Give the scarcity of canning supplies, particularly lids, that began last year, people are asking about re-using lids and jars. What happened? Well, with so many folks staying home last year due to the Coronavirus pandemic, many began both gardening and canning for the first time to help reduce visits to the market as well as fill the time. This increased demand is one of the main causes of shortages. Add to that any Covid-related slow down in manufacturing and any shortages in raw materials and you see the problem.
Regular and wide-mouth Mason-type canning jars are always the best choice for home canning. With careful use these jars may be reused many times, requiring only new lids, and have excellent sealing and little breakage. Always check the rim of the jar for cracks or chips. Even once those appear your jar can still be used to store unprocessed dry goods, such as pasta or dried fruit, but will not seal and may break if you try to can in them.
Glass pint or quart size mayonnaise-type jars may be used with new two-piece lids for canning acid foods. But with a narrower sealing surface and less tempering than standard canning jars they have more seal failures and breakage. Mayonnaise-type jars are never recommended for use with foods to be pressure canned because of excessive breakage. You want success!
Currently we have seen jars with a bit more regularity at stores ranging from grocery stores to kitchen supply or hardware stores. New jars always come with lids and rings. My understanding is that usually shipments come in every two weeks, so keep your eye out for what you need and don't wait until the last minute when it may not be available. Occasionally you can find old canning jars someone is giving away. Wash thoroughly and sanitize these jars by placing on a rack in a canning kettle, covering with water and boiling 30 minutes. If they have marking from hard water, soaking in water with 1 cup of vinegar added for several hours will help remove it.
As to lids, it is NOT recommended to re-use the standard metal jar lids for the same reason – unreliability. The only recommended closure for home canning are new metal two-piece lids/bands.
Re-usable lids, such as Tattler®, 4ever Recap, Harvest Guard, or Weck jars, consist of a flat plastic or glass lid, a gasket, and jar ring or clamps. These lids have had mixed reviews are not yet recommended by the USDA. (A study on Tattler reusable lids began in 2013 at The National Center for Home Food Preservation. Even with grants received in 2014 and 2015 for the study, there have been no reported results yet.) If new lids are not to be found, give consideration to freezing or dehydrating rather than canning. If you do choose to use these lids, carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions. For the reusable lid-gasket-band combo there are a couple additional steps to ensuring a good seal: when you apply lids and screw on the bands, you MUST then unscrew the band a quarter turn. This ensures enough space for hot air to escape from the jar during processing. Then, when jars have finished processing and you've removed them to the counter, quickly give all the bands a good, quick tighten bringing the rubber seal into firm contact with the rim of the jar, allowing an airtight seal to form. Proper use of Weck jars can be found online at this link: These re-usable lids should not impact the safety of the product as long as the food was processed properly. As with regular canning, clamps or rings should be removed during storage to indicate if the seal has broken.
You will want to be particular about the lids you buy. Unfortunately, given the shortages, some second-rate lids have been showing up online. Some of these are made from thinner metal, which can buckle during processing, and do not seal consistently. Try to get name brand lids. Again, when you see a store has what you need, get some for your planned food preservation projects. Leave some for other folks, but don't wait until later – they may not be available on short notice. Also as with chipped jars, you can re-use clean, unbent lids for freezing food in jars or storage of dry goods.
So get supplies when you can, can what you are able, and consider freezing or dehydrating everything else!
Questions about the UC Master Food Preserver Program, food preservation, or a demo? Contact the Humboldt County Cooperative Extension Office at: 5630 S. Broadway, Eureka, CA 95503, Phone: 707) 445-7351, or on our Website