Canning Jar Lids

 One of the most controversial items around the canning community is whether canning lids can be re-used.  Most sources say definitely not. 

"Canning lids are typically designed for one-time use. While some people may try to reuse them, it's generally not recommended due to potential safety risks. The sealing compound on the lids can lose its effectiveness after the first use, which may result in a poor seal and spoilage of the canned food."

"I know that it isn’t recommended that you reuse the flat canning lids with rubber around them but I learned from my great uncle that you can and I’ve been reusing mine for the past 15 years or so. This year I sorted through every jar of canned food on my shelf to dust and check them and I only found one that wasn’t sealed out of hundreds. I also usually have one or less each year out of about 150 jars canned that doesn’t seal in the canning process. I believe it is safe to reuse lids."

There you have both sides.  I have been canning for 40+ years and re-using lids for the last 15. Lids have gone from 59 cents a dozen to now close to $5.  And there were a couple of seasons when lids were almost impossible to find.

Here are some of my findings:

1). The really "old" lids(40 years or so) with gray "rubber" are not generally good prospects for re-use.  Also, lids on meat items that have pressure canned may not be suitable.

2). The best ones have the reddish silicone and are not bent or corroded/stained.  If they have just been used for juice, fruit, jelly, etc. they are generally good candidates.

3). Used lids have about the same fail rate as new lids!  They either seal or they don't.  If they don't seal, I refrigerate and use the contents soon and discard the lids or mark for other use so I don't try them again. (I remove the rings after processing and sometimes replace with clean rings, loosely tightened. Most bottles are kept "ringless". This prevents rings from corroding and rusting on the jar.)

4).  I have used some lids up to 7 or 8 times.

5). I have used in recent years, "off brand" new lids and have found them adequate.  Good deals can be found on Amazon for about 22 cents per lid.  Read the reviews.

Question:  "So, how long do bottled items last?"  As long as the lid and seal are tight.  The quality of the items may degrade somewhat, such as fruit going dark.  I have safely used bottled items up to 12-14 years old.

I am a member of several canning groups on facebook.  All kinds of opinions.  I always thought low acid foods HAD to be pressure canned. Many say that they can be water bathed for 3 hours.  I haven't tried it yet because I have a pressure canner.  I don't yet see how cooking something longer will equate to a higher temperature.