Canning Jar Lids

[Doofa]

Q. Can canning jar lids be re-used? I have made a version of " Starbucks Bites" sous vide. First batch of four has been successful. I want to know if the two part preserving jar lids can be re-used or do I need a fresh lid per process. 

 

TIA....D

[MelissaH]

The rings can be re-used, but the flat lids need to be replaced for a new batch.

[Paul Fink]

You need new lids. 

[Anna N]

For short term storage such as this I reuse the lids. If You are doing serious preserving then new lids are very important. 

[Shelby]

14 minutes ago, Anna N said:

For short term storage such as this I reuse the lids. If You are doing serious preserving then new lids are very important. 

Ditto.  I re-use lids if they have NOT been used for canning.  Canning lids (not the rings) can only be used once.

[haresfur]

Sous Vide won't give you as strong a vacuum seal as boiling water canning but you aren't really relying on that for storage of a week or two in the fridge. I use fresh lids for preserving most anything that will be at room temperature but used lids if I'm treating it like an open jar of food. This is somewhere in the middle. I would get nervous about egg dishes unsealed for two weeks in the fridge and either use new lids or chuck out any that don't have a vacuum when opened. For a week, I wouldn't worry, personally.

[daveb]

I don't do any canning (perhaps should) but do use 4 and 6 oz jars for SV and presentation.  I reuse lids and rings and keep a box of new lids lest one of the old ones looks wonky.

[MelissaH]

When I open a jar of something, I generally replace the ring and flat lid with a plastic one-piece lid (like this) that's easier for me to deal with.

[Anna N]

11 minutes ago, MelissaH said:

When I open a jar of something, I generally replace the ring and flat lid with a plastic one-piece lid (like this) that's easier for me to deal with.

 I hope you have better luck with these than I do.   They are not by any means leakproof.   I thought they would be such a great idea but now I will only use them for dry goods.  YMMV. 

[thock]

9 minutes ago, Anna N said:

 I hope you have better luck with these than I do.   They are not by any means leakproof.   I thought they would be such a great idea but now I will only use them for dry goods.  YMMV. 

Like Anna, I have not found the plastic Ball lids to be leakproof. Even with dry goods, I've found that the dry goods will go stale after a certain amount of time.

[MelissaH]

If I'm going to store something for a while, I'll wrap the lid edge with some Parafilm.

[Doofa]

WOW. What a fantastic response to my amateur question. Thank you one and all so much. ( I knew that I would get a super response) D

[dscheidt]

I don't can.

 

I put ball jars in my vacuum sealer (put the lid on, leave the ring loose, vacuum sucks the air out.  The ring keeps the lid in place when air is let in, and you get a good vacuum in the jar.).  I can get five or six cycles out of a lid before it won't hold a vacuum, if I'm gentle when prying the lids off.  About 10 or 15% of the lids supplied with jars won't hold a vacuum when brand new.  I don't think I've had a boxed replacement fail. 

[haresfur]

On 5/5/2017 at 11:47 AM, dscheidt said:

I don't can.

 

I put ball jars in my vacuum sealer (put the lid on, leave the ring loose, vacuum sucks the air out.  The ring keeps the lid in place when air is let in, and you get a good vacuum in the jar.).  I can get five or six cycles out of a lid before it won't hold a vacuum, if I'm gentle when prying the lids off.  About 10 or 15% of the lids supplied with jars won't hold a vacuum when brand new.  I don't think I've had a boxed replacement fail. 

 

I bought some decent jars that weren't US Ball or Kerr. But, yeah the lids that came with them had several failures. Ball replacement lids are much more successful. Also I think the standard size lids are a bit better than wide mouth although I prefer to use the wide mouth jars.

[Martin Fisher]

Tattler canning lids are reusable.

The gaskets can be used in the white plastic storage lids to make them seal well.

[Anna N]

2 hours ago, DiggingDogFarm said:

Tattler canning lids are reusable.

The gaskets can be used in the white plastic storage lids to make them seal well.

I have seen these lids locally and if I did a lot of canning I think I would be inclined to use them. I just don't do much more than a couple of jars at a time.