# Reusable canning lids



## unregistered65598 (Oct 4, 2010)

I got a catalog with my canner and in it they have these food grade plastic reusable canning lids, they don't say how many times you can use them, just says reuse these lids for years. So what do you all think about that? I was reading another post where someone mentioned stocking up on lids because at one time there was a shortage of them. So I was wondering if this might be a good option. They are spendy so I don't want to waste my money if they are not a good idea.


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

There are several discussions here about them Merks, both the pros and the cons. Just search 'Tattler lids'.


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

Here is a link to several of the discussions for you. http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/search.php?searchid=2967471


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

bad link but definatly some good discussion's i asked about this months ago the tattlers look like a great buy


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

Oops! Sorry I guess it doesn't like link to the search results. Here are direct links to a couple of the discussions and like I said it you just type 'Tattler" into the search bar it will pull up all the others.

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=355740&highlight=Tattler

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=373430&highlight=Tattler

I checked them and these links work.


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## unregistered65598 (Oct 4, 2010)

Thanks for the links.


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## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

One of my concerns about spending all the money for them is what happens when you need the new sealing compound and can't get them ? Then I just spent a ton for something worthless. 
I personally will store regular lids and rings.


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

if your referring to the tattler lids they dint have a sealing compound...? they have a specialized semi rubber ring that can used over and over again eventually you may put it on wrong or it may worp etc in which case you simply have already purchased extra rubber ring and done i personally would rather have something i can use at least 3 times rather then just once but it would also be smart to keep a few boxes of the non reusable ball and Kerr lids


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## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

The rubber rings is what I was referring to, that would be the sealing compound. They say they MAY be reusable. So, if a person buys all those plastic lids, buys some of the rings, and you run out when the rings don't work any longer , what good is the plastic lids at that point ? Wouldn't it be cheaper to stock regular canning lids on sale ? I am not seeing a money saving by buying the tattler lids. 
Exactly what chemicals are in the tattler plastic lids and rings ? I know some say Ball, etc. have BPA, but do we know what the tattler lids contain ? These are all questions I would need answered.


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## mullberry (May 3, 2009)

I got a catalog that had some different lookin reuseable lids in it.It was lemans non electric catalog. if that is tattler let me know
D


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## unregistered65598 (Oct 4, 2010)

The ones in my catalog were not tattlers, they appear to be just one piece plastic. I don't think I will go with those, the tattlers are something I may think about.


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## Pouncer (Oct 28, 2006)

On several other forums, I have read of people using the Tattler lids many times over, some people have been using them for well over a decade. I do hope to eventually get Tattler lids, because I think the supply of regular dome type lids is becoming too costly. Nearly $4 for a box of large mouth lids, locally.


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## titiana (Sep 17, 2009)

Merks said:


> The ones in my catalog were not tattlers, they appear to be just one piece plastic. I don't think I will go with those, the tattlers are something I may think about.


Without seeing what you are looking at, it sounds like a "cap". I have a few of these, they are just plastic screw on caps that you use after you open your jar for storing in the fridge or to store dry stuff in the cupboard. These are not used for canning. The ones I have are the Ball brand and I got in the canning section at Walmart.


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

> they appear to be just one piece plastic.


That sounds like the plain white plastic storage lids. They aren't used for canning just for sealing the jars after opening. They come in the 2 standard sizes and yes they are reusable but are not for canning.

http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_011W769312110001P



> I got a catalog that had some different lookin reuseable lids in it.It was lemans non electric catalog. if that is tattler let me know


Lehmans carries both the Tattler canning lids and the Ball Storage lids. Are these the ones you saw? http://www.lehmans.com/store/Kitchen___Canning_and_Preserving___Jars__Lids_and_Rubbers___Reusable_Canning_Jar_Lids___1141085?Args=

Those are Tattlers.


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## unregistered65598 (Oct 4, 2010)

These are the ones I saw, I guess they do have a replaceable gasket.

http://www.kitchenkrafts.com/product.asp?pn=FP2050


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

Yes, those are Tattler lids and gaskets. You can almost make out the brand name on the white plastic. Tattler is the only manufacturer of reuseable canning lids (in the US). You can buy them directly from the manufacturer or through various outlets like canningpantry.com and Lehmans.

If you read through the really long discussions here about them you'll find that there was a long period of many months over the past 2 years when they were not available, not manufactured and the manufacturer is a small business operation. There are posts there from the man who makes them.

So the concerns about availability over time may well be valid.


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## jd2pa (Jan 23, 2011)

Lucy said:


> Exactly what chemicals are in the tattler plastic lids and rings ? I know some say Ball, etc. have BPA, but do we know what the tattler lids contain ? These are all questions I would need answered.


http://www.reusablecanninglids.com/BPA_Free_Canning_info.html


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Judylou, where can I find the name and address of that small business that makes the tattler lids?


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

http://www.reusablecanninglids.com/
great site ive orederd from them pretty quick shipping


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

Yes that is it, the website. You can also read posts from the owner/manufacturer in the really long thread here about the lids. He used to sell exclusively on eBay a couple of years back and then got caught up in to some sort of manufacturing and patent issues - I can't recall all the details - but they were unavailable for several months until early last year.


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## lisa's garden (Apr 1, 2010)

I just got my Tattle canning lids a couple weeks ago. I ordered them from the link listed above. They do not have BPA and the plastic lids should last indefinitely. I have used them for pressure canning carrots and grapes so far. The first canner full of carrots, I had one that did not seal and the rubber ring had gotten sort of pulled out of shape by screwing the metal ring on. Not sure how you can tell until you are all done and remove the metal ring. So that rubber ring is now unusable...which bugs me. But maybe once I get used to using them, I will have better luck.


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## lisa's garden (Apr 1, 2010)

Correction, *Tattler* canning lids. No, they haven't tattled on me.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

OH POOH! Yesterday I canned 9 pints of DixieNC's pinto bean recipe and 7 out of 9 of the Tattler lids didn't seal! The recipe calls for spices such as chili powder and cumin and I found that these sort of floated to the top and got under the rubber ring snd caused a seal failure. I re-processed them this moring using Ball lids that I have used 3 times (I mark them with a permanent marker each time I use them) and they all sealed. But, RATZ! I seem to have a lot of failures with these lids. I bought a boat-load of them and am thinking of selling them before the canning season starts. Most haven't been used. I follow the directions to a "t". Anyone have any suggestions?


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

suitcase_sally said:


> OH POOH! Yesterday I canned 9 pints of DixieNC's pinto bean recipe and 7 out of 9 of the Tattler lids didn't seal! The recipe calls for spices such as chili powder and cumin and I found that these sort of floated to the top and got under the rubber ring snd caused a seal failure. I re-processed them this moring using Ball lids that I have used 3 times (I mark them with a permanent marker each time I use them) and they all sealed. But, RATZ! I seem to have a lot of failures with these lids. I bought a boat-load of them and am thinking of selling them before the canning season starts. Most haven't been used. I follow the directions to a "t". Anyone have any suggestions?


how do you reuse the ball lids? how do you treat them the second and tird times? id like to be able to use a whole bunch of the lids i have saved if i could any tips?


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

PM sent


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Marks said:


> The ones in my catalog were not tattlers, they appear to be just one piece plastic. I don't think I will go with those, the tattlers are something I may think about.


These lids are for using to put left-overs in the refrigerator.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

suitcase_sally said:


> OH POOH! Yesterday I canned 9 pints of DixieNC's pinto bean recipe and 7 out of 9 of the Tattler lids didn't seal! The recipe calls for spices such as chili powder and cumin and I found that these sort of floated to the top and got under the rubber ring snd caused a seal failure. I re-processed them this moring using Ball lids that I have used 3 times (I mark them with a permanent marker each time I use them) and they all sealed. But, RATZ! I seem to have a lot of failures with these lids. I bought a boat-load of them and am thinking of selling them before the canning season starts. Most haven't been used. I follow the directions to a "t". Anyone have any suggestions?


Sorry, to her that. The only time I have had failures was when I tightened them too much before processing or forgot to tighten them them the rest of the way when taking them out of the caner. If you give up on them send me a PM....I'd be interested in getting more.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

I will be canning some more beans in the coming days as they are reaching the end of their shelf-life. I am going to try a different method on the spices and see if it makes a difference. I'm going to mix the spices up and add to the water that I fill the jars with and cook until they are all saturated in the water. I'll see if that method will keep them from floating. If that works, I will keep them. If not, I'll send you a pm. I'm going to practice with jars of water to see if I'm tightening them too much. I guess all "grips" are not created equal.


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

> or forgot to tighten them them the rest of the way when taking them out of the caner


Jen - I hope you are letting the jars cool first before tightening down those bands? They are supposed to be loose when the jars come out of the canner so that a true vacuum can form with the lid.

Per the guidelines:
_Let the jars sit undisturbed while they cool, from 12 to 24 hours. Do not tighten ring bands on the lids or push down on the center of the flat metal lid until the jar is completely cooled.
_


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

That would be for regular Ball-type lids.

The Tattler lids say to tighten the lids of each jar as soon as you take them out of the canner. They work more like the old style zinc lids of days-gone-by when you had to "complete the seal" after removing the jars from the canner.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

judylou said:


> Jen - I hope you are letting the jars cool first before tightening down those bands? They are supposed to be loose when the jars come out of the canner so that a true vacuum can form with the lid.
> 
> Per the guidelines:
> _Let the jars sit undisturbed while they cool, from 12 to 24 hours. Do not tighten ring bands on the lids or push down on the center of the flat metal lid until the jar is completely cooled.
> _


I was talking about the Tattlers which work differently from the Ball jars, like Sally said. Yes, I leave my metal lids undisturbed after removing them from the caner.


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

Thanks for the clarification. But it does make me wonder then if the Tattler's are forming a true vacuum or just a heated pressurized (from the pressure of the screwed on band) seal? 

I have no personal experience with them, primarily because of the cost rather than the lack of USDA approval, but given that info I would wonder about the quality of the vacuum inside the jar.

For those of you who have used them, a question. Others have mentioned the ridged indentations on the lid side of the gasket but when you open the jar is there also a jar rim indentation in the rubber gasket like you see in regular canning lids? If not then I would suspect you are only getting a heat pressurized seal not a vacuum.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

When I open mine I get a "whoosh" from the air sucking back into the jar, so I know it's a good seal.

Judy, the center of these lids are thinner than the outer section of the lids. That makes them flexible, similiar to the Ball lids.

As for the jar rim indentation, rubber doesn't really indent like the sealing compound that they use on the Ball lids. You can see an imprint on the rubber, but it doesn't stay indented like the sealing compound on Ball lids. That is one of the reasons that they are re-useable.


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

Thanks for that information Sally. It is reassuring to know you actually hear a vacuum seal release. I think I am going to have to order some of these to try.


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## Citychick (Mar 27, 2008)

Bought 6 dozen yesterday that ought to give me an odea if I like them or not. If so I'll be sure to buy more!


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