my parents went out and bought a jar opener thingy, very similar to your spoon technique.

This post is so funny- I actually had the WORST jar ever last week, even my boyfriend couldn't open it. We even went as far as to try and smash it with a hammer (not caring about glass in our salsa I guess?) but I eventually got it open by slamming it against the floor. I was FINALLY able to shimmy it loose.

A trick my mother taught me is to take a sturdy butter knife, and tap the lid with the handle (hard enough to leave dents). For whatever reason, after making about 4 or 5 dents around the cap, it usually opens right up.

I use a the handle end of a butter knife and whack the side of the lid a couple of times put a few dents in the lid and then try to open the lid again. It works every time!

I use a butter knife the way you use a spoon, except a turn the jar upside down. Works every time

Run the lid under hot water until the rubber seal inside heats up and loosens. Then I use a towel or a paper towel (or a gripper strip thingie) and twist it open. Works for me every time.

A trick I have always used to break the seal is to turn the jar upside-down, and smack the bottom with the heel of your hand nice and hard. You'll hear a popping sound as the pressure lets go in the jar, and the lid should easily come off!

Worth a try, and the popping sound is fun.

sarah lynn that is my trick too, works every time!

Cool trick! When I can't open a jar I usually turn it upside down and give it a bang on the counter - this pops the seal so I can just turn the lid

What jars have rubber seals? I also hit the top of the jar with a knife, hard enough to leave a dent, to loosen it.

What a great idea! I love the vodka sauce from Trader Joes but the jars are literally impossible to open. I have never sucessfully opened one by twisting with all my might. My solution to that was banging the edge of the lid on the counter until I could twist it open but your spoon idea seems better...and quieter.

lol Desirella

I do the same thing. I will have to try this trick. I will begrudgingly hand it over to my husband to open if I can't do it myself, but I would rather succeed

I take the jar, turn it upside down, and give the top a whack on the floor. Works every time! But the spoon trick would work better if I was at someone's house that had hardwood floors, tile floors, or carpeted floors. Genius!

Try putting on a yellow dishwashing glove with groves on the palm. This gives the traction necessary to open most jars.

I'm a lid whacker myself.

A rubberband! I've always used one to open jars. Just wrap the rubberband around the cap (this causes friction) and twist! and voi-la!

I usually try it until my palm is burning, I'm swearing, and about ready to cry, then ask a man...this seems a lot more practical lol

we used to have one of those rubber helper things when i was little- but now i just smack the side of the lid a few times on the counter and it comes open pretty easy!

my mother taught me to simply tap the lid on the ground or counter. it usually does the trick!

i do the butter knife trick.

I learned a really good trick from Sondra on the Cosby Show.

Hold the jar with one hand and then take the palm of the other hand and thrust your palm against the bottom of the jar (upward as if you're pushing it up).

Does this make sense? Probably not. I'm terrible at explaining things. Sorry.

Maybe someone has seen this episode?

I take a butter knife and hold it upside down and then I bang on the side of the lid 3 times, in kind of a triangle (across from one another) and it opens right up on the next try every time.

Cause I HATE to have to ask someone to open a jar for me! @#%$!

I did this very thing last night on a stubborn jar, hehe.

I use my silicone trivet or pot holder that has some raised dots of texture. They open anything, I even use them on small lids like stubborn soda bottle caps.

I do this, tap the cover with the spoon, run it under hot water or use a towel. Or well all of the above...ha.

I just use one of those jar-openers/grippers. Much easier!

millarci, that's the method I use and that's exactly where I learned it from. TV is so educational.

If that doesn't work, I've used the spoon trick.

I once dislocated my middle finger from trying very hard to open a stuck jar. Needless to say, it went into the trash and I went to the doctor.

I use the rubber band on the lid. If that doesn't work I add a rubber band to the body of the jar that I am trying to open.

What about those hard to open gatorade bottles? got any tricks for that?

Power tools, celeblover. Power tools.

I have a jar of relish that I have not been able to open for two years. I have tried every trick and so has everyone else and it still refuses to open

My father showed me this trick when I was a kid. Afterwards he said "now you don't need a man around the house unless you really want him." I love my dad.

i would just rather wack it with butter knife a few times. it has never failed me. i know if i tried the spoon trick i would end up bending all my spoons. i have more butter knives to spare than spoons.

I never give up. I keep trying till its open.

Hold the jar upside down and smack it on the bottom with the palm of your hand. You will hear the pop of the seal. Sometimes you have to do it more than once if you didn't hit it hard enough the first time.

Nice tip! I do the same thing with a butter knife instead of a spoon. Works every time!

I could've used this last night! My parents had one of those rubber things to open jars. So I grabbed my rubber cleaning gloves and got the jar open that way.

Anything opens for me if I grab it like usual, then bring the lid vertical against my sternum and pull my arms down with my shoulders- brings stronger muscles in to do your work! Never fails!

Hahaha. This is my mom's favorite trick. She'll laugh when I show her this post.

Once, in 7th grade public speaking, we had an assignment to give instructions on how to do something. My partner was "the hot guy" and I taught him how to open a jar using a spoon.

knock it hard, lid down on a countertop OR bang the back end of a heavy knife against the lid a few times

you absolute legend my parents are out and im home alone, it took me ages until i saw this!!