Anyone Canning Using Tattlers?

[Smuvers Farm]

As another step into becoming more self sufficient, while staying as green as possible, we're thinking about using the reusable tattler lids for canning purposes.

Anyone have used them? Still using them? Any pros and cons? I'd even like thoughts from people who haven't used them. Just want to see ideas from all angles.

Thanks!

Edit to add: If anyone has any plans or links to plans on how to MAKE your own lids, that would be awesome too!

 

[sylviethecochin]

My mother has some, and they're nice enough, though the rubbers tend to get a little brittle after a few years. The metal tops definitely seal better--she tends to use the tattlers on applesauce and jellies and other things that can be rescued if they don't seal properly.

EDT: Boiling water canner.

 

[IamRainey]

I've used them. There's a knack to getting them sealed. I get seals about 75% of the time with Tattler. I can't remember how using them is different. Just read and follow Tattler's instructions. Meanwhile, I've used Ball/Bernadin metal lids & rings and Weck glass lids with far more reliable success.

And you may want to think about whether you'll want Tattlers or conventional lids on things you gift because you'll probably never see those lids again and it's doubtful the recipient is going to be reusing them, so that's counter productive.

I like the idea of a reusable so I'll keep trying. The good news is you can buy replacement rubber gaskets at Tattler's site.

 

[lazy gardener]

Interesting. I've never seen or heard of them. However, I have a friend who has been canning for years. She does not pressure can. She does use her standard canning lids over again, and says that she can re-use her lids repeatedly, as long as the red rubber ring around the edge of the lid looks to be in good shape. She showed me a lid with a little ding on the edge of it where she'd used a can opener on it. I asked her about that. She took it, and rolled the edge of it across a wooden beam in front of her, and the ding smoothed right out so that it was no longer visible and could not be felt. Since then, I've been re-using my lids for HWB canning, but use a new lid for pressure canning.

My friend also showed me her stash of regular jars from the grocer. I asked why she was saving them. She took me to an other shelf, and showed my row upon row of produce canned in standard jars from the grocery store. All of them were using the usual lids that the canned goods were bought with. She stated that they sealed just fine, and as long as the jar sealed, it was good to go! So, I took my cue from her, and started saving all of my jars from the grocery store. Those jars seal very well, and I use them for my home made salsa, jams, apple sauce. Some of the last jars of salsa were sealed so tight that I couldn't open them. My husband had a hard time getting one open, even when he used a rubber "jar opener".

I'm not advising the reader to re-use her lids, nor am I advising the reader to re-use jars from the grocery store. Just telling you what my wise friend and I am doing.

 

[Smuvers Farm]

Interesting. I've never seen or heard of them. However, I have a friend who has been canning for years. She does not pressure can. She does use her standard canning lids over again, and says that she can re-use her lids repeatedly, as long as the red rubber ring around the edge of the lid looks to be in good shape. She showed me a lid with a little ding on the edge of it where she'd used a can opener on it. I asked her about that. She took it, and rolled the edge of it across a wooden beam in front of her, and the ding smoothed right out so that it was no longer visible and could not be felt. Since then, I've been re-using my lids for HWB canning, but use a new lid for pressure canning.

My friend also showed me her stash of regular jars from the grocer. I asked why she was saving them. She took me to an other shelf, and showed my row upon row of produce canned in standard jars from the grocery store. All of them were using the usual lids that the canned goods were bought with. She stated that they sealed just fine, and as long as the jar sealed, it was good to go! So, I took my cue from her, and started saving all of my jars from the grocery store. Those jars seal very well, and I use them for my home made salsa, jams, apple sauce. Some of the last jars of salsa were sealed so tight that I couldn't open them. My husband had a hard time getting one open, even when he used a rubber "jar opener".

I'm not advising the reader to re-use her lids, nor am I advising the reader to re-use jars from the grocery store. Just telling you what my wise friend and I am doing.

No worries LG, I collect the store jars as well... AND we re-use the canning lids that look reusable! (We wash by hand, no dishwasher, and NEVER let any of the lids sit in water ever). We do a LOT of fermenting, so the store jars work quite well with our misc kimchis, sauerkrauts, pickles, etc.

Also, some of the store jars use vacuum sealing, which can be copied with a home vacuum sealer. We don't have one since our move, but it's on the list of things to replace.

My big issues with canning lids is, I was looking more for something that I could use for years and years, and not have to rely on ordering them from Amazon or going to the store to replace them. I had also looked online for a tutorial about making my own lids... if that's even possible.

 

[IamRainey]

Hey, lazy gardener! I reuse metal lids all the time too. So long as I can pick the jar up by the lid I feel OK about it. I always use new lids for anything I plan to gift but I feel fine about reused lids for myself.

I have also reused jars from other products. Some of them are so pretty and unusual. But then I end up with entire cabinets taken up by jars. So, at this point, something has to really clean my clock to get reused.

I understand why government agencies and food writers have to be conservative in their approach. And I understand why some people aren't OK with home canned food too. But I grew up with a great aunt who was still canning her pickles and veggies with the domed-glass-lids-&-wire-bail jars and her jams with paraffin. Her stuff was delicious and no one ever had so much as a belly ache so I accepted the concept of home canned foods before I ever heard of botulism or the Ball Blue Book.

 

[Trish1974]

I'm going to try the tattler lids this year, too. My receptionist has used them for years and doesn't have any complaints regarding them.

 

[lazy gardener]

Interesting. Now that I'm aware of them, it might be worth picking some up. the big issue I see is that some folks are reporting a 25% failure rate in the seals. That's not acceptable to me. But, it might be good to have some on hand, in light of our unstable world and economic situation. I also have a dryer, and if the shtf I would most likely depend on dehydration as my main preservation method. No doubt, I have the materials on hand to make a solar dryer.

 

[IamRainey]

As I said, there is a specific technique to using them. But I couldn't remember what it was so I went looking for the directions and found this video. I can see 2 things I did wrong when I tried to use them like conventional lids: I wasn't careful to make sure I didn't over tighten before they went in the water bath and I didn't immediately tighten them when they came out.

This video talks about the correct technique too and about pressure canning with them as well. He also mentions the technique of putting the lids in place and reminded me that you can get a sample of 2 lids (regular or wide mouth and white or green) from the Tattler website. That's how I got started with them.

 

[eatwhatyougrow]

I have a case of 100 of them sitting somewhere. Bought them and then didn't get the chance to do any canning last season. So yes I have bought them. Nope haven't used them yet. But this year I plan to test them out. But I also reuse lids... I try to keep them clean and use them as long as possible. I also look for items that come in jars that are the right size...I often find Aldi items that are in traditional jar lid size, so I buy it for the jar, especially when on sale and get whatever is in it as a bounus!