# How many extra canning Jar Lids do you keep?



## Aseries (Feb 24, 2011)

I was wondering if I was crazy, because I'm always buying more canning jar lids than I can use. I think I have several hundred. I store the small mouth ones vacume sealed in Wide mouth Jards and the wide mouth ones inside a big ole jar.

They sell regular jar lids in the dollar store here for $1.25 for 12 lids, everytime I go there I buy at least 20 packs if not more... But I figure they dont go bad, I always use them and well, they never seem to go down in price like everything else... and theres no way I'm paying $1.75 or $2.50 for a pack which is insane..

Thanks


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## Vickie44 (Jul 27, 2010)

I think your way makes sense, especially , as you said , the price never goes down. If I find a good sale I will stock up also. Right now I probably have 40 small and twenty large.~ Vickie


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## JGoldinger (Oct 17, 2011)

I would love to find jar lids that cheap! I cant seem to get them for under $2


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## majik (Feb 23, 2005)

You are smarter than me! I'm converting to Tattler kids and haven't been buying the metal ones as I usually do. Well, last night it caught up with me. I needed a lid to cover a couple of jars of dehydrated apples, and I was OUT! I had to use a Tattler. Off to the grocery today to stock up again so I have lids for freezing and general storage.


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## Guest (Oct 25, 2011)

I try to keep a year ahead on lids. Apparently I figured something wrong this year, or else somewhere is a really good bag full of flats. I have less than a hundred right now.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

I'm slowly switching over to Tattlers, but I still buy every metal lids I can. I'm not about to give away jars/gifts with Tattlers on them! I have a few years worth in the basement. but I'm still buying when I find a deal. I keep the lids that don't bend when I open a jar, they are prefect for covering jars of dried goods.


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## Goldielocks (Jan 1, 2010)

I have about 20 packs of regular and a few of wide mouth lids as extras. Been using those before I use my Tattler's. I was fortunate to order over a thousand tattler lids last year. They work great. I try to mix them with the metal ones. Ran out of jars when the big sale at Ace hdwe stores so bought 10 cases. I can over a thousand jars per year. And that is what is put on the table to eat.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

I have 60+ dozen regular and 50+ dozen wide mouth and about 20 dozen Tattler of various sizes.

I was all gung-ho about Tattler's until I saw what the replacement rubbers cost. About 1 in 4 are stretched out when they come off the jars making them unusable again. Might as well buy Ball, Kerr or Golden Harvest.


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## julieq (Oct 12, 2008)

I keep talking about buying Tattler lids, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

I almost always grab extra lids when I'm at the grocery store. I don't know how many I've got of each size, but it's in the hundreds I'm sure.


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## jcatblum (Dec 15, 2009)

Now I feel normal!!! Dh fusses about the extra jars & lids. I don't think I will ever have a surplus!


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## blynn (Oct 16, 2006)

I've started writing the date purchased on all my boxes of lids, it helps to know exactly how old they are.


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## derm (Aug 6, 2009)

Two years ago my Kroger marked all lids down to 99 cents a box to get rid and so I bought 100 boxes. Still have about 700-800 left or so.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

I had enough from last year that I didn't need to buy any this year. Only have about 30 boxes left on the shelf, so I'll be looking to get more. I'm watching for sales, but no one around here is putting their canning goods on sale! Went to Lowes and they were still priced at $2 a box, which is 35c more than Menards regular price. 

I like to have enough to get through the next harvest before harvest starts, which is 50 -60 boxes.


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## ai731 (Sep 11, 2007)

I used to store as many as I could afford, but DH was off work for a year, then another year working minimum wage, so we ate through most of our preps, including jar lids. I'm planning to start buying more and storing them just as soon as DH starts his new job at the end of next month. Better to have more than you need, because the price is just going to keep going up!


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## Packedready (Mar 29, 2011)

I bought 120 boxes of regular lids when Kmart had their 50% off sale at .99 each. I am very happy that I took advantage.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

I like 2 years worth at least, We are canning less but in pints and jelly in half pints so still need 200. We haven't bought any for 6 years with all our downsizing. The niece next door is starting to can a little so we helped her out with some supplies, told her we needed the lids back when she found them on sale. We found some at BiMart for 79 cents 2 weeks ago, only 6 boxes but that gives us about 300 now....James


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

ai731 said:


> I used to store as many as I could afford, but DH was off work for a year, then another year working minimum wage, so we ate through most of our preps, *including jar lids*.


 

Were they hard to chew?


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## kenworth (Feb 12, 2011)

I bought a sleeve of each 2 years ago, (of Ball lids), and try to keep them both full.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

I have no idea...Lots and lots. I have bought everyone I can find. I especially pick them up at "Store going out of business sales". They are the first thing I go for.


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## campfiregirl (Mar 1, 2011)

So my first thought was to reply that I would have a goal of having a year's worth (or more). Then that got me thinking... I didn't really keep track of how much I canned this year (total), plus my MIL did some of the canning for me, which gave me an idea! I'm going to keep the used lids off the jars we open to keep track!


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## ccfromnc (Jul 23, 2011)

That's a good idea to save the used lids, they can come in handy...

When I mix up a batch of barbecue sauce, salad dressing, etc. I use empty jars with a clean used lid to keep in the fridge. I also glue a Popsicle stick to the outside of a used lid to make a quick cheap garden marker (just write the plant name on the white side).


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## Guest (Oct 31, 2011)

I know it's considered bad form, but sometimes I'll reuse a lid, and mark it. Those will be the ones that get put in the refrigerator if I end up with a partial jar, or just if I'm planning on using it soon. I've not had a failure on a reused lid, but I never let them go over a few days either.


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## wanda1950 (Jan 18, 2009)

I have several dozen. Wide mouth is so expensive--I'll buy one or two at a time when I'm forced to go to Walmart. Our Fred's has regular flats for $1.00 so far every yr. so I stock up on them.


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## Goldielocks (Jan 1, 2010)

To campfire girl,
May I suggest you get a composition book to record your canning adventures?
I write the date canned. What the item is. Pints or quarts, etc. Cost of item canned. and the quantity of jars canned. Then There is a running total of all jars. After a few years you see a pattern and will be amazed at price differences on purchased products. And will have an accurate total of what you have canned over the years. 
I love having my canning record book.


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## Aseries (Feb 24, 2011)

I have a box which is increasingly getting larger, of used lids of all kinds, commercial lids to canning lids, I use the commercial jars to vacum seal stuff also, I learned putting a commercial glass jar, inside the Food saver vacum container will vacum seal the jar inside.

If anyone wants lids for $1.25 I'll gladly pick up the whole shelf for you, stuff it in a US $10 box and maill it off to you. that $10 box should fit alot of lids. I regularly cross the border into the US at least 2-3 times per week.

I also have tattler lids, I used them and there still canned up. I'm doing a little tattler test lol...

Since I own a store, I'm thinking of calling the company that sells canning lids and buying a pallet of lids, just to see how much they cost. Then see if anyones interested in cost price for lids... Plus I want to sell them in my store...

I write the month and year on the jars, thats the only records I keep lol... and a recipe book. Its kewl to hear I'm not a canning lid hoarder lol


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## KIT.S (Oct 8, 2008)

That would be lovely information. I bought 1000's off Ebay several years ago, but now that I've run through those, I'm crying about the current prices. I've been searching for volume bulk sales, but haven't been successful with a price I can live with. None of the local stores seem to be willing to put them on sale for me! Do let us know if pallet prices are good enough to pass on!
Thanks,
Kit


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## Chixarecute (Nov 19, 2004)

I just stocked up - 20 boxes - at Walmart, reg. mouth, $1.63 each dozen. Last year they were $1.47. Oh, if I could get them for $1.00 per dozen!


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## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

I have 3 cases of 72 boxes in a rotation.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

I'm about ready to go buy some from Walmart or Menards, both have non-sale price of $1.63 for regular size. I keep hoping they'd put them on sale, but at this point I worried more they are going to pull them or increase the price.

So far I have not found an online place selling them for much cheaper, and Lehmans is quite a bit more. Since I don't have trouble with Ball/Kerr sealing, I'm not willing to pay more for the suposeidly nicer lids Lehmans has. 

I've never seen them, so I don't know if that last part is true. Anyone who has bought from Lehmans, can you comment on the lids compared to Ball/Kerr? They don't say who the manufacturer is, other than it's not "name brand".


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## MOgal (Jul 27, 2002)

I'm so grateful to you folks! DH has ragged me about the #'s of lids I keep on hand for years and now I know there are others who have more than we do! Yee Haa!

I use a table knife to pry the lid off the jars so that I can keep it for doing vac sealing and to make garden markers as well. We have solar oven so I pasteurize water for emergencies (maintain our own well. No power, no water) in extra canning jars using recycled lids. They work great for the water. I heat treat with a ring on the jar, then remove the ring when the jar is cool.


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## Just Little Me (Aug 9, 2007)

I can year round, so I have tons of lids in stock. Do not know what I would do if the stock ever got low


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

We were out traveling this weekend, and stopped at Runnings. Found lids for $1.59, so I bought a box (60 dozen). If I find them on sale, I'll buy more, they don't take up much room. The cheapest I saw them for this year was $1.45 on clearance at Tractor Supply, and they were about sold out when I got there 

None of the other places have even put them on sale this season. I keep hoping. . .


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## MOgal (Jul 27, 2002)

I worked in the mid 70's as a home economist for a natural gas utility in NE Arkansas. My territory went from West Memphis to Batesville, and from Paragould to Forrest City. It seemed that in each town where I worked the summer of '74, ladies asked me if I saw canning lids in other towns so I started checking. No, none were to be had. Many of the ladies I spoke with only canned, didn't have freezers so they were really in a bind. I decided when I married and started canning for us that I'd never be caught empty-handed like that.

The TSC stores in Columbia and Fulton had both WM and regular lids on clearance for 99Â¢ a box early last month. I didn't want to be greedy but could have happily bought all they had left. As it was, I helped considerably with "clearing."


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## ekjns (May 31, 2002)

When they are on sale I stock up! I don't have as many as some of you but I always try to keep plenty on hand.


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## ccfromnc (Jul 23, 2011)

DH went to WalMart today and bought out all the lids... I do love that man!


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## marlas1too (Sep 11, 2010)

i regularly keep 300-400 lids of regular and the same with wide mouth lids too also around 200 rings for each


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