# Anyone else having this problem?



## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

I got a bunch of new regular ball jars this year with the silver rings. I'm not having a problem with them, BUT when I use those rings on old jars I am.

Last week I had a heck of a mess to clean up after they popped off the older jars in the canner. I had to redo 5 of them. At first I thought that maybe I didn't leave enough head space or had tightened them too much or not enough.

Now tonight, the 20 pints of new jars/rings did fine. I just opened the second canner with old jars/new rings and 3 of them had popped off. I can't wait to see what the third canner load is going to be...

I have a bunch of the WM silver rings and have never had trouble with them, maybe because they are all newer jars.

Thousands of jars canned over the years and never had this problem. What the heck is going on????


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## Leister Square (Feb 7, 2010)

I'd be interested in hearing too!


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

The third canner didn't have any popped lids, thankfully.

Looking over the jars that this is happening with, they are Golden Harvest. Come to think of it, when I tried out the tattler's(first time) it was with these jars too and out of 14 only two sealed and they came undone a week later. I really like these jars because they are the square ones, but dang, I hate re-canning!

Looks like I'm going to have to watch the rings I use or ditch the jars(and I hate that idea). The only thing that I can think of that is causing this is that the new rings and old GH jars don't like each other.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

I think you answered your own question. When the "Mayo" jars were changed to a point they will no longer seal,we had the same problem. I started testing each of these jars before filling. I would simply take a ring and tighten it on the jar. Some would tighten up and some would not.I did a batch with the ones that seemed OK only to have them fail. The next round with these jars I tested them as I did before only I used a ring and a lid.Come to find out the lid held the ring far enough off the jar that they would not lock down. It would start to tighten up then slip.I got rid of all the jars like that.
I think you will have to separate your new and old lids to solve the problem.

Wade


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## claytonpiano (Feb 3, 2005)

Yes, exact same problem here. Actually, I've had better luck this past season with the Walmart lids and the Tattlers than the Ball jars. I've been canning for 30 years and this was my worst season for failure. I really am beginning to think that I will go with all Tattlers. Some folks on here have said that they fail over time, but I have some that are 5 years old and still sealed. (Yes, I should have rotated them before now, but that was good to know.) Really interesting as well is the fact that I also seal my dried food in jars. Some of those have failed with the Ball lids as well.....especially the wide mouth.


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## BlackFeather (Jun 17, 2014)

I ran into a bunch of jars given to us. The rings wouldn't tighten down correctly, they would slip like a stripped bolt. I weeded out all the bad jars, something different with the threads on the jars. Put the jars in the recycle bin since they were of no use.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

I would get in touch with the company that makes Ball jars. They make the Golden Harvest jars also. They may not realize that there's a problem.


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

Sally, I don't know if the company would do anything. I kind of doubt it since these are old GH jars. My mil gifted them to me this winter since she stopped canning, so they are at least 20 years old, probably more like 30.

I hate that others have had these problems, but I'm glad to hear it's not just me.  I was beginning to wonder what the hack I was doing until I put it together last night.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

You could always use those jars for storing dry goods/vacuum sealing. I have several jars with chipped edges that I use just for storing dried goods.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

terri9630 said:


> You could always use those jars for storing dry goods/vacuum sealing. I have several jars with chipped edges that I use just for storing dried goods.




Terri, I'm not being smart or anything but how would that differ? The change in temp and pressure when canning creates a vacuum so it would either hold or not hold either way they were used, right?

Wade


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## Vickivail98 (Sep 26, 2014)

I use my poorly sealing jars for my in-fridge storage, for culturing and storing non food stuff.


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## ejagno (Jan 2, 2008)

Sadly the minute I read the OP's opening post my thoughts went to Golden Harvest jars. I've not had good success with Golden Harvest jars in preserving my food either. I will never buy them again.


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## Ozarks Tom (May 27, 2011)

We only use Golden Harvest for water bath canning. We got a "deal" on 3 cases, and the first time we pressure canned with them 3 out of 7 cracked in the canner. I don't think they're the same quality as standard Ball and Kerr.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

1shotwade said:


> Terri, I'm not being smart or anything but how would that differ? The change in temp and pressure when canning creates a vacuum so it would either hold or not hold either way they were used, right?
> 
> Wade


Yes, but if the vacuum breaks on a jar of crackers you can still eat stale crackers. If it's the ring holding the lid on until it heats/cools and seals that wouldn't affect vacuum sealing as you don't need the ring at all.


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