A few months back it seemed like you could not find canning lids for love nor money. As it turned out, from what I’ve read, US made canning lids are basically made at only one or two facilities and then sold to the major canning suppliers to be rebranded. Much like how, I am told, there are only a half dozen outfits that actually make AR lowers for all the various brands you see out there.
I was tooling around in the supermarket the other day and, interestingly, there was no shortage of canning lids and other canning supplies. Did the supply chain get caught up? Did the ‘panic’ die down? Probably a combination of both. But much like the Great Primer Scare of the 90’s, it’s a good lesson of how something can go from plentiful to unobtainium in the blink of a news report.
I have no doubt people will populate the comments section with tales of how theyve reused canning lids dozens of times, or that they use the reusable brand of lids and have had barely a hiccup.
This may be true. But its not ideal. As far as I’m concerned, when it comes to jar lids for canning the first choice, by a large margin, are brand new US-made lids from a reputable manufacturer. And I don’t mind spending the money to do that. “But what will you do when you run out of lids?” Well, my first order of business is to have enough of them on hand that this sort of thing is pushed down the ranks of statistical likelihood. The same question could be asked about the guy with the reusable lids….what will you do when they finally get damaged or worn enough that they arent safe to use? Their response will, no doubt, be “that’ll take years”. Well, guess what, I’m buying an equivalent amount of years worth of lids.
I actually don’t can very much at all. Its only in the last year that I’ve started canning some of the meat purchases rather thatn tuck them in the freezer. Prior to that the only things I canned were the occasional gumbo or soup. However, there is an undeniable convenience to having jars of food ready-to-go when you’re hungry. Nothing to thaw and in a pinch you can always eat the room temperature contents without heating.
As Bidenflation continues to screw with food prices (Thanks Brandon!) it makes more sense to, when you find a good deal, capitalize on it and preserve it for that later day when its either unavailable or priced out of your range (either due to job loss or wild inflation). And to do that…lids.
If you’re that rare survivalist who isn’t knowledgeable or informed on the how-to’s of canning, or you’ve just been too intimidated by the process, you really should invest a few bucks and take a swing at it. It’s a marvelous way to preserve food long term without the expense of a freeze dryer or the liability of a blackout-vulnerable freezer.
Recommended reading: Ball Book on Canning
Recommended canner: Anything from All American
Those All-Americans, by the way, are not cheap but it is a buy-once-cry-once sort of thing. Yes, you can buy a Presto or Mirro cheaper but the sheer ruggedness of the AA, and its gasketless design, will pay dividends down the road.
But you know what? Even if you don’t can, pick up a buncha lids because its one of those rare consumer products like matches and .22 rimfire that are cheap to buy, cheap to store, and have virtually no real adequate substitutes that you can make at home.
Oddly locally here in New Hampshire the supply canning lids and jars are sketchy.
I’ve talked to ordering managers, and they say they order lots but get less than 25% of the order over the past year.
But then again when 22 was unobtanium we kept a decent supply coming in most weeks. Some calibers of ammo never ran out here. I was tempted to get a 350 Legend after a while.
I’m also in NH. It’s hit or miss. Runnings in Claremont has a very large selection of canning materials including Ball lids (LOTS of them).
Too bad I don’t know how to PM you. It’s good to network with like-minded folks. Unless the Commander would be so kind.
Just saying – nothing else
I have been using the reusable lids for 25 years
Made in USA
100% success rate
That’s all
BobT
AMEN! I’ve been preaching on this site and others for years about canning your own meat, instead of buying it already canned, and the benefits of reusable lids. Stop relying on stores having things in stock, and inflated prices.
Tractorguy
Even if you keep using the reusable ones, think of what a great barter item the one-time lids are!
That is true! I save all the conventional lids that came on the jars that I have bought, just for that purpose.
The ammo situation is a bit strange. All the Walmarts here in middle and north GA eliminated all their firearms and only stock minimal rifle and shotgun ammo. I was in one the other day and they had six boxes of 350 Legend and three of .222 Remington. I can’t recall the last time I even saw a rifle in the latter caliber. I was almost tempted to buy all three just to have in in a stash for the time it might be good trade items. Gray Fox
Would it not make sense to just buy from somewhere other than WalMart?
If you are in north Georgia, check out Alexander’s in Blairsville. one of the best supplies of ammo, guns, and reloading equipment I have seen in that part of the state in a long time. And I live almost 2 hours away in East Tennessee. I have no connection to Alexander’s other than being a customer.
MEAT! I too have been canning mostly meat as that seems to be the best “bang for the buck”. Take advantage if sales and ride out an increasingly volitile food market.
Anything other than meat and jam is kind of “practice” canning for my purposes.
I probably need to check into the truely reusable lids. The rubber on current lids is perilously thin.
check out Superb Canning Lids. made in the USA, plenty of rubber on the seals. made like the old Ball lids before they went to China with everyone else.
and the All American canners are the best. I took the plunge 15 yrs ago and it has not let us down yet. we can a hell of a lot every year. I just don’t trust our power grid anymore for long term freezing of food. we are to prone to hurricanes here on the gulf coast anyhow. power has be out for weeks at a time here in the past.
Ditto on both the All American Canners and the Superb Canning lids. the lids can be gotten on line for cheaper than ball lids. If you are concerned on what to run your canner on, we use a Camp Chef Tahoe. We do all of our canning outside. Stock up on propane bottles and keep them full. As for the size of canner, We use the 30 quart. Get more than one. They are an investment, not an expense.
What size cooker do you recommend Commander ?
The largest that works on your stove. You can always put less in a large one, but you cant put more in a small one.
I’ve had good success with the reusable lids, but I don’t think they’ll last forever. Lids are cheap enough we can keep a deep stock of both varieties.
Wait, what? 22 got cheap again? I guess I havent been to the depot in a while or maybe I’ve just got Old Fart standards on pricing. Or both.
Correct mindset Commander. These recent events or years of experiences should have been a good stress test and training exercise for any prepper frens out there. Canning lids should be in the “consumable commodities’ category of your KP / kitchen supplies spreadsheets list. Like other items that you would wear out or need replacement after time frames and numerous uses, (socks shoes drawers etc as examples) you should lay in a two three or more years worth of rotational inventory for those items. If your best bumper crop harvest and sales purchases entails you using an X amount of canning lids, jars etc. Then round up that number a bit and lay in a supply of those items to equip yourself for two or three years of operations in that category. It is money well spent, more so than other doodads in the prepper sphere. Stay stocked up so as to be well fed with chow come sporty times.
Like most all we buy••• there is overpriced, fair priced and deal priced items. Those American canners for example are $350-$400. I got a used like new one from Amazon for $90. Like new. Another example of pricing… i was buying rolls of PEXs after finding a good price online – i looked at their website and found the same pipe rolls for different prices. Called the company and their responce was some people like to pay more because the buyer thinks it’s a better product! Buyer beware.
What prices are you seeing?
I’m seeing $3.30 and up for a dozen lids, which, like everything else, is a substantial rise in price.
Jonathan,
ain’t nothing getting any cheaper bro. get what you can now before the prices go up again this spring when they are in demand, or out of stock. I see it as a hedge against inflation.
things like jars, lids, and rings are not like apples or oranges, they won’t spoil. best of luck!
The recent news should point out that a 50.00 bill is worth what you can buy with it.
A good book to review about hyperinflation is:
When money dies
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8567383-when-money-dies
I’ve never had much success storing matches. I bought the last of the Ohio Blue Tip wooden matches(the real ones) and stored them in airtight containers with desiccant. All of them when struck, the head just falls off or turns to mush. Wonder if they were designed to fail after a few years?
I’m still using my strike-anywhere matches that I bought years ago. They’ve been stored in plastic shoe boxes. I’ve thought they lasted this long because we live in a dry climate.
Mine all turned to mush no matter how I had them stored, here in Houston, in less than 4 years. I’ve got paper matchbooks that are still fine, 20-30 years after I picked them up, with no special storage.
n
nick flandrey,
I have noticed that as well… they don’t make nothing like they use to. absolutely everything now has a built in expiration date.
When my sister (Utah) couldn’t get canning lids I found them easily here in Va. I sent her a few dozen boxes. She didn’t want more cause she worried about the durability of the rubber gasket if the lids were just stored in a shelf. Ever cautious to protect my “investment” in lids, I sealed mine in a heavy mylar bag.
I have the canning stuff but I’ve been intimidated to try. One big drawback is my stove is a smooth glass top model. Everything I read says they don’t get hot enough to pressure can. I’ve considered a propane single burner fish fryer gizmo but haven’t pursued it. If someone has experience canning with one as their heat source, I’d appreciate your experience.
I just went to my local Fred Meyers and most of their Kerr canning jars are marked and discontinued and half off. The wide mouthed lids w/o bands were not but all the normal ones and the cases of jars were all marked down. There is another Fred Meyers across town, I’ll check with them and see if they are also discontinued or are they just consolidating some items to one store.
Douggie,
we have been using a All American 925 25 Quart Pressure Canner on our glass top stove for a long time. we have no problem getting it hot but you have to be very careful on how you set them on it, gently. they are heavy!
we’ll set it on the stove and then add the jars and water. we haven’t had a mishap–yet : )