Canning Lids Shortage

[Midnightmom]

Canning lids are scarce. On-line prices are scandalous!
Manufacturing is slowed down due to Election Infection procedures. :/

 

 

[kathy003]

Online prices are highway robbery! My husband scoured the internet for lids the other day and could not believe the prices he saw. 

 

Any other year I have hundreds of lids on hand,, but not this year

[Homesteader]

Hubby has been doing more research on canning lids (he's clueless about how to can).  Here's his latest note:  If the Kerr jars and their packaging looks eerily similar to that of Ball jars, it's because they're basically the same; both Ball and Kerr brands are now owned and manufactured by the parent company, Jarden (Aug 27, 2020) He also rechecked on the Internet and the best price was 50 cents per lid. Thankfully, I don't need any this year. 

 

He also found an article about Amazon taking a bath from 'knock-off' lids flowing in from China. They're cheap and Amazon customers are livid. Amazon will be eating lots of knock-off, cheap, lids from China. He also suggested I refrain from purchasing from Walmart as they sell the China canning supplies. I remember running into that fiasco about 5-7 years ago. THREE of the jars broke in the pressure canner and the lids like to buckle. I tried some this year, and the lids wrinkled but still held their seal. I only used them on tomato juice and was prepared to put the product back through the process if I had failures. I'm saving my good lids for chili, soups, beef, and chicken products in the pressure canner. 

[snapshotmiki]

I'm going to be ordering some of the tattler lids and rubber rings.  That will solve my problem and I will be less reliant on metal lids.  I watched a video and the lady uses them for fruit, veggies, jams and just uses the metal rings for meats.  If I close them correctly, I think they will work well and last!

[Littlesister]

I ordered tattler lids and they are on back order.  Though they did send me an e-mail stating they would be here in the next 2 or 3 weeks. Also I am still waiting on the canning jars I ordered.  They just charged my account, so thinking they are about to be shipped out in the next few days.

[Jeepers]

Here are somethings I learned this year pre-canning shortages.

 

The word 'Mason' is a generic term. A mason jar can be any brand of canning jar. When I was ordering mine this spring the email receipt said 'mason jars'. I almost cancelled the order because I wanted 'Kerr' jars. Well duh Jeepers, Kerr is a mason jar. Okay, it went a little further than that. I actually called Wal-Mart and told them I didn't want mason jars. I wanted Kerr jars. Yes I did. She said the invoice said 'Kerr'. Hum, I didn't think I'd ever tell that one.   

 

Same goes for lids. Mason jar lids can be any brand. I always make sure they say 'Ball' or 'Kerr' on the box. There is one brand I see online that is in a green box very similar to the Ball box. 

 

A red flag that something is being shipped directly from China is the website will say USD or USD$. Website dealers based in America do not have to specify they trade in United States dollars. Don't be fooled by an American address. Most Chinese companies have an American 'store front' address. Also watch out for the shipping date. One clue is they say the items are IN STOCK! then goes on to say, shipping in 2-3 weeks. Yeah, they might be in stock but slow to ship. Or SHIPPING IN 1-2 BUSINESS DAYS!. That might be true too. But shipping from China on a cargo boat might take a month to get to you. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with ordering from these sites...necessarily. Just be aware of long shipping times. And things might be shipped directly to your door from China. Just saying. 

 

[Annarchy]

When you all mentioned a shortage, DH ordered a batch of regular & large mouth Kerr lids.... 3 weeks ago.  Still waiting.  He said they were coming directly from Kerr... I’ve mentioned to him, they might not get here until next year.  

[Littlesister]

The place where I ordered my jars are the ball jars.  It is called Webstaurant store. This is  a warehouse that restaurants order from.  One of the companies that sells local honey here I think gets their canning jars from these people.  The store told me when I ordered it could be about 2 months. It has already been just over a month now. So should be coming from their warehouse in the next couple of weeks.  I have ordered from them before with no problems, So hoping there will not be any problems with the jars.

[Mt_Rider]

I just heard of this site today, Little Sister.  Forwarded link to DH who has been ordering stuff.  There is bulk rice, wheat, oatmeal, Asian stuff, etc.....in paper bags so one would need other containers....buckets!  They also sell hardware stuff for restaurants.

 

MtRider  ...I'm going to do some price comparisons... 

[Annarchy]

DH cancelled our lid order.  They said it shipped, due 2 weeks ago, then last week then this week, then next week.  

[Littlesister]

Cancelled DH's rehab again for tomorrow.  I can't figure out if he just does not want to go or if it really is his knee. The knee does not hurt but something is loose in there. When it goes out he can't stand up and falls.  But on the other hand, every time we go to rehab, I get I don't like this place. I really don't want to be here. It's not the people, it's just that he is set in his ways of being lazy about exercising. So I called and left message to cancel all appts till he sees the orthopedic doctor.  I have already told him after the knee is taken care of, I am cracking down on him. He will go to rehab one way or the other.

[Littlesister]

Just now, Littlesister said:

Cancelled DH's rehab again for tomorrow.  I can't figure out if he just does not want to go or if it really is his knee. The knee does not hurt but something is loose in there. When it goes out he can't stand up and falls.  But on the other hand, every time we go to rehab, I get I don't like this place. I really don't want to be here. It's not the people, it's just that he is set in his ways of being lazy about exercising. So I called and left message to cancel all appts till he sees the orthopedic doctor.  I have already told him after the knee is taken care of, I am cracking down on him. He will go to rehab one way or the other.

Don't know why I posted this here about canning lids. Guess I am a bit discussed with DH and rehab. 

Though I am still waiting for my tattler lids.  Going to check on them tomorrow as well as the canning jars. 

[Littlesister]

Got E-mail today about the tattler canning lids. They now seem to have them but they are backed up trying to get the orders out. They said not to try to e-mail them about the order as they have a back log of e-mails about them as well and can't get them all answered fast enough. They said to just hang in there and they are trying to get them all shipped out as fast as they can. So at least I now know I am going to get them.  As for the canning jars, I should get them in another month. 

I truly wish I had seen this coming. I would have stocked heavy on them months ago. But at least I am in the slow season of canning this year as we didn't plant a garden but I did get some canning done. So hoping I am ahead of the game on lids and jars. Still have some things in freezer I want to get canned when things slow down again. 

 

 

[Midnightmom]

If you bought canning jar LIDS off of Amazon, OPEN them up (ALL of them) and make sure they are the real thing and undamaged!

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Heads up folks! Community member Angie shared her story for all of us to learn. Leisa, after watching your lid shortage video I went to my pantry to look things over. A couple of months ago I bought 4 dozen regular lids on Amazon (3rd party) & 4 dozen wide mouth lids. I was grateful to get them thinking this fall I would can some meat. I put them away because my life is busy right now going to and fro out of town caring for my mother. I decided to get them out and look at them. I was so angry. I will send a picture of what I received. They were in original ball boxes, but were NOT ball lids. They are crap lids. Feel free to post this to your page to warn others.

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https://www.youtube.com/post/UgzrWZsmBj4GrDrAoJB4AaABCQ

 

 

Edited October 3, 2020 by Midnightmom