# Why can't I re-use canning lids?



## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

I remember my mother re-using the lids from jam, etc., when she was canning foods. I know I used some of them when I was canning tomatoes and pickling jalapenos years ago. 

If the lid reseals and "pings' then is there a reason we can't re-use the many jars and lids we get from the grocery? 

P.S. I got the pump-n-seal today but haven't tried it. I've got so many jars I've saved from store bought food, I'm looking forward to trying it.


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## sgl42 (Jan 20, 2004)

I presume you're talking about reusing lids for canning, not for vac sealing. Reusing lids presumably increases the chances of a seal failure, either during the canning, or while sitting on your shelf for extended periods. Throwing out extra food due to spoilage and questionable sealing would be your first expense. And a single instance of getting sick would wipe out a whole lot of "savings" from reusing lids.

Also, my understanding is that the glass jars from the store are often lighter-weight than mason jars, which means higher risk of breakage.

Some people save their canning lids to reuse for vac sealing, as the cost of a vac-seal failure is far lower than the cost of a canning lid failure. (I reuse lids for this purpose myself.) Other's also save lids to *potentially* reuse, should a SHTF situation make new canning lids unavailable, or cost prohibative. They may also make a few test-batches of reused lids to test the process, and see how many failures they get. But I don't know anyone whom I trust who's reported reusing lids on a regular basis, due to the increased risks.

I'm not an expert, that's just what I've picked up from all the expert advice on this forum over the last year or two. 

--sgl


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## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

We use to be able to re-use them back when they made lids of good quality with sufficient rubber on them. 

Problem is that, there are no lids today made with rubber. Today's lids have a _VERY thin_ strip of an acrylic sealing compound and barely hang on for one sealing. You'll notice that when you take a lid off, you can see an "indent". That indent goes almost all the way through and there is not enough left for a good seal. Plus, the sealing strips won't "reform" to new jars.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

Thanks SGL and Karen....I don't want to take a chance with losing food or making my family sick, but it seems a waste to not be able to use them again.

I wonder that nobody has come up with a type of glue or thick sealing material to use in the lids of commercial jars for canning.


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## Guest (Jul 4, 2008)

Mom_of_Four said:


> I wonder that nobody has come up with a type of glue or thick sealing material to use in the lids of commercial jars for canning.


I'm sure that someone once posted here at HT about some kind of rubber sealant you can buy in a little can that you can use for renewing your canning lids.

I've never been able to find that post again.


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## insocal (May 15, 2005)

In the past I have successfully reused lids for BOILING WATER BATH canning only. The strip of sealant seems to deform less than with pressure canning, and so can hold up to a second or even third use. If the seal fails, you will know it right away as the jars cool down. I never had one fail down the road (well, one seal did fail after 8 years on the shelf, but what do you expect, lol).

I NEVER reuse lids for pressure canning.


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## moonwild (Mar 20, 2006)

Mom_of_Four said:


> I remember my mother re-using the lids from jam, etc., when she was canning foods. I know I used some of them when I was canning tomatoes and pickling jalapenos years ago.


I have reused them for foods such as jams and jelly and pickles but would never use them for any thing pressure canned or not made with alot of sugar or vinegar.
I have reused them on vaccuum sealing dried food and herbs.


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## sgl42 (Jan 20, 2004)

Mom_of_Four said:


> I wonder that nobody has come up with a type of glue or thick sealing material to use in the lids of commercial jars for canning.


the lawyers would kill it for liability reasons. and the marketeers would kill it because it would cut into their profits from selling lots of lids. 
--sgl


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

I re-use lids for canning milk intended for animal purposes only.....mason lids and also the spaghetti glass jars w/ lids or any other "store bought" glass.


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## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

I _might_ try it in a situation where it was impossible to get canning lids; but my goodness, lids aren't $20 a pack. Why even take a chance when they are still so relatively cheap (especially when bought in bulk)?


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

A dozen reg. lids are 1.50 - 2$....just for milk I use 8 dzn easily over the course of a year.

I do buy lids in bulk but I also re-use on the canned milk....and those spaghetti jars about 26 oz and 1 piece lid I have used many times over w/o any trouble. But again this milk is not intended for people and if it is not sealed (which rarely happens) I just feed it out to pigs/chix/calf.

To me its like when people used to get retreaded tires....some swore by them others had bad luck...some just forked over the high $$ every time for brand new Michelin's.


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## RichieC (Aug 29, 2007)

Eight dozen lids at $1.50-$2.00 a dozen equals between 12 and 16 dollars. What kind of risk is worth taking to save 12 to 16 dollars? That is really the question you are asking.


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## okie-steading (Jul 19, 2007)

like momma always says: when in doubt, throw it out. 

that said, i would NEVER re-use a canning lid.

its just not worth it.


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## themamahen (Jun 26, 2005)

my grandmother used them her whole life till about 5 year ago when she passed, she never pressure cooked tho everyhting went into the water bath, maybe that's why her lids lasted so long. If something didnt seal we ate it then and threw lid away. I would not hesitate to use them for pickles or beets or kraut as well. if they have been pressure cooked I would only use them for those things. 

Grandma put everything in hers corn beans tomatoes kraut.


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