Where are all the lids???

[TexasLisa]

Farmerjan, I had to sit down after reading about your days. You are BUSY!

I went to WalMart to pick up cleaning supplies. The aisle was bare. I asked the stockers about it and they said the manufacturers aren't sending it out regularly. One week they might get Lysol brands. The next week it will be something else. He put the blame on social distancing in the plants, etc.

So when you can buy extra. I am just glad I have backups of my backups.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

check the dollar general store. lots of regular kids and jars

CR: I would think it would be counterproductive to buy up the regular kids. Takes them so very long to grow out to useful size, and they will rapidly deplete your pantry.

I would like to ask LG about reusing lids, I was always taught do not reuse lids and now I am mourning all the lids I threw away,

Bambi. Yeah, there are so many of the "they say" statements that must be tested to verify usefulness. Consider this: If a jar seals, then the contents are safe. If you remove a lid, and the white "paint" is intact, not stained, the rubber ring is likewise in "like new" shape, and there are no dents on the top, and you roll out any indent on the rim: I just place the lid on the counter, and roll it where the can opener might have raised a bit of a dent. This restores the profile of the lid to "like new". All my lids are carefully inspected, washed with a soft soapy cloth, rim restored, and carefully saved for next use. I never tip a jar upside down when I remove it from the canner. I don't know where that idea came from: tipping a jar upside down after canning!

 

[flowerbug]

same here with reusing lids, as long as they are not damaged and i'm doing high acid items i don't worry as much for things we do for ourselves. for things we are giving to other people i only use new lids. any lids in decent condition can also be used for putting jars going into the freezer. we might use them quite a few times before they get sent to the recyclers... i don't use a can opener which bends the lids much so i don't get marks or bends in them.

 

[flowerbug]

... I just don't have the time with the animals and still working. And sometimes don't have the energy .... plus the knees aching...

i need a nap after reading that and i've hardly done anything at all yet today... *whew*

 

[bambi]

Thank you to all for answering my questions, so I found a few already-used lids that looked to be in good shape
and processed some tomatoes using them and they sealed SWEET!!! but now I keep thinking of all the lids I threw away wondering if they had been used and just threw them away for safety reasons ughhh...

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Yes, I feel a sense of loss and frustration over the lids that are needlessly tossed in the trash, even when this happens in someone else's kitchen. Such needless loss, and such wasted material resources as well as $$$. All b/c of needless fear.

 

[Mini Horses]

There are lids & rings in some stores here. Before CV19 I had checked my own supply and thought I'd be short, bought a few, then went through boxes of my canning goods -- unused for 2 years -- and found dozens of brand new boxes of lids. Nice! Now, with all this, I buy a couple more boxes when I find them. Always next year!! Jars are often low-supply and see stores sold out that almost never sold any before.

Put canning stuff on the list with yeast.

Many of my fav seed places are "sold out". At least will be FEW sales this year. Again, I'm stocked with seed and buy a few now & them for 2021 use. My thinking is that 2021 will ease but, still be hard to find items like these. I have re-used as LG has but, I always use new on the meat dishes. Re-used I apply for WBC if short lids.

My best finds are any older feed stores that also sell these type items. Often the general public doesn't frequent them as often.

What I HATE is how badly those rings get to looking so bad!!

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I always remove rings as soon as the jars are cooled. I have TONS of rings, but still have to throw some away now and then. I hate to use a ring for storage, and have bought several packages of the plastic lids, just so I don't rust out my metal ones. My hard water is also hard on them.

And, I always rinse and dry or wipe down the lid and top of jar before placing it into storage. There can be some product seepage in the canning process which can leave debris at the jar/lid interface, causing lid deterioration.

 

[JanetMarie]

CR: I would think it would be counterproductive to buy up the regular kids. Takes them so very long to grow out to useful size, and they will rapidly deplete your pantry.




Bambi. Yeah, there are so many of the "they say" statements that must be tested to verify usefulness. Consider this: If a jar seals, then the contents are safe. If you remove a lid, and the white "paint" is intact, not stained, the rubber ring is likewise in "like new" shape, and there are no dents on the top, and you roll out any indent on the rim: I just place the lid on the counter, and roll it where the can opener might have raised a bit of a dent. This restores the profile of the lid to "like new". All my lids are carefully inspected, washed with a soft soapy cloth, rim restored, and carefully saved for next use. I never tip a jar upside down when I remove it from the canner. I don't know where that idea came from: tipping a jar upside down after canning!

Thanks for the tip on re-using lids! Do you also re-use lids used in pressure canning? How do you roll it out to smooth out the dent?

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Yes, I have re-used lids for pressure canning, for low cost items like green beans, stuff that is in the canner for short periods of time. But, for items that are in the canner for longer time periods, or more costly items, such as meat, I will use a new lid, just to hedge my bets for maximum success. (again, I say that a sealed jar is a sealed jar, no matter how many times I've used the lid). To smooth the edge, I stand the lid on edge on the counter, as though it was a wheel, and roll the lid over the little divot caused by the can opener. It will be restored to original factory edge. If it needs extra tweaking, I'll look around for something with a rounded edge that matches the contour of the lid edge, and use that to restore the contour.