Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Canning Lids and Bands

This is my first rant ever! What's with the lousey canning lids and bands? They use to be good (back when they were brass color) and lasted for years! The "new" rings are flimsy to say the least.....and this year I have already had 4 lids that didn't seal after processing!! What's with that??? I have been canning for many many years and have had very few lids that didn't seal! Last year I found some boxes of new lids in my basement that came out of my grandparents house. They had to be more then 20 years old....and those babies sealed...every single one of them!

So now we get to pay ridiculous prices for lids and bands and they are crap!

Has anyone else noticed the difference????

24 comments:

  1. Just search my blog for Kerr (Aug 15, 2009). I had a rant about their lids and their jars. I even wrote to their customer service, but never got a response from them. So far the Ball lids have been OK for me, but I am shocked at the prices! I saved all my used ones, and I'm freezing more and canning less this year, so I can use the previously used lids.

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  2. Granny, these are Ball lids. I just pulled 7 jars out of the canner...and quess what? The first jar to seal is an older brass colored lid that I found this morning.

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  3. I had that problem last year. I just washed them off and took them back to the store and asked for my money back. They just gave me more lids...lol

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  4. I find the bands to be total crap. They rust after the first use and should really be called disposable. I have found some bulk lids with no brand name but they say made in USA, to be good. And so far the reusable tattlers are good but they don't come with bands. But I can not find a good reusable band. And a couple ball lids I had were not that great either and didn't seal. I never have that problem. This is all part of the cheapening up of America. Sad

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  5. Mrs.P, great...more crappy lids!

    Jane, Where did you find the bulk lids? There must be some better bands out there somewhere. It's definitely a cheapening of America!! It used to be a very rare occasion when a jar didn't seal. Maybe I should use the really old ones with zinc lids or the glass and rubber seals. I have some brand new boxes of zinc lids and rubbers for the glass tops downstairs with my canning stuff. Who knows how old they are....but they look good and they would probably seal just fine!

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  6. I bought the bulk lids when I was in the Amish area in Ohio. I know lehmans sells them for $42 for a sleeve of 345. The Amish areas have the best lids because they aren't going to put up with no-seals either. I know some people who love the European jars with just the glass and rubber. It's just our USDA who hates those jars. Let us know if you try the old zinc lids.

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  7. I am still on last year's lids. I'll need more soon after then next canning session. I hope they seal.

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  8. Jane, I have my grandmother's Ball Blue Book & Kerr books dating back to the 20's or 30's. Maybe I should look up how to use the other types of jars and lids and try it. I have a lot of those type jars as well. It might be fun thing to try.

    Daphne, Last year I could still find some of the older lids and bought those when I could. This is just crazy...I have another one that I think isn't going to seal!!! I will be livid if this happens when I can peaches and pears!

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  9. Yeah i KNOW. I'm going to start buying those Tattler lids - they are supposed to be reusable.

    And.. what I meant was that I saw you over on The Modern Victory Garden... you got to meet?
    :-)

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  10. OhioFG, I guess that may be the thing to do. They are just so darn expensive....but, if they work I guess it's worth it in the long run.

    Oh yes, I met Laura! She's a delight! After I posted that on your blog I figured it out! If you read my Stylish Blogger Award over the winter...you would know all about my blondness!

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  11. I've been having a horrible time with the rings...bent up and out of kilter: yuck. So for the last year I've been investing in the Tattlers and buying up old rings at yard sales. I used 100 Tattlers last year and they worked great. So I have an additional 250 for this year's canning. The rubber ring is suppose to last for many cannings...we'll see. I am still using old lids from several years ago, too. I think I may invest in a sleeve of lids. That sounds like a good deal.

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  12. This is the first year I have had some that didn't seal, so I agree things are getting worse in quality... what really made me mad was that they were on quart jars of sauce. If it was a pint I would have just put it in the fridge and used it up, but they were big jars so I had to reprocess.... grrrrr!

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  13. Lynda, The Tattlers sound like the way to go. Now if we can find some good rings to go with them!

    Erin, I had another one not seal yesterday. That's 5 out of 98 jars I canned of various things so far this year! Not good! I've been leaving my jars upstairs for at least two days before I put them in the cupboard downstairs....I just don't trust them!

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  14. I have had a few name brands not seal this year too and I was shocked! At least I know that it isn't me now. I thought I did something wrong, even tho I always do the same things!

    I got bulk lids at the Amish too and all of them have sealed so far!

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  15. Now that you mentioned it, I've noticed that the caps I buy are now silver insisted of the gold that they used to come in. Luckily, I've never had a cap not seal in my brief canning career. Do you reprocess if they don't seal?

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  16. Wait...you can reuse caps?

    Also, I also read that Laura visited you. It must have been very cool and a bit strange to meet a follow blogger!

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  17. APGal, The lids that I had left from last year were just fine. The lids and bands that I purchased this year are the ones that have been giving me problems. I'm so frustrated. "The Italian" said that he can't remember me ever having a seal failure before and that I should call the company...like that would do any good!

    Thomas, Yes, I reprocess if I can. I take off the lid and band, re-clean and put on a new hot one and reprocess. I made a batch of Eggplant Caponata the other day and I really don't want to reprocess that..so, it goes in the frig! There is a reusable lid made by Tattler. I think that I'm going to start buying those a little at a time. I use to re-use my lids years ago as long as they weren't damaged. Can't do that now...they are crap!

    Yes, Laura stopped by the plots when she was here to visit her daughter. She is delightful! You better let me know if you come down this way!

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  18. I'm glad I saw your post, Robin... I've been having the same problem, too. At least I know it's not me. Does anyone use the Weck jars I've been hearing about? Pricey, but if they work ...??

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  19. Deb, No it's not you. The lids are just horrible this year. Maybe I can find some boxes of old ones at yard sales!

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  20. Rant away, Robin! One of my issues with the newer rings is that the thin plasticized coating that will peel back after canning. I find it to not just be disgusting but unsafe.

    I wanted to buy a large quantity of Tattlers this year but with the economic collapse in our near future, I bought other things first. It's in my Fall 'budget' though and hopefully I'll never need to worry about the lesser quality lids OR the one-use-only lid system. FYI: I have reused lids with total success. Don't tell the Canner Cops on me! ;-)

    Older rings are much better and if there is an opportunity to buy them, by all means do it! Hopefully my old rings will see me through.

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  21. Lynn, I won't tell the canner cops a thing! I always used to re-use lids. My mother always said if they weren't bent or damaged they could be re-used. I never had a problem doing this. I would be afraid to re-use the newer lids though since they are not real good to begin with. I need to start buying the Tattlers over the winter. I'm going to need a lot of them. I guess that maybe I should just use them on canned goods that I don't give away as gifts.

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  22. Ah-so it isn't just me! I have had trouble since last year with the Ball rings and lids.

    The ones that come on the boxes of new jars seem worse than the boxes of replacement jars and rings. Terrible.
    I had a few older boxes of jars with lids that were borderline good - but the stuff this year is total crap. Do they not understand that if they produce a crap product they will lose customers? But, where do we buy rings if not from Ball or Kerr?

    What is the point of canning if your jars cannot seal due to crap cheap products?

    I'd buy the Tattlers, but what about rings? Errgh! It took me forever to get started on canning and now I'm fearing failure due to terribly inferior products.

    I wonder if the LDS have a source of good rings and lids? I've read they are big into food preservation.

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  23. I am wondering if it's the older jars, and new lids are not working together. It might be the thickness of the jars that are the problem not the lids it self. I have canned over 200 jars and only had about three lids not seal. The other important thing is keeping your lid and ring water hot.

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  24. Hi Amy, It's definitely the lids. I had problems at the beginning of the season. It must have been a bad batch of lids. They defintely are not as good as the older ones. I have re-used a lot of my older lids and they seal just fine. I have also noticed that when you take one of the newer lids off and one of the older lids off, they older lids definitely seal much much better. The rings are also horrible. They are flimsy and will rust after just one use. I have been canning for over 30 years (and helped my mother for another decade before that) and have never seen such poor quality in canning lids and bands.

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