FYI...Re-use of canning jar lids post-SHTF

[SheWoff]

This was just an experiment I tried after someone on another board posted a ? about re-using canning jar lids that are not bent up....


Heres what happened with my experiment...I tried regular and large mouth lids. I put 4 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of baking soda in a sauce pan to boil. I always date my lids when I can, so I tried some from the past 3 years, 6 lids in all. It took about 5 minutes for the regular lids and about 15 minutes for the large mouth lids to smooth out the rubber ring to its pre-use state. Then I filled 3 regular jars and 3 wide mouth jars with water, put the boiled lids on and pressure canned them for 15 minutes with 5 pounds of pressure. Every last one of them has sealed!!! Now I will date them again, put in storage and see how long the seals will last. I would imagine they will be okay for at least 6 months though.

Now it has been over a year since I did this experiment. I just checked the jars again after Berta made that nice post about canning up some sterile water. The seals are still holding tight. Water is just as clear as ever. While I'm not advocating this now while we are still able to get jar lids, they may not be so easy to get once TSHTF. I'm not sure what the baking soda does to the rubber to restore it...never was any good in chemistry. :) Not sure if these will hold a seal with regular water bath canning since I didn't try that, but they will work for pressure canning as long as they are not bent.

She

[momof23goats]

you know, my amish friends do that all the time.
they use their lids off of their jelly and jams. always. and they do it just like you said.
I will do it , if I have to. for sure.

[DreadPirate]

That is a great idea. Think we will start doing it.

[Rhealady]

I do it all the time. Just be extra careful that the seal on the lids is clean and still has rubber compound left not pressed all the way to the metal lid.
Check the jar rims. Not one speck of anything. If they don't seal you will know right when they cool.
The lid can't came from something like tomato sauce though, that tends to eat the lining of the lid.

[FaithfulServant]

Did these hold up?

[GardenGirl]

It works even without the baking soda treatment. As Rhealady says, the lids have to be very clean without dents or rust and not bent by a pry-type can opener. Also, if the rubber sealant has lost its shine or looks dried out, it may not seal well. (We must not tell the manufacturers or they will improve the obsolescence.)

You can reuse them more than once as long as they are clean, shiny and flat. I save and reuse my lids for dry beans when I can them up, because at 25 cents of dry beans per quart, if the lid does not hold the seal, I'm not out too much.

[SheWoff]

Did these hold up?

Two years so far for mine. :mrgreen:

She

[RockyTop]

I've been re-using lids for several years and have never had a failure and I don't bother with the baking soda treatment.

[Belle]

I've been re-using lids for several years and have never had a failure and I don't bother with the baking soda treatment.
Same here.

[lschroeder106z]

Thanks for sharing, I will stop throwing them out. I didn't want to take a chance.

[tjndaltx]

THanks SheWoff. That is very significant to know.