When COVID crashed onto the scene in the winter of 2020, panic buying and shortages of all kinds soon followed. Canning lids were not to be left out, and gardeners everywhere scrambled to get a supply before they were totally unavailable. Some resorted to paying outrageous prices or getting them from abroad. More than a few people found themselves out of luck.
Supplies are gradually returning to normal, but it may not last long. The chemicals used to make the sealing compound on the lids are mostly sourced from overseas. So it's time to review canning lids and contemplate whether we need to make any changes in what we use.
Canning lids are metal or plastic, one-time-use or reusable, and foreign or domestic.
Let's
cover plastic canning lids first since there isn't as much to say about
them. Plastic canning lids, used in conjunction with rubber gaskets,
are designed to be reused indefinitely. The rubber gaskets, on the
other hand, seem to have a lifespan of about twenty uses. Like their
metal counterparts, the plastic lids are BPA-free. The initial cost is
about four times than of one-time use canning lids, so the long-term
savings would be significant. If you get the lid on exactly right, "they" say the reusable lids work just as well as the conventional one-time use metal lids.
But what
do experienced canners say? Even if the primary canning person likes them, if s/he's getting additional help in the kitchen, that helper may not be so adept at getting the lid on just right. Many observe that it is more difficult to achieve a seal with the solid rubber gasket and the plastic lid/gasket combination doesn't vent as well. The immediate fail rate is pretty high.
Furthermore, many jars fail within six months.
My personal experience echoes this. When it came to
the reusable lids, I felt like such a failure. I really wanted to like
them. They would save money in the long run. They'd be a great item
for prepping in case I couldn't get lids anymore. But they just didn't
work for me. I had about a 15% fail rate right out of the canner. And
sure enough, within six months, several jars that I know were perfectly
sealed when I put them on the shelf lost their seal. I have only one
acquaintance that has used them, and her experience has been the same.
There are two other differences to keep in mind when it comes to these
lids. The first is that you don't get to hear the ping of a jar sealing
as it cools down. You don't hear anything at all. The second is that
you cannot tell by looking at the plastic lid if the jar is sealed.
With metal lids, you can see that the top is indented if the jar is
indeed sealed. I really miss both of those signs. So while I still
have my reusable lids, I haven't used them since I first gave them a
try. In the coming months and years, I'll probably limit their use to vacuum sealing.
But if you want to give them a try, go for it. There are two companies that manufacture them.
Tattler
has been in the business since 1976, and this is the brand I used. You
can go to their website at Tattlerproducts.com or find them on Amazon.
Harvest
Guard's website is canninglids.com. They offer a sample pack for $3.75
so you can give them a try without dishing out too much money. I'd
highly recommend this option if you're considering using plastic lids.
Now on to the metal lids.
Metal lids have been used since the late 1910s. The metal lids are
only meant to be used once. I couldn't find any sources to indicate
whether previous generations of metal lids were ever approved for re-use
in canning. I do know that lids in the past were re-used for canning
by many a thrifty housewife. Some people today still re-use the lids if
they feel they can get away with it, though this is not advised and
seal failures are common. Metal lids from previous generations were
definitely substantially thicker than they are today. They were much
easier to remove from jars without distorting them. That is just not
the case with lids today.
Most canning lids sold in the US today are the Ball and Kerr brands. They're both owned by the same parent company. I honestly can't tell any difference between the two.
For those who do a
lot of canning each year, Lehman's
may be a better option for getting your canning lids. Like Ball and Kerr lids, they are BPA-free and manufactured in the US. I've been using them for
years without a problem. At the moment, Lehman's has regular mouth lids in stock, 360 for $84.99, plus $19.99 for shipping. Ouch. The lid price has escalated, and so has the shipping. You may be better off getting them at the grocery store.
Whatever you do, be wary of purchasing lids from
foreign manufacturers. Walmart sold jars and lids made in China one
year, and I got suckered. You know, peak canning season, and I ran out
of jars. Canning items were in short supply, so I picked up the
off-brand. Had I realized they were made in China, I wouldn't have
gotten them for sure. It never even occurred to me that canning jars
would be made in China. Anyway, long story short, the jar rims were
uneven, and at least a third of the lids failed. I was definitely not
happy.
According to the official Ball and Kerr website,
Freshpreserving.com, lids no longer need to be simmered before canning.
That was the recommendation in the past, but years of experience have
demonstrated that the sealing compound on the lids is sufficiently
warmed and softened during the canning process. However, if you are
vacuum-sealing dry foods or using an oxygen absorber to seal the jar,
then the lids will need to be simmered in water for five minutes to
soften the sealing compound.
According to the National Center
for Home Food Preparation, the sealing compound on lids works well for
at least five years. But they recommend purchasing new lids each year.
That's obviously not going to work for us. Five years sounds better to
me.
But what about longer than that? Because sometimes you
come across canning lids at garage sales. Like I do. One summer I got
some older Bernardin lids. I think the fail rate was
pretty high, but it was probably twenty-five years ago. I don't
remember well, other than a lot of the sealing compound peeled right off
the lids. At another garage sale, about eight years ago, I hit the
jackpot. In addition to a queen-size Hudson Bay blanket in perfect
condition for $2, I also got about 500 wide mouth Kerr
lids for $2. They were so old they didn't have price stickers
on them. The prices were stamped in that purplish-blue ink. And the
price on the boxes was--get this--5 cents!
So how well do
those really old lids work? Really, really well. I don't think I've
had a failure yet. That sealing compound is so thick and cushy. The
lids all seal so well that I have to pry up the lid in several spots
around the edge before it will come loose. So the lid is always tweaked
and there is no hope of reusing it for anything.
Of course,
not all old lids will work well. A lot will depend on how those lids
were stored. Is it worth the risk? Only you can decide that. So far
for old garage sale lids, I'm at about 600 good and 12 bad. It's worth
it to me.
Links to related posts:
The Ins and Outs of Oxygen Absorbers
For further reading:
https://www.tipsbulletin.com/how-to-sterilize-canning-lids/
https://www.lehmans.com/product/bulk-canning-dome-lids/
https://www.freshpreserving.com/canning-lids-101.html
https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/general/recomm_jars_lids.html
https://canningacrossamerica.com/canning-faqs/
1.16.20
Other options like root cellar, dehydration, salting, curing, fermenting and such need to be looked at.
ReplyDeleteThere was food storage before the Canning jar. And frankly lids and jar issues will continue to get worse.
You're absolutely right.
DeleteFound a recipe for Oil Cured Cheese
ReplyDeleteQueso en aceite, or cheese in oil, is a centuries-old Spanish trick for preserving cheese. The oil serves as a barrier against bacteria and other microorganisms, keeping the cheese safe to eat for many months (or even years) without refrigeration. After a month or so of “curing” in the oil, the cheese absorbs enough of it so that it takes on a soft, yielding texture, and its flavor blends with that of the oil. Because the oil tenderizes the cheese, this method can even be used to restore the texture of cheeses that have dried out and are too hardened to eat.
METHOD
Use only a dry, hard, crumbly cheese such as Manchego, Parmesan, or even aged gouda or cheddar. Trim off the rind, and then cut the cheese into cubes or planks about ½ inch across. Pack the pieces tightly into clean Mason jars, leaving an inch of space below the rim of the jar. (Some cooks like to add dried herbs or spices, which will flavor the oil, but we didn't find their flavors noticeable in the cheese itself.) Cover completely with extra-virgin olive oil, making sure that the cheese is fully submerged—take care here, because any parts of the cheese that are not submerged will grow mold. Seal the jars, and then store at room temperature for up to six months. As the oil penetrates the cheese, its hard, pale core will diminish. After about a month, the oil will have penetrated to the center and the cheese will be fully softened.
Might be worthwhile to test if other oils might work the same way? Maybe some Vegetable Oil (aka Corn Oil) as virgin olive oil is pricy but then again it seems you still get to USE the Olive Oil afterwards so?
Sounds almost like storing meat in a jar with a lard cap. I know my jar of bacon grease never seems to spoil. Bacteria and lard seem not to be friends?
I find this idea so intriguing. I am definitely going to have to look into this more. This could be particularly important to people who can't obtain freeze-dried cheese but have the jars and oils to preserve some cheese. And I would also like to know whether other oils can be used. Michael, thanks so much for posting this!
DeleteUse plastic lids and rubber sealing rings on high acid foods such as tomato’s because the acid cannot eat through the plastic as with metal. I would also use them when canning salty foods. For jellies, jams and conserves you can use paraffin wax to seal the jar and thereby save precious lids. Wax can be reused by heating wax an skimming the clarified wax off the top. It’s of food and discoloration will be on the bottom and can be used for candles. Many store bought jars of food have lids with the pop up in the middle such as salsa jars. Any of these that have the sealing indicator can be reused if cleaned and the rubber seal softened in hot water just as with a ball or Kerr canning lid. I had an aunt that would keep precooked sausage patties in a crock layered in melted lard. She would just dig one out and reheat them it the skillet. My grandmother would have a cured ham hanging from a hook in the ceiling of a cold room in the house and cut off a slice when making soup beans. Old lids that don’t have a perfect seal can be used for dried foods stores in jars to keep vermin out. Bands don’t have to be on jars that are sealed but should be on empty jars to protect rims from getting scratched or chipped.
ReplyDeleteRon Paul Revere,
DeleteThose are all good thoughts. While using wax, and reusing canning lids or commercial jars are not recommended due to safety concerns, some people are going to start taking risks when they run out of safe options. Thanks for sharing.
With the Tattler lids you have to be sure not to tighten them too tight for the canning process and then once out of the canner let sit a few minutes and then tighten the ring. I've had good luck with tattlers. Now as far as metal flats, I have learned a new trick but only use with the old flats, not the newer ones on the market (beause the rubber is much thinner), I use a butter knife and place it across the flat and then pry with an opener so the one side of the opener is hitting the knife. I have successfully been able to take lids off without "bends or dents" in them. This works for those older flats with the thick rubber seals too. You just have to be careful and take your time...with the old flats keep moving the knife to another edge to gradually open.
ReplyDeleteI will have to try your butter knife trick. I've started reusing metal lids when canning pinto beans. With each canning session, I plan to have pinto beans that night or the next. So there is no need to use a new lids on those jars. With my last session last week, all four of those jars sealed perfectly. I was pleasantly surprised. However, I think it's important to be extra-vigilant and even then those jars were used within two days. (Two different families coming to dinner two nights in a row. With 13 at dinner the second night, I decided chili was the only way to go.)
Delete