[shel]

A friend gave me some canning jars (Kerr and/or Ball) - I think that's what they're called - which have the two part lids. Some lids have what appears to be a coating on the inside, a few don't. Are the coated lids used for acidic contents, like tomatoes? What items are not OK to use with the "uncoated" lids, or is the metal used in those lids OK for all contents.

Signed,

Confused in California

[KYHeirloomer]

Dear Confused (Me, Abby, and Ann Landers, eh, whot)...

Shel, a couple of things you should know:

1. All new canning lids are coated. The sealing compound is also thinner than it used to be, btw. If you actually have uncoated lids they are very old, and the plasticizer has likely leaked out of the sealing compound anyway. I would get rid of them. Or use them for capping jars used for dry storage of things like grains and beans.

But make sure they really aren't coated. Not all coatings produce that white layer. Some are clear, and the metal appears uncoated.

2. All canning lids (as well as jars, rings, and the majority of canning tools and accessories) in North America are made by the same company. There are four brands, each of which used to be independent. Last conglomorator was Jardin, but it, too, has now been absorbed by someone else.

3. Maybe reading too much between the lines, and if so I apologize, but...other than sweet spreads, virtually anything you can using a boiling water bath is high acid. So there would be little point to non-coated lids.

[shel]

Originally Posted by KYHeirloomer

Dear Confused (Me, Abby, and Ann Landers, eh, whot)...

Shel, a couple of things you should know:

1. All new canning lids are coated. The sealing compound is also thinner than it used to be, btw. If you actually have uncoated lids they are very old, and the plasticizer has likely leaked out of the sealing compound anyway. I would get rid of them. Or use them for capping jars used for dry storage of things like grains and beans.

But make sure they really aren't coated. Not all coatings produce that white layer. Some are clear, and the metal appears uncoated.

2. All canning lids (as well as jars, rings, and the majority of canning tools and accessories) in North America are made by the same company. There are four brands, each of which used to be independent. Last conglomorator was Jardin, but it, too, has now been absorbed by someone else.

3. Maybe reading too much between the lines, and if so I apologize, but...other than sweet spreads, virtually anything you can using a boiling water bath is high acid. So there would be little point to non-coated lids.

Thanks - I'm not really doing any canning, just storing stock and broth, leftovers and so on, but I'd also use the jars for home made tomato sause, but again, just for short term storage in the fridge or longer periods in the freezer. Would it be safe if the contents don't come in contact with the lids?

[deltadoc]

My wife and I can all the time, and the lids are all metal except for a ring of grayish colored seal that contacts the rim of the glass canning jars.

Don't know about any "whitish" or "clearish" coating.

doc

[KYHeirloomer]

Shel, it should be perfectly safe even if the contents do contact the lid.

However, if you're concerned, they (under the Ball brand) make plain white plastic screw-on lids, available to fit both regular and wide-mouth canning jars. A box of those (they're washable and reusable) should take care of your needs.

Doc, take a closer look at those lids. The are not raw metal on the inside. They are coated (in the U.S. it's required by law). The sealing ring is then applied to the outside edge. Most lids sold in the U.S. have sealing rings that are on the orange side, rather than grey.

Some of the lids have clear coatings, which superficially appear to be raw metal. Others have a white coating that almost looks like the old porcelain that was used to line zinc one-piece lids. The latter, of course, are no longer considered safe, even though they are aesthetically much more pleasing.

[shroomgirl]

I've got some really really old zinc lids....
KYH you are a wealth of info on canning jars, do you collect any of the old ones?

[KYHeirloomer]

I'm not a collector of things, Shroomgirl, which implies a systematic assemblage. Mostly I'm a user.

I've got a few older jars & zinc lids that I picked up here and there. But I use them for dry storage. They're aesthetically so much more pleasing than the new two-piece lids. I also like the old style jars that used wire bands and rubber rings. But, again, for dry storage. For actual canning I use the modern two-piece lids and rings.

[Suzanne]

Hey there, KYH -- see, I have trouble finding canning jars and lids in NYC, except for high-end, imported, expensive ones in the fancy stores.

Seriously: that is great news about the plastic ones. I may have to mail-order them. I do a lot of bulk prep of things like salsa verde, caramelized onions, chutneys, etc. that I don't actually process, but keep in the fridge. Those lids are just what I need for the jars.

[shroomgirl]

yep, I'm all into function also, pretty is good too. Finding gallon jars for mallows was an interesting hunt. Most jars I find at estate sales in the back of the basement.....take the whole box for $1. !!!! What's really cool is that from the beginning the size of the tops was standardized across the different companies. I can tomato,fraise du bois, black and golden raspberry jams. Freeze pesto in various size jars. Dry goods, Roasted garlic and macerated tomatoes.....
I've got various jars lining my dining room window sills....the colors are fun and finding different manufacturers is a treat.

[KYHeirloomer]

Ya know, Schroom, I've never actually seen a gallon sized Mason jar. Seen 2-gallon and 5-gallon sizes (and you don't even want to know the pricetag on those things).

The largest commonly available ones I know of are 1/2 gallon. They're my favorites for beans and grains.

My big regret: One year I found, in an antique mall somewhere in Arkansas, a bunch of half-gallon jars in blue, with the zinc caps, for five bucks a throw. We were on our way to Baker Creek, to speak at one of their festivals, and I knew Jere Gettle liked using those for seed storage. So I bought all they had, and gave them to Jere--something like 11 of them if I recall.

Lawdy, would I love to have them back.

[KYHeirloomer]

Suzanne, there's nothing new about the plastic lids. I've been using them for at least 30 years.

Here's a site that will give you a better idea of what they're like. It's also the best price I've seen.

Ball Regular Plastic Storage Caps from CanningPantry.com

I should have checked their jar prices while I was there, but didn't.

You might also want to look into 1/2 gallon Mason jars. They are not suitable for actual canning, but for your purposes might be the perfect size.

[phatch]

My local grocer carries the Ball plastic lids. I've used them a bunch for refrigerated storage. Good stuff. My sourdough starter has that lid too.

Phil

[Suzanne]

Thanks, KYH! I will check into them.

Actually, I prefer 8-ounce jars for my stuff, since that way it's used up within a couple of weeks after opening (if not in just one or two uses), which leaves less chance for contamination and going bad. This is home use, after all, which means a husband digging in sometimes. He's learning, but not yet fully trained.

[kuan]

Originally Posted by phatch

My local grocer carries the Ball plastic lids. I've used them a bunch for refrigerated storage. Good stuff. My sourdough starter has that lid too.

Phil

Do you tighten down the lid on the sourdough starter jar?

[phatch]

No, it's on pretty loose. Just enough to keep it from drying out but let it breathe.