscans: the discovery that this pot-bellied container worked by hand could resist heat and cold and preserve oil well later led the jar to be used by the Romans also for storing wheat or wine. In 1612, it was then the Accademia della Crusca that gave a precise definition of an oil jar, a ‘vase of baked earth, mostly, to hold oil‘. In 1906, however, it was Pirandello who used the jar in his novella “La Giara”.

““That beautiful new jar, paid for with four dancing and resounding onze, while waiting for a place to be found for it in the cellar, was temporarily housed in the palmento. Such a jar had never been seen”.

The gigantic jar in question, bought by Don Lollò Zirafa in anticipation of the olive harvest, is the protagonist of the novella. A rich landowner, Don Lollò, buys a huge oil jar which one day is found broken. What to do but call in a craftsman, Zi’ Dima Licasi, who has discovered a miraculous mastic? But for Don Lollò mastic is not enough: he also needs staples.

To repair the jar according to Don Lollò’s instructions, however, the craftsman gets stuck inside the huge jar. The only solution is to break the jar altogether, but neither of the two contenders wants to give in: Don Lollò wants compensation for breaking the jar, while Zi’ Dima Licasi prefers to stay in the jar to avoid paying. In the end, it will be Don Lollò himself, enraged, who will kick the jar, which will roll down the coast and break against an olive tree, thus freeing the craftsman.

In short, a jar can have an important history, even touching on great literature. Full or… strangely full, as we have just seen, a jar has its own personality, dare we say it. But even when empty, a jar is important. Once the oil is gone, though, how to use an empty ceramic jar?

What to put in a used jar?

In Tuscany, already at the time of the Medici, the empty terracotta jar used to become a container for plants and also a decorative object for gardens and terraces. This custom gives us an idea for reusing used terracotta jars: adding the beauty of nature to our jar

Here then appears in the middle of the living room table a used jar, which can become a splendid coloured vase, perfect for holding cut flowers, such as a rose or a tulip. A note of colour, that of the ceramic jar, which combines with that of the flowers to give a touch of cheerfulness at all times!

But used terracotta jars can also be used as centrepieces. Among the alternative uses of an earthenware jar this is one of the most popular. For a lunch with friends, for instance; to liven up a tablecloth with a bit of colour; but also if you run a business such as a bar or restaurant. In this case, a used Frantoio Muraglia jar on every table will give uniformity and character to the place, as well as a typically Apulian note of colour!

Another idea for reusing used terracotta jars? Turn them into nice perfume jar holders, which can perhaps be placed on a bookshelf or TV stand. Thanks to their unique and elegant design, jugs from our collections are also perfect for adding a touch of original beauty to a living room.

So how can empty jars be used if, like ours, they have a strong personality and small dimensions? Paperweights, centrepieces, flower holders, perfume holders: here are some ideas for giving new life to a used jar and making it an integral part of your home decor. After all, beauty is also needed in everyday life: and with the used terracotta jars from the Frantoio Muraglia collections, from the Love jars to the Aragosta jar, adding a signature of beauty and a touch of design to your home is very easy!