Cheap canning lids.

As most of you know, finding lids was a challenge this year. I ended up buying 100 regular mouth lids off Ebay for $20 about 2 weeks ago. Chinese lids. I canned up 32 pints of venison a few days ago. 4 jars didn't even seal. One of those even dented....how does that happen when a ring is holding it down? Since then, after cleaning the jars and labeling them, I left them on the towel on the counter so I could watch them a little while before lugging them to the shelves in the basement. 4 have popped their seal since then! I am totally P.O.'d. I should have known better than using those dang things. The company selling them is called Tantalu48. Please don't waste your time, or worse, your venison, by using these junk lids.

Thanks for the Tip, no Pun intended

If you need to order more, give these ones a try. A bit spendy but been hearing nothing but rave reviews on them!

https://www.dutchmansstore.com/product/superb-regular-mouth-canning-lids-bulk-pack-of-60-usa-made

Thanks Angela. Those aren't really more money if they seal and stay that way! I'm sick about losing that venison.

Ball First or Kerr if no Ball available

I quit using Ball a few years ago. Too many failures.

I use mostly all Golden Harvest now.

I also use Tattlers and Harvest Guard but they have a bit of a learning curve.

Next time I need lids I plan to try those blue rubber ones, though.



Especially if you order enough to reach $50 and get the free shipping

Also, Scott, not sure if you've not been canning lately, or maybe it's different in MN but I've only seen packs of just lids for sale once in the past 2 years here.

I've scored Kerr at Walfart twice
Ball at our local hardware ...past 6 months

I was fortunate, I bought several hundred knock offs for my canning season this year. I used about 50 plus wide mouth lids and close to 200 regular size lids and had 1 fail to seal. I stocked up for next year again.

Bryce

I had a fifty or so boxes going into the shortage, and didn't can much last year. Found some Golden Harvest at Dollar General this summer and re-upped my supply. Golden Harvest has been my go to brand for a decade now...hardly EVER get a fail and on the rare times I do I usually find the jar was chipped.

All we ever use are ball lids. I can't recall the last time one didn't seal. Our Walmart has had them in stock a lot, right now they have large mouth lids or lids with rings and regular mouth with lids and rings. We have plenty. Too much work to can stuff to risk a cheap brand or junky jars, like old mayo jars and such. Good to know the Golden Harvest are a viable option. I'll never buy Kerr again, terrible luck with them in the past.

The crazy thing is that Ball, Kerr, and Golden Harvest are all made in the same factory. But they do NOT all work the same, lol.

We have not seen packs of just lids in our Walmart in over eight months. Can't find them anywhere local. Found some on line for around $20 per hundred plus shipping that seem to work ok.

Like some much else, must be sitting on a ship in LA harbor.

Over the last several years we’ve gone almost exclusively to the reusable lids. Not nearly as forgiving but when you figure things out they are very simple, reliable and good quality lids. Some have been on the shelf for 4 seasons now after this last fall. We still have several cases of Ball and Kerr but haven’t used one in two years now. Before I used a cheap or Chicom lid, I would seriously consider reusing your preferred brand. Years ago as young family and completely broke, we reused lids all the time. Maybe not recommend but it does happen more than it’s talked about and it does work. But, you have to look the lid over very carefully for anything suspect.



Owl

Our Walmart had the Ball lids and rings. During August, Sept, and the first part of Oct they were limiting people to 2 packs of 12. We'd do the online pickup thing, then we'd go in and buy 2 packs when we went to pick the order up.

I got 6 dozen regular kerr lids at our wal mart the other day. It was the first time I've seen just the lids on the shelf for over a year.

I like the tattler reusable lids. i bought 3 dozen and got the fourth dozen free from good2go.ca

Well we'll be trying them next season, if we can find some that is.

Yes I reuse lids as well but so far have only used them on jellies or fruits... something that if they don't seal I won't be heartbroken, as opposed to something that takes 90 minutes in the PC. BUT I've never had a reused lid not seal yet.

Which brands of reusable lids do you use? I bought a dozen Tattlers probably 10 years ago and had no problems. This year I bought 4 dozen Harvest guard and had a LOT of failures. In one batch of about 20 quarts of tomato juice, 4 failed. I got disgusted and haven't messed with them since.





Dollar General between April-July is where you'll find them. Walmart carries them once in a while.

just so you know, you can buckle even ball and kerr lids. I have done it. I believe it is from over tightening the rings initially.

Ball and Kerr are my 2 preferred lids. Those were what mom and grandma always used, so that's what we use. I did pick up some Golden Harvest from WM this year, but haven't tried them yet. I try to stock up on my canning supplies 1 year in advanced. Now, having watched some videos, I want to try the Tattler lids. I do agree with possum man, I think a lot of failures are from over tightening lids, no matter what brand.

Pm sent

I sure appreciate all the input folks. I and my Bride have canned from day one, deer, elk, bear. Even wild ducks.Gobs of fish and, well, about anything we could get our hands on. My folks did as well, so I have been at it a good long while. This last batch of venison is the first time I have had what I consider "mass failure" of a batch. That "mass failure" statement is a bit melodramatic, but it sure is sickening to have all that deery goodness go to waste.

I have never re-used a lid, but I have often wondered about it. I even wonder if a guy could use clear 100% silicone to re-gasket used lids. It will handle high enough heat that it is used on engine parts at times. I'm too cheap to try it myself. (too cheap to risk losing good food!)

I re-use all of mine. But don't tell the canning cops.

Do you know , Ball , Kerr , and Golden Harvest is owned by the same company.

There is an outfit called Denali that sells a Chinese lid but they seem to have good reviews. Has anyone one here tried their lids?

I had trouble when i first started canning with getting lids to tight. Mine are just tight enough to hold the lid in place. Finger tip tight
J

We gave the mix of older lids to the kids. We have all Harvest Guard, Tattler wouldn’t match the bulk deal we made so they lost. For us, we don’t warm up the gaskets they stay centered better this way, do finger tighten as they show on their tutorial video plus a light spin by the ring on the counter We changed to headspace plus 1/4". The headspace change was huge for us not a failure since short of doing something we know better. Headspace plus 1/2” for greasy stuff like some fish, sausage or other meats and also for things that will swell up in processing like the new age ginormous chicken breasts either store bought or older Cornish X, unsoaked beans, and anything with dry seasoning added that will float and get trapped under the seal of it does siphon..

The new ones took some messing with to get dialed in and I almost gave up on them too.



Owl

Finger-tip tight before putting in the canner and then not tightening them after pulling them out? I've always cranked them tight after coming out of the canner. They can be a bugger to get the rings off though. Still learning.

Unless they are noticeably loose, we leave them. The vacuum process has started while the pressure comes to zero and the "obligatory" ten min. I call that good. I have tightened and had the lid or gasket shift opening the seal. That makes for a very hot and painful mess. I’m willing to take a failure from this, above the possibility of a serious burn.

If someone chooses to do the tighten after removing from the canner, I very much recommend using a towel that covers the entire top of the jar as a barrier. It may not stop everything but will considerably lessen any damage. And don’t drop or let the jar fall out of reflex, it will explode when it hits the floor.



Owl

Thanks for the extra headspace tip, Owl. I'll give that a try.

Ball only.No Chineee crap.No reusing lids.If they sealed right the first time,,your not getting them off without ruining them.We can pretty much all of what we need for the year.All vegges,,jams,,fruits everything.Lots of meats also.

Thank you for the tip. My wife and I were shopping the other night and I saw two packs of Ball wide mouth lids. It was like discovering gold, and I grabbed them both. Still canning here, and I feel bad for anyone using inferior products.

I found regular lids made by Pur at the hardware store today for 2.99 and I had a 20% off coupon , limit 5 dozen

I searched the box when I got home for made int he USA and didn't find it , I will have to see how they work


I hope they work if they do I am a lucky man this week 2 boxes of 12ga and 5 dozen canning lids and double coupons.

edited , well I guess I am not as lucky , I told wife about my lid find and she looked them up , apparently I have 5 dozen crap china lids now also

well at least the shot shells were Federal.

Have heard nothing but bad about Pur lids.....sorry





BS. Not sure how you remove them but I use my fingers and can resuse 75% of them. Many of them have been on jars over 5 years,

I open them with side of a butter knife levered from my hand.
Prefer the name brands but use all. They are lids, it's not that magical.
The rare one that does not seal get re-cooked. froze, or eaten.

Maybe Duke will start making lids?

When canning supplies were hard to find,,I ordered lids"Advertised as BALL lids" on line from amazon.Got a bunch of Chinee knock offs.I called the Ball company.They said do NOT use them.The lining material was NOT FDA approved,,and Ball had a lawsuite in the process,,,as I was only one of hundreds that got ripped off.Amazon refunded my money.Since then,,Walmart has them on the shelf periodicaly.(the real Ball ones made in USA)When they do,,I scoop them up.I have enough to last me probly five years.And Yotetrapper30.I stand by my statement.When my jars come out of the Pressure canner,,I would like to see you pull the lids off with your fingers without bending the lid a bit.I never reuse lids.To each his own..Water bathed jars sure,,they are not as tight.

the local bulk store is 5 dollars for 12 Uline lids only thing I was able to find last year , limit 2 at a time , so much for the cheap ones from Ace

I reuse metal lids all the time. I inspect the gasket and if it is still soft in the grove where the rim sits i reuse. I dont notice any more problems than with new lids.

Not sure of their origin, but lids I used this year came from an Amish store. A paper sleeve of about 10 or 12 dozen. Used about half of them and had two fail. One puckered.......the other was spaghetti sauce and failed to seal. All others OK, both regular and wide mouth.

Have checked all local sources that have lids in normal times......Walmart, grocery stores, hardware stores and farm and home......no individual lids seen in past 18 months. Probably get em, but not the day I am there. Are still being snatched up faster than reloading primers.

But the Amish stores have em. Good enough for them, good enough for me.

Yotetrapper30’s right, BS. There’s several way to open jars without damage to the lid, a knife spine, openers, spoons, and even bare hands work just right. Even when they’re properly processed and sealed. Lots of people can open jars with their fingers, I never could, but my former wife and both my kids can and do, maybe it’s a girl thing. No damage to the lids. It’s a running joke around here, the kids will hide the opener so I have to ask them to open a jar for me.

Because you can’t do something doesn’t mean nobody else can. Remember, necessity is the mother of invention, I’m glad you’ve not had the need. You’re right about one thing though, to each their own.



Owl

Like I said spotted owl.To each his own.All you folks want to reuse lids or use chinee lids that no one knows what the white lining is made of,,go for it. I put too much time and effort into my canned goods to take chances,.Enjoy your meals. Same ones short on canning supplies are probly the same ones short on ammo.Should have learned from the first go around.

I agree, too much risk for me, but go for it if you want.

I have never reused lids and yes I bend many of them when I open the jars. I guess I can live with adding 15 cents to 50 cents a jar by using unused lids.

Bryce

Geeze, I wish lids were only 15 cents.

The lids are the only thing goobrament approved my jars have seen.
Better throw em all out and buy Libbys.

I don't reuse lids and I can generally take them off using my thumbs. My mom thought I was nuts and doing something wrong canning when I mentioned it to her. The look on her face when I grabbed a jar of her pickles and did it was priceless.

And in case anyone is wondering I have a couple rounds of ammo laying about.

Cheap lids are no good. I bought some in 2020 because Ball lids were really expensive. My girl friend canned this year and 2 of 7 buckled. So, we set those aside and used them as soon as possible. Got back online and bit the bullet and bought the good ones.

Garryowen

I don't know what you guys are doing to have all these failures. I can at least 300 jars of food every season, use lids many times over and may have one or two not seal. Do not boil lids before you use them. Do not tighten rings to tight. Clean the jar top with a rag after filling them. I have several Amish friends who use their lids over and over as well. I have been canning since I was a kid in my mother's kitchen. Get you a good Ball canning book and follow the simple instructions especially the head space requirements. It is simple and safe. You just need to read and follow instructions. LLL

Genuine Ball lids are 3 bucks a box at Walmart.Cheap insurance.My wife and I do up around four hundred jars a year.Anyone wants my used lids your welcome to them.

I haven't seen a box of lids of any brand at Walmart in over 2 years and I check every time I go there.

Holy cow,,that sucks.I have two Walmarts not far from me,,and both have had Ball lids and jars pretty much all summer..22 shells also.

keep an eye out. the local walfart here had a pallet worth sitting on the floor last week late in evening to be stocked. there were still a good number yesterday on the shelf

Of lids? Or jars? I've found jars there... but never just boxes of lids.

Not trying to pick, but this one gave me a good belly laugh. I couldnt find anywhere in the Ball canning book 'simple instructions' that recommends reusing lids...Lol im sure you have more canning experience under your belt, but im still not reusing lids.

I stated .15 to 50 cents. The 250 lids I bought last year that had 1 failure were through Amazon at $72 as we are Amazon prime and paid no shipping. That is a tad below 30 cents per lid. The 300 I ordered this year were a tad less per lid. We will see how those work next year.

Bryce

I will send you a self addressed box.

How much do you pay for Amazon prime? Do you count wear and tear on your pickup as cost against trapping profit? LLL

.

No I use the standard mileage rate for recording my auto expenses. I don't know what Amazon Prime costs, my wife uses it a lot. I will ask her.

Bryce

when it is 5 dollars for a box of lids when you can find them and 10 for the case of jars with lids and bands , easier to just buy the case and have more for when things finally settle down

Well add that to your lid price. Does your wife pay for the gas in your truck? Still need to count it even if she does. LLL

Larry, in your estimation, what would a fair price to add to the cost of lids for shipping?

Steven when I seen garden plants selling out last spring you could buy canning lids for 1.99 at Walmart. I bought four cases at that time. I paid a few bucks to drive to Walmart I suppose. People need to get ahead of these shortages and think things out a bit. Case in point, I just put in an airtight wood stove. The IRS is allowing a 26% tax credit for the stove, hearth and chimney material, as well as labor. I bought mine before my gas company sent me a letter saying our gas budget was going up 65%. They build these high efficiency stoves in liberal states as well as liberal Canada where they have not produced them because of lock downs. If I had waited another week I doubt I could have bought a stove that would have qualified for the credit since it has to have a HHV of 75% which many on the market now do not have.

We are in a different world right now. Those who are forward looking will be way better off than those who wait til things are empty on the shelves. Plant a garden, raise some broilers, buy ammo when you can, put plenty of wood up, do not do things that cost you more money to do than you get in return (trapping). It may change eventually but right now it is not good and it is not going to change anytime soon. LLL

[/quote]

Of lids? Or jars? I've found jars there... but never just boxes of lids.[/quote]


early in the summer they had cases of jars but then they ran out. maybe a month ago the shelves were restocked with jars and there are still quite a few. no lids were available during the entire summer any time i checked. now the lids showed up. a few cases of lids and bands but mainly just the flats of lids. piles of wide mouth that dont seem as popular. plenty of regular lids too but you can see they are more popular and selling. $2.97 was price.

Cases of flats (lids). Early summer was too late. They were Golden Harvest lids made by Rubbermaid in Nebraska USA. I don't need rings. I have hundreds of them and only use them until the flat seals and the jar is cool. Then the rings come off and they and the jars full of food get washed and sat to dry and be observed for a few days before they go into our downstairs pantry. They were 1.99 a dozen when I bought them. I own over 500 jars. Many of all sizes from half pint to half gallon. I have canned all my life. People should have learned from last season when there were no canning supplies and bought when there was. LLL

Not all parts of the country are the same, Larry. I've been looking for just lids for almost 2 years and the first time I found them was early summer. Also Golden Harvest, at Dollar General. I hadn't bought any more 2 years ago because I still had 50 boxes or so and didn't figure the shortage would last 2 years. I hadn't run out of old lids yet, and when I found them I bought enough to last me for the next couple years. So I was never without lids, but was to the point I was getting nervous and saving all of my once used ones.

In canning groups I'm in I see some people are having trouble finding jars and have been for some time. Here, I've been able to find jars all along. So it seems what's available varies greatly based on where you live.

I guess what I was saying was you can’t wait until you need something to buy it anymore. If you use a it of something it is a good idea to buy more than you need. LLL

I very seldom go into a Walmart or a dollar general type store.

Usually I get my canning supplies from a big box fleet type store like fleet farm, runnings, l&m fleet etc. I don't think I saw a lid all this past year. Didn't look every time I was there. From talking to others lids weren't in big supply up here this year. I don't can much like many of you most years 40 or 50 quarts of something. Im good on lids for several years.

No I buy the gas for my truck or should say we do. Amazon prime allows us to get free shipping with our orders and there is no cost to that. I have checked to see if the listed prices vary or go up if you enter as a prime customer versus not prime and the answer is no. I don't need to record gas costs when using the standard mileage rate. The neat thing about SMR is that I get the same rate driving a 7K vehicle as I do a 28K vehicle. We do not tax deduct our gardening expenses as they are not a part of my Schedule C business.

Bryce

If you are not recording costs I pray you never get audited by the IRS. They want your daily mileage log as well as fuel and repairs receipts when you do get audited. Amazon Prime is around 18.00 a month. Your shipping is NOT free. LLL

If you pay Prime by the year it's 119 plus tax. If you use it enough the shipping is not only free it will make you money through savings so to speak. I purchased a cot the other day, would have cost me 20 to ship it. Do that 6 times and my prime paid for itself.

Also, there is video streaming that comes with it that adds value.

I keep a log and by using the SMR I don't need to keep all the repair and expense items, they are built into the SMR as is the depreciation.

Bryce