Save You Canning lids - You Can Reuse Them!

Canning lids are so hard to find, many people don't realize you CAN reuse canning lids.
In this video I will show you how I reuse my canning lids. I have been canning for over 40 years, and been reusing my lids for over 10 years with the same results I get from new lids. I use new lids when I'm canning meat, and most of the time when I'm using my pressure canner. With lids so hard to get I did can beans with used lids this year. Take a look at the video, then choose if you think saving and reusing lids is right for you. If nothing else, save them for an emergency - when you can't get lids.
This can be a very controversial issue, I understand. You need to do what you think is best for you and your family.
Used in this video:
Canning Lids - amzn.to/3L2i4pF
Tongs - amzn.to/41Lu9qa
Music: Wishful Thinking - Dan Lebowitz | Royalty Free Music
Note: The amazon links included are our influencer links. When you purchase an item through our link we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting our channel.

[@lindap9079]

I'm glad you shared your thoughts on this controversial topic. Can I share my re-use journey w/ you and your viewers? I am an avid thrift store shopper. Over the years I've collected enough "new in box" lids (including Tattler) that when scarcities arose, I had enough lids in my stockpile that I wasn’t affected. I had never heard of or considered reused lids as an option. In 2020, I experienced a perfect storm. I lost my job. With extra time on my hands, I increased my vegetable garden space. With more produce than ever before I looked for new recipes & techniques to preserve what I had grown. I discovered that KZbin had many channels dedicated to food preservation. I was introduced to the idea of reusing canning lids. I was skeptical. I agreed that it could be a necessary practice. I gave it a try and documented my results. My philosophy was if the seal fails on my home-grown produce I'm not risking much. I limited my experiment to foods I had no money other than the price of a seed packet invested in. For anything purchased I used new lids. After a year's time I had put up hundreds of jars of food. I did have seals that failed. The most common problem I came across was jars that simply didn’t seal. In such cases there was no loss, I just ate that food in the next couple of days. Occasionally I discovered a jar in my pantry that had come unsealed while in storage. The result of my experiment, 3% failure rate. Again, this was only in foods I have very little money invested in, i.e. food grown in my yard or foraged. I concluded that 3% is a small price to pay but I can still obtain new-in-box lids second hand for $2 or less a dozen so, currently I use new lids and save the undamaged used lids for future use should I ever run out of new lids.

[@sheilarogers3448]

Lids that are beyond saving. We drill a hole in and use them as plant markers in our flower beds our veggie garden.

[@chocolate7810]

I agree with you, my neighbor told me he has reused them up to 7 or 8 times with good success. Hard times help us learn how to get by. He is now 90 yrs old.

[@maxquigley9524]

I don't can a lot of produce like you. But I do make my own picante sauce, sweet cucumber relish and a few other tomato based sauces. I make these sauces in batches of 2 to 12 jars, 10 to12 ounces each in size. Not once have I ever used an actual canning jar with canning lids. I reuse jars that I had previously bought with jam, pickles, relish, olives or some other kind of sauce. These jars have pop tops. I've been reusing such jars for over 40 years. Each year I probably can about 25 such jars of something. I've reused the jars more times than I can count, maybe 25 times or more. I reuse the same lids repeatedly also, but maybe 10 to 15 times each until they develop rust spots or paint chips on the underside. No more than three times per year do I get one that doesn't seal. And that one goes into the refrigerator to be used next.

[@sheilarogers3448]

Watched a video where they soaked lids in baking soda water. It freshened the rubber and removed any smells likes pickles or what have you. Tried it and it worked great. Still only use them on dry goo stuff.

[@oldtimerlee8820]

Iso (rubbing alcohol) takes permanent marker off lids quite easily. I keep a bottle of it under my kitchen sink just for that purpose. I save good used lids for vacuum sealing dry foods in canning jars. If a jar doesn't seal, it isn't an issue. I toss the lid and grab another one. Used lids can also be used with the white one piece plastic lids sold for mason jars. Those don't have a gasket inside to make a better seal. A good used lid can perform that function. Hope this helps.

[@marysilva1695]

Great information. Thank you for sharing, I am sharing... Special these times some one may need ideas

[@jenniferharris3989]

I had 8 quarts of soup new ball lids and jars 2 seals popped/ broke on the brand new lids and jars the new lids are junk.

[@janejdough2230]

I use new for meat and expensive stuff. The garden produce that I have a lot of are recycled lids.. Opening is important, I got one of those Y shaped openers and it rarely damages the lids. it is worth the price.

[@lisaeveridge9033]

You can use a can opener with a case knife across the top of the jar to keep the lid from being damaged too. I bought 100 each wide mouth and small mouth tattler rubber seals to use with my used metal lids. works great. Just remember to not seal the jars as tight until they come out of the canner

[@sheilarogers3448]

I put te lid in ring and tighten down tight tho fix edges

[@revessie]

This is a very nice video. I have been trying to use gaskets but it is harder to use. I keep getting fails when I experiement with plain water. I suppose they have to be carefully placed on the jar lid first? Not sure. I put them on dry, fails. I put them on heated, less fails. Not sure what to do. If they fail with water they can possibly be costly trying them for my foods.

[@TractorsandTireSwings]

I prefer re-using lids to the gasket systems. I have used them successfully, but I do think they are a bit trickier. There are different brands and quality out there. Did you use a reputable brand?

[@revessie]

@@TractorsandTireSwings I got them from a young lady's YT channel.

[@jeffrycruz8530]

Can you reuse a jar that has a label on the jar? Does the sticker have to come off before you sterilize them?

[@sheilarogers3448]

Alcohol the writing on lids comes off easily. And then your lids last longer because you did not scratch the lid. Leaving it open to rust

[@sandracrowe47]

Magic eraser (wet slightly with water) will remove permanent marker from canning lids.

[@sheilarogers3448]

Use alcohol to get marker off my lids

[@jessicapearson9479]

Fun fact, THERE WAS NEVER A REAL JAR AND LID SHORTAGE!!! It was just these brand snobs that only bought the name brand jars and lids. They even panicked bought jars and lids. Amazon and other places had TONS of jars and lids that worked just fine.

[@JoanKizewski]

100% acetone nail polish remover takes the permanent marker off canning lids.

[@elizabethshaw734]

Lids are all over the place! At some point, also, forjars lids have I have the best ones going at the best price.

[@TractorsandTireSwings]

I am glad you have not had any trouble buying canning lids. That has not been the case in our area.

[@elizabethshaw734]

You absolutely cannot use a lid that has a Dent or a ding or lifted area. Unless it looks perfect you cannot reuse it!

[@TractorsandTireSwings]

As we mentioned, you do what works for you. We have re-used lids over and over successfully.

[@daphneraven6745]

Elizabeth Shaw: that’s an area into which I would never have endeavoured either. Discs in my area are $6.49 for a dozen today, and so people are rethinking what they can safely do. I just finished watching a video from a lady who has been using her discs four and five times apiece, then sticking Tatler seals on them and using them again. She says that she uses them even after they’ve got a dent; but she draws the line at two. The older generation doesn’t make changes very easily, they don’t like to relearn a technique that they’ve already got perfected one way. I’ve been contemplating something similar myself, but with new discs. With a new disc that has no groove in the seal, I could see where this would be a really good idea. You could use the discs repeatedly, and they never wear out because the original seal would never get compromised.

[@bmzaron713]

A little botulism never hurt anyone

[@muddyfeetaussies]

@@bmzaron713 lol well bolusim should not be a issue if product has the correct acid level or been processed with the safe temp time (pressure).. reusing lids is more of a experiment of will it seal, also not fail over time.. not a botulism risk unless ya process stuff incorrectly .. a jar of hot stuff with a new lid will seal even pop. doesn't make that leftover safe to keep on a shelf or that water bathed cooked low acid food safe to eat just because it sealed..

[@danathomas7870]

@@bmzaron713 common sense just isn’t common anymore….. just saying. Besides if you know God the Father? Why worry?? I’m ready for anything. You can’t protect yourself from everything. You have a higher chance of danger these days just walking down the street.