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19 Comments

  1. Yes, these work good. I’ve seen so many cans of tomato sauce that is highly acidic, eat through metal cans relatively quickly. After seeing tomato sauces stored in commercial glass jars with polymer coated metal lids last beyond 10 years, I believe tomato sauces canned in glass jars with these plastic lids could stay good for up to 10 years. Of course there is no way to know if these plastic reusable canning lids are gas permeable (oxygen), or not, but I do see the potential. It would be nice to have confirmation on this.

  3. @ThoDan, I’m writing from Germany, and use the german style “bale wire” and Weck jars all the time, as well as my stock of “American” Ball jars, and have the following comment to make regarding using these german and Weck (also a german company) jars with the removable rubber rings. The high temperature of the pressure canner turns the rubber ring into a very hard substance after a few months. I have had to carefully use a very sharp razor knife to open the jars. The rubber ring has bonded to the jar as well as turning harder than wood. A real pain to open. In one instance, after cracking the edge of the glass lid, i actually used a miniature drill bit on my dremel tool to release the vacuum and open the jar. My wife can’t get them open at all.

    I use the Weck jars only for water bath canning, and use the US Ball jars for pressure canning. I also use a common paid deposit 500 ml German yogurt jar for canning and I use pint instructions for it. I wash the lids good after use, and boil them to sterilize them before use. I have used these yogurt jars and disposable lids for years, and have no worse failure rate than with new ball lids. And, after I use them, if there are problematic pieces of food stuck to the sides that is diffocult to clean off, generally wild game , I can always take them back to the store and get my 25 Euro cents deposit back.

  4. Thanks for detailed instructions based on experience. I have tattler kids also but haven’t tried them yet. I’m going to print your directions and have at it!

    1. Good, go for it. You’ll be glad you finally tried then as I was. Better to know how they work now (and feel confident) than after a SHTF situation.

    1. GritsInMontana, I now at least waterbath EVERYTHING for at least 10 minutes – even jellies, just so I don’t have to sterilize the jars ahead of time!

  6. Michelle ,,,,,, good write up ,,if I may add ,we have both harvest guard and tattler ,my personal preference is harvest guard ,first off folks at HG are super to work with , and the lids work well for me ,i like the lack of a inset on the seal area , we use them to cold seal dried fruits , and extra rice , grain , suger, corn meal ,hard candy ,tea ,pancake mix ,spices, very handy to not have to open large containers
    Hot packing it is important to leave extra head space
    We found harvest guard from Jim giving HG a shout out , if you order from HG tell them Jim sent you ,ask for a deal too
    I will no longer buy more TATTERS

    1. Thanks for the recommendation. I did not know about Harvest Guard lids, but now I do. I will purchase some of those as well – you learn something every day!

  8. I always sterilize my jars, rings and lids. Call me paranoid. Thank you for this article. This is one of those learning projects on my to do list and you have motivated me to try these out this year.

    BTW – I was really busy the past two years as I was completing projects so I could retire from being an employee and become self-employed. Having some garden produce ready to can, my beloved husband stepped up and did a very good job doing some canning. He is an engineer and looks at it as a science experiment. Of course, he is way more precise in following the instructions than I would be. I have been canning since my grandmothers (both married during the depths of the depression) taught me in the ’70s. I am so very grateful and have worked to teach my children. And I guess my husband without intending to do so.

  10. One more thing ,,,,,we are off grid ,a common dishwasher is not really practical but in days past living by my self I kept a old dishwasher to help with canning ,was worth running a generator to prep jars and lids ,did it outside because the thing leaked so bad ,would do about 200 qts a day of salmon, by my self ,had 4 of the supersize pressure canners going at once ,

    Can’t hardly think about eating salmon any more ,had a permit to take 200 fish a day with a gillnet,,,alaska ,oh to be young again ,

    1. Oldhomesteader, Wow! 200 qts per day. Makes me exhausted just thinking about that. I am a Master Food Preserver, and at the height of my canning, I never came anywhere near to that amount in one day.

  11. @Oldhomesteader, I know the feeling, I had a hunting lease for 18 years here in Germany, and I or my team shot between 35 to 50 wild boars a year, and 30 Roe Deer a year. Me and the wife canned, smoked or made wurst all year long for 18 years. I had wild game for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and evening snacks, made liverwurst out of the livers, and stuffed stomach out of the heart and kidneys. We ate wild boar bacon, made rolladen out of the sides, canned boar stew,and boiled the bones for soup. My gout was out of control. Even my dog got tired of the lung and kidneys after a while. My son used to joke that he eats so much wild game, he thinks he is growing a tail.

    At Christmas all my neighbors would have wild game, and my family would have…… chicken!

    Salmon, 200 a day, sounds like paradise……. for a while.

  12. Perfect timing on this article! I just purchased my first batch of Harvest Guard lids and seals this month. Thank you for sharing your experience and recommendations.

  13. Great timing on article,from years of experience -after the deal has set(room temp) loosen the metal ring 1/4 turn(or remove and dry and replace) this protects seal,allows stacking and prevents rusted on rings. Any information if these lids can be used for vacuum canning(easy way to store dry food stuffs or moisture/heat sensitive items)

  14. Good article Michelle. As you indicted, the biggest difference with reusable canning lids is the application of the metal band. The key to success is, never apply the metal band too tight before processing, and always tighten after removal from the canner. Even then, people have difficulties as “tighten” means different things to different people. A “domed” or “bulged” lid indicates the metal band is too tight and has trapped pressure during processing. This can adversely affect seal quality as the vacuum created during cooling must first overcome the trapped pressure, THEN create the seal. Properly (gently) applied bands will allow pressure to release normally during canning thereby ensuring the cooling process is all about strong vacuum creating a good, lasting seal.
    We recommend users first try canning a few jars of water when using reusable lids. It helps get past the learning curve, and ensures the only thing lost is time if a jar doesn’t seal.
    As long time supporters of, and advertisers on SurvivalBlog, it’s good to see others sharing their experience and knowledge here. I’d like everyone to know they are always welcome to contact us at Harvest Guard with any questions or concerns you may have about our products.
    We’d love to hear from you at http://www.canninglids.com and as always, if you order from us and enter the coupon code “survivalblog” you’ll receive an additional 10% off any order.

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