# Tattler lids and vintage canning jars



## Phoebe Kettle (Nov 19, 2013)

I learned something today about Tattler lids and thought that I might pass it on . I have had a tough time getting my jars to seal while using them, but I have figured it out. I might have mentioned in the past that I also have had a problem with them unsealing while on the shelf. 

Once again while I was in the pantry I smelled something awful. Upon closer inspection I found another jar with a Tattler lid had unsealed. I am really starting to rethink about buying any more Tattlers. As I was dumping out my beef stew I realized that it was another &#8220;Vintage&#8221; canning jar that failed. By vintage I mean an older Ball jar from the 60&#8217;s and older, the kind that the lip of the jar is thicker than the newer jars that you buy today. Thinking back to a couple of weeks ago I realized that the other jars that failed were also older jars. 

I have been using these jars with regular Ball or Kerr lids for 30+ years and never have had a problem with them sealing or unsealing. Now I am going to go and inspect and pull ALL of my jars that I have used Tattlers on and start using the food canned in the older jars. My husband should be eating real good for the next couple of weeks. He will be happy! Me not so much happy to see my stock pile go down. :grump:


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

hmmmmmmm.....


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## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

Interesting. I don't have any jars that are that old, I don't think. I do have a stockpile of jars that were stored in a barn that I picked up 20 years ago. Not sure how old they were then but none of them were obvious vintage jars. I've never had issues using tattlers.


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## Phoebe Kettle (Nov 19, 2013)

The vintage jars seem to be much heavier and the top lip is thicker than the newer jars. I also figured out that they also don't work with my Foodsaver. Oh welll... I will still buy and use them for canning, just not with Tattler lids.


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## siletz (Oct 5, 2010)

I have some older jars from my grandmother that I was still using until I did a google search and discovered they were from the 1920s and earlier. I had noticed that their glass was thicker so the outside diameter was the same, but the inside opening was smaller. The Tattler lids didn't fit down into the opening of them so I had been using my spare metal lids for these. The Tattlers have worked wonderfully for me on all the newer jars though.


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

Well that's a good discovery. My vintage jars have uneven and ground off mouths on them so I hadn't gotten seals with metal lids and never even tried with my Tattlers. I don't even use them for dry goods that I plan to store for a while anymore as I don't trust an airtight seal.

And by the way, welcome to the board neighbor.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Viggie, the jars with the ground tops are not designed to be used with the lids we use today. They were designed to be used with either of bail-and-wire thing (which would probably still have the wire on the jar) and used a glass lid and rubber seal, or would use a zinc lid, which would have a rubber seal that sits on the shoulder, just at the bottom of the threads. If you have any of the older Ball canning guides, there would be drawings of those types of jars in the beginning of the book.


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## homemaid (Apr 26, 2011)

I love my tattler lids. I have not had any trouble with them coming unsealed. But I do have old jars and will certainly be watching for this. Thanks for the heads up....


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

suitcase_sally said:


> Viggie, the jars with the ground tops are not designed to be used with the lids we use today. They were designed to be used with either of bail-and-wire thing (which would probably still have the wire on the jar) and used a glass lid and rubber seal, or would use a zinc lid, which would have a rubber seal that sits on the shoulder, just at the bottom of the threads. If you have any of the older Ball canning guides, there would be drawings of those types of jars in the beginning of the book.


If they are bail jars you can get new lids and wires on ebay. I just replaced the bail on one of my jars.


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## Jan in CO (May 10, 2002)

Thanks, Phoebe for posting this. I had thought my husband didn't follow my directions for canning goat's milk a few years ago when I was visiting my Mom when she lived in another state. Now, I'm wondering if those failed jars were because they were the older, thicker ones. Hmmm. I'll certainly make a note and not use them on the thicker jars myself, just in case!


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## Phoebe Kettle (Nov 19, 2013)

I am really thinking that the older jars are my problem. I pulled all of the older jars that I used tattler lids with and set aside to use first. Just this morning I checked them and now I lost a quart of potatoes because of lid failure.gre: So far the tattlers have not been very cost effective for me. I am soon about to receive a couple of hundred jars for free. At least they tell me they are newer jars. I hope so anyways!


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## sparkysarah (Dec 4, 2007)

I has 7 quarts of beans sealed, only to find later that they had unsealed . These were new jars. Not sure why?


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## Vickie44 (Jul 27, 2010)

When the tattler lids first came out there were a lot of people on here complaining of seal failures, one of the reasons I decided not to try them.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

I've got probably 30 jars in the pantry with the tattlers and have only had one failure. I contribute that one to the grease from the meat since it was on the jar as well. I just used potatoes from 12/12 that were fine.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Vickie44 said:


> When the tattler lids first came out there were a lot of people on here complaining of seal failures, one of the reasons I decided not to try them.


Tattler has been around for almost forty years. The 4Ever Recaps are a new company.

I've used 100's of Tattler lids every year for 3-4 years. Very low seal failure for me.


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