Canning jar lids and rings

[Darlene]

If you're like me, finding canning jar sealing lids and rings has been virtually impossible for over a year now. Thankfully, the Lord led me to a website that while limited, does carry the canning lids. 

 

The traditional Ball canning jar manufacturer also makes Kerr, Golden Harvest and the Canadian sister is Bernardin.

 

Their website is www.masonjarmerchant.com 

 

I was also able to find wide mouth canning rings on Lehmans, in case anyone needs some of those.

[dogmom4]

We’ve been lucky that our stores have started getting some starting back in February. Not as many as before...but I always pick up some when I see them in the stores.

[Midnightmom]

Our local Winco (grocery store) had a lot of mixed sized jars at the beginning of April, but alas, no lids.

I hope that this is a good sign that things are starting to go back to "normal." 

[The WE2's]

Wouldn't count on it. 

[Darlene]

Yes, I have seen scattered offerings of cases of jars, but not any sealing lids or rings. I've been looking for over a year and while its nice to see the occasional cases that are available, more often than not, the shelves are empty.

 

I don't need any jars, but my long term concern is that I'll need the sealing lids the most. Rings can be used over and over again, so that's 2nd priority, but the sealing lids are my biggest concern.

 

Last year when I was at the height of canning and discovered the shortage, it was scary to think that I would need to preserve and not have all the tools I needed. I went out to the guest house where I still have hundreds of jars of canning I did 14 years ago and the Lord led me to a flat of sealing lids I had bought years ago. I was ecstatic to find them and even though they were old, they worked perfectly fine and got me over the hump last summer.

 

I stocked up from the site I mentioned above because I don't trust the supply chains. There is too much manipulation going on and adversely affecting peoples ability to get or have food can be catestrophic. 

[Homesteader]

I learned many years ago to reuse the lids. I just unseal the jars SLOWLY with a spoon. If there is any indentation in the edge of the lid, I just tap it back into shape with the spoon. After a few years, the rubber ring starts to crack. The lids get chucked at that time. I read several years ago that the rubber compound has changed and we're not supposed to boil the lids anymore before canning. Just put the lids in warm water before sealing. The new rubber compound will probably shorten the life of the lids.

 

Desperate times we're in, and I don't trust any of them because of their manipulations.   

[The WE2's]

I started using the one piece lids that I bought at one of our favorite Amish stores.  They use them all the time, especially if you look on their shelves where they sell their jams, beets and other foods.  They have one that's for "open kettle" canning which is water bath, and one for "high heat" canning which is for pressure canning.  I've used them both.  You just have to be careful not to tighten them down too tight, sorta like Tattlers.  When I remove the lid for eating the foods, I wash them and they can be re-used for storage lids.  I'm very comfortable with them. Just make sure they have the button on top.

[Jeepers]

I didn't know they still made the one piece lids. We used them in the late 70's when we couldn't get regular lids. The only draw back was we couldn't wash under the rim part after canning. 

 

Lehman's is still out of the metal lids but they do have the Tattler lids. I'm thinking about getting a couple of boxes just in case. I'm not sure what to get though. The regular ones, the EZ Seal or the Harvest Guard. I think I need to revisit Suttons Daze again. Or maybe it was The Kneady Homesteader. 

 

 

It was Kneady Homesteader. Good. I let it run.

Lehman's only have the regular mouth Tattler Lids. No Wide mouth. Almost $20.00 a dozen.  OUCH!

Amazon has wide mouth Tattlers for around $16.00.  

 

Edited April 21, 2021 by Jeepers
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