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Because the background is black, there is no glare. The result looks exactly like an X-ray image: black background, white outlines of the food inside.

Inside an X-Ray jar, the interior is pitch black. The only light source is that slit. That light enters at a sharp angle, bounces off the beans deep inside the jar, and travels out through the slit to your eye.

Here is how to make one, how it works, and why you need three of them in your pantry right now. An X-Ray jar is a standard glass Mason jar (or any clear glass container) that has been painted black— except for a single, narrow, unpainted vertical strip.

When you store dry goods inside (rice, beans, flour, sugar, or even hardware like nails and screws), the black paint blocks out all ambient light. The only light entering the jar comes through that thin slit. Normally, when you look at a jar of pinto beans, the light bounces off the front beans, and you can’t see past the first layer.

one for rice, one for beans, and one for screws. Your future self will thank you. Have you used an X-Ray jar before? Drop a comment below with your favorite hack for long-term storage.

Despite the sci-fi name, this isn't radioactive, and it doesn't require batteries. It is a simple, 5-minute DIY project that allows you to see the contents of a sealed container without opening it.

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