Canning 101 Preserving with Tattler’s Reusable
Lids
One of the primary truths of canning has always been that while the jars and rings are reusable, the lids
are not. When I teach canning classes, I’m
careful to emphasis that those flat metal lids
only have one trip through the canner in them
and that they lose their mojo once through a
boiling water bath.
However, a brand of canning lids called
Tattler recently returned to the market and
they come sporting a pair of dual virtues that
make them nearly irresistible for home
canners. First is the fact that they are nearly
endlessly reusable. That’s right, these are lids
that you don’t have to toss into the trash after
emptying the jar.
Second is that they are free of Bisphenol A (known in shorthand as BPA). Lots of people have turned to
canning in recent days to get away from the BPA that lines so many commercially canned foods, only to
find out that the lids for canning jars are also lined with the stuff. Typically, I try not to worry about
them, comforting myself with the fact that properly canned foods shouldn’t actually be in contact with
those lids after processing. Still, it’s a concern.
I bought several dozen Tattler lids at the beginning of the summer, but didn’t end up using them until
my marathon tomato canning period that started over Labor Day weekend. I spent two full months
passing them up, each time reaching for the disposable lids in my cabinet. I was a little bit wary of them,
uncertain whether they’d work. Additionally, since I typically squeeze my canning into the hours after
dinner and before bed, there’s often an element of frenzy to my putting up. I always felt like I didn’t
have time to teach myself the steps necessary to make the Tattler lids work.
However, when I was canning all those tomatoes, I reached into the cabinet and realized I was
completely out of regular mouth lids. I had to use the Tattler lids. It was trial by fire, particularly since I
was canning in both a boiling water canner and a pressure canner that night. I had a moment of panic
after the processing was complete but before the jars had fully sealed, when I realized I hadn’t left the
rings as loose as was necessary for proper venting, and yet still, it all worked. All the jars sealed and
sealed strong. They pass my standard seal test (grasp edges of lid and lift jar holding nothing but the lid)
with flying colors.
What to Know
There are a couple additional steps to ensuring a good seal. When you apply the lids and screw on the
bands, you MUST then unscrew the band a quarter turn. This ensures that there’s enough space for
the hot air to escape from the jar during processing. Then, when the jars have finished processing and
you’ve removed them to the counter, quickly give all the bands a good, quick tighten. This brings the
rubber seal into firm contact with the rim of the jar and allows the air tight seal to form.
Thoughts?
So far, I’m pretty thrilled with the Tattler lids. Despite my minor user errors the first time out, they still
sealed well. They worked equally well in the boiling water canner and in the pressure canner. I have just
two issues with them. The first is their cost. They are pretty pricey, ringing up at approximately $.80 per
regular mouth lid (not including shipping). Because of this, I can’t make an immediate and complete
switch. However, I plan to add more to my collection every few months until I’ve got a more critical
mass.
The second issue is that they make it harder for me to pass my canned goods along to friends and family,
because I don’t know if I’ll get them back. Like so many new Tattler users, I think that I’ll continue to
keep some of the disposable lids in my arsenal for those items that I plan to gift.
For those of you looking for a step by step guide on how to use these lids, take a peek at this post at
Homestead Revival. It is amazingly detailed and accurate.
For those of you who’ve used the Tattler lids, I’d love to hear what your experience has been like.