I have used the Tattler lids, but last fall was my first season. I can't complain--I LOVE THEM! Tattler is also BPA-free. I think my biggest debate is when I gived canned food as gifts, do I ask for the lid back, because they are almost as expensive as the jars *wink*

You're giving your home canned stuff to the wrong people, Mayberry! ;-) When I get canned stuff from somebody I wash the jar AND the (non reusable) lid when I'm done and keep it to return to the person the next time I see them!

When I was a kid pickles and most of the stuff we canned was done with "zinc" lids and rubber gaskets which were used over and over and over....... Ya can't get those anymore! I remember one time when we ran out of gaskets and I was given an old inner tube (what's that!!!) to cut a couple gaskets out of--which were then sterilized and used just like the "real" ones! It really is a shame we've turned into such a Disposable Society!

Skybird

Here is a link that might be useful:

I'm routinely dismissed over on the Harvest Forum as some sorta botulism-risking daredevil kook, but I reuse the regular lids all the time. Just open the jars carefully so the lids don't bend, and inspect them carefully for signs of rust.

Have to admit that the lids these days are junk - the ones from 10 years ago, I was able to reuse 4-5 times. Now days, maybe once.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm still not decided on whether to use them or not. Once I start paying for this year's lids, I may decide quicker.

Connie

Connie,
I have used them for a couple of years ,, What I do is can some things for gifts with regular lids,and some of my own with the Tattler lids..I have yet to invest in the hundreds I need for our canning,,LOL But the couple dozen I have been using have been nice..
On the other hand I come from one of those crazee old families who has a mother who used old pickle jars and their lids,, which yes will reseal very well if treated properly,,LOL,,Like David above I also have reused the regular lids for several trips through the canner and gotten proper sealing.. Personally coming from a family that has processed foods and including canning for well over a hundred years I think that the those who write the little guidelines are so afraid of crossing a line they put everything in the too safe category.. Families like mine have never knocked anyone off with botulism or any other canning related deaths ,,,LOL,,, Skybird,, LOL inner tubes I can relate girl,,They make great gasket seals,,of course keep in mind your talking to a lady who's house is wrapped in epdm and teaches recycling in the garden,,amongst other alternatives..
Mary

I had to learn canning on my own. My mother and grandmother never did, they just bought it. My great-grandmother in Germany canned everything.

Anyway, I have been told by friends that grew up in those canning families the same thing. Don't bend the lids. As long as the rubber is flexible you can reuse it. I always use reused canning lids on high acid foods: tomatoes, pickles relish salsa and the like. I have been told never reuse lids in a pressure canner though (at least not the cheapo ones.) And pressure cook the heck out of green beans that is where most cases of home grown botulism come from.

Hope you are all having a good summer.

Billie

i agree with david the current generation of lids and rings are very flimsy...last night i was putting up a batch of pickles and when i checked them in hot water bath , i noticed that 3 of them had a sharp upward fold along the edge ...i removed them popped them off cleaned rims and put fresh ones on and back they went...there was no reason other than some manufacturing flaw for this to occur all jars loaded correctly etc....it really gave me pause for concern...rings seemed thinner too

The lids are much thinner and the seal is only 1/2 the thickness of the old seals. I found an old one that had fallen behind the canning shelves when we moved. The new rings are also so wimpy you have to sqeeze some of them to make them round enough to get on the jars. I have more jars that don't seal after pressure canning than I've ever had before. GRRR.