My pile of empty jars is growing…
The larder is emptying…
It can only mean one thing:
Canning season is right around the corner.
As the tomatoes ripen and the cucumbers grow, it’s wise to take a quick inventory of your canning supplies. (Because there’s nothing worse than being mid-canning project, only to realize you’re missing jars or lids!)
I’ve had a lot of questions about canning lids lately.
After the Great Lid Shortage of 2020, everyone seems to be more attentive to their lids.
I’ve tried a number of canning lid brands over the years and definitely prefer some companies over others. So, it’s time for a canning lid review.
But first, let’s talk about the elephant in the room….
Can You Use Canning Lids More Than Once?
“Wait… if my jars come with lids, why do I have to bother buying more?”
It’s a common question. However, while canning jar rings are absolutely reusable, the lids are not.
Regular canning lids are designed to only be used once for actual canning. This is because once the lid is heated and sealed to a jar, its ability to seal again is greatly reduced.
While I occasionally run across folks who insist on reusing lids, I personally don’t. Canning is too much work to mess around with poorly sealed jars.
So while I *will* reuse the spent lids for other types of storage, I don’t use them for other canning projects that require a seal.
(That being said, there ARE reusable canning lids on the market. I’ll talk about those below.)
Beware the Amazon Lids
While I’m not always worried about purchasing “name brand” items, canning lids are one instance where buying generic doesn’t pay off. A number of generic lids popped up on Amazon in 2020 and they produced poor results. When in doubt, stick with a name you know and trust.
Also, I’ve been hearing reports of a newer company selling lids that buckle and even explode when pressure canned. So yes, the brand of lids you use does matter.
The Resource I Wish I Had When I Started
If you are a canning newbie, my Canning Made Easy course is for you! I’ll walk you through each step of the process (safety is my #1 priority), so you can learn to can confidently, without the stress. CLICK HERE to have a look at the course and ALL the bonuses that come with it.
This is the information I wish I had when I first started canning. All of the recipes and safety information are double and triple-checked and we cover water bath and pressure canning.
It’s the next best thing to you coming over to my house and canning right along with me.
My Canning Lid Review
Ball, Kerr, & Bernardin Canning Lids
Ball jars and lids are made in the U.S. under the Newell Company (formerly Jarden), which is a giant corporation that also owns Kerr and Bernardin canning companies. All three of these companies are quite popular in the canning world.
- Canning Lid Material: Tin-Plated Steel
- Cost Per Lid: approximately $0.55 per lid
- Bulk Options: Kerr & Bernardin come in boxes of 12 lids. Ball lids come in boxes of either 12 or 24 lids.
- Sealer: Plastisol
- Company Headquarters: Newell Company, Atlanta, Georgia (each individual company also has headquarters found in different U.S. states)
- Place of Manufacturer: USA
- BPA-Free: Yes
Harvest Guard Canning Lids
Harvest Guard is a reusable canning lid company. Their reusable lids consist of two parts: plastic discs/lids, and rubber rings/gaskets. However, you also need to keep using the metal rings from your traditional canning adventures, so you have to keep holding on to those even if you make the switch to only using reusable canning lids. They also recently announced that they would only be selling one-time use gaskets.
- Canning Lid Material: Food-grade plastic known as Acetal Copolymer
- Cost Per Lid: approximately $0.68 per lid
- Bulk Options: You can buy the gasket parts in a package of 100. You can buy a package of both lids and gaskets in quantities of 50 each.
- Sealer: The gasket is food-grade nitrile rubber
- Company Headquarters: Located in Fruita, Colorado
- Place of Manufacturer: USA
- BPA-Free: Yes
ForJars Canning Lids
ForJars is a fairly new company that started in the last few years. These lids have been gaining popularity thanks to their high sealing rate. Currently, their lids are manufactured in China, but they are currently working to move all of their manufacturing to the USA.
- Canning Lid Material: Stainless Steel composition
- Cost Per Lid: approximately $0.33 per lid
- Bulk Options: ForJars has many options for purchasing their lids: 12 count, 24 count, 50 count, 100 count, and even 1,000 count options are all available on their website.
- Sealer: Food-grade silicone
- Company Headquarters: Located in North Port, Florida
- Place of Manufacturer: China (but hopefully soon in the USA)
- BPA-Free: Yes
My Personal Pick?
For the last year, I’ve been using ForJars lids exclusively and I love them. I’ve met the owners twice and they’re the real deal. The lids are heavy-duty, very affordable, and have sealed more consistently than any other brand I’ve ever used.
While I’m certainly not opposed to reusable lids (and was so thankful for them during 2020!) I found the higher rate of lid failure to be frustrating. (In fact, I just noticed another jar of beans where the Harvest Guard lid had unsealed in storage…)
I *am* keeping my stash of Harvest Guard reusable lids as a back-up, but using For Jars for regular use.
Want to try For Jars lids?
Shop them at http://theprairiehomestead.com/forjars and use code PURPOSE10 to save 10% on your order.
Need more canning help? I’ve got you covered!
- Best Resources for Safe Canning
- The Ultimate Guide to Canning Safety
- Canning with Zero Special Equipment
- Learn How to Can (my canning course for beginners)
I am right there with you, ForJars has provided and filled a need when we desperately needed that in our canning world, and I am incredibly thankful for them. I have a stash of Harvest Gard and I use Ball lids as needed, just so I don’t have old/aged lids sitting in storage. ForJars for the win, definitely worth every cent. Thank you for the code, as well, because that is helpful on my orders, and if people pay attention to promotions (holidays, Black Friday, etc) they will offer package deals where you can get an even better price for your lids, which is amazing of them to do (you will be able to add Jill’s code, as well). They are improving their line of products on a regular basis right now as they are growing as well, and it is all beneficial to us, as canners. 🙂
I’m anxious to try this brand. Thanks for suggestions and comments.
ForJars are my ONLY choice for canning lids now. I’m gradually using up my Ball lids that I had in boxes & I now set aside the ones that come with new jars to use as an absolute back up. I’ve had more failures with them in the last several years than all the other years put together. Which for me, started in 1985. I think I’ve had 2 or 3 at the most since starting to use ForJars and every time, it was an error on my part. (Missed chips in jar) They are worth every penny in my book. I’m not happy that they are currently made in China, but I know that when their operation can be moved to the USA, it will be. I also can’t wait for their line of canning jars to be available. This is a great company, with great customer service & awesome products. I’d urge anyone that cans to check them out & there are lots of youtube channels that always have discount codes to use. As a side thought… back when you couldn’t get canning lids this company seemed to appear our of almost nowhere with products available- in large quantity as well. If they had to start out making them in China, I’m glad they did. Because there were a lot of us scrambling to find lids. Ball/Kerr/Bernardin were worthless to us at that time. So, for me – with their inferior product (lids)… they have become worthless to me. I stay loyal to the brands that stay loyal to their customers!
FORJARS for the win!!!
found your site as i was searching for ” how to can” unfortunately your link for that is unavailable. I have never canned b4 but would love to. Better for my health i do have alot of auto immune diseases. Finding that eliminating alot of processing food. Has help alot. I do cook from scratch alot. Please advise or if possible steer me in right direction. Again, thank you in advance. I love everything on your site.
You can find Jill’s canning course here: http://learnhowtocan.com/
I used Superb lids for first time this year! Purchased at Amish store. They are the best, will continue using them for sure!?
I was going to say the same thing! Superb lids are the best I’ve used and made in the USA. Cheaper in price than Balls lids too.
I prefer the Superb canning lids over all of them. My seal rate has been 100% since switching and they’re made in the USA (Sugarcreek Ohio). Ball used to be good but such a disappointment now.
Superb are really nice. I switched to them when lids were hard to get.
It’s been 1.5 years since this post so I was wondering if you’re still all for ForJars lids? Wondering if your jars that sealed in that first year remained sealed? And if you had any buckling issues in pressure canning? I’m still quite horrified at the increase price in lids over the past several years so continue to research and hunt for a good deal on lids. Thank you for your article.
Jill still uses forjars lids for her canning and has not had issues. We will make sure to update the post if something crazy ever happens!
I like using the Superb Brand for canning lids and sealing ring. I shop online with Lehmans and always get a discount on my orders. 12 lids and rings for regular mouth are only $8.99 and wide mouth are only $10.99. Great price for an American made product. Sorry China, but you are not getting my hard earned money!
I’ve seen Denali lids. Anybody try them?
Virginia, I’ve been using them for about 1.5 years with no problems . I have a 23qt Tanker from Denali and only had 1 or 2 not seal properly. I can fruits , veggies , sauces and sometimes wild game soups.. Love them and pricing isn’t bad either at 33 cents per lid.
Thank you for your review. I saw some ForJars lids today at our Rona store and was wondering about them. I may buy some to try.
I am a Bernardin fan. I reuse my lids as long as the lid is sound. If the sealing compound is severely dented with not much left in a deep groove or if the lid gets pitted and could cause rust, then I get rid of those lids. I reuse lids for years, they are too expensive to throw away each time. They seal and hold that seal just fine. It is very rare that I get a jar that doesn’t seal well. I think clean and inspect the jar rims then inspection of the lid then check every jar for a tight seal before storage is the key.
I check the seal of every jar before it goes into the pantry and never have ones that breaks seal in storage. If I don’t hear that really tight ping when tapping on the lid, that jar either goes in the fridge to be used soon. I may get one or two a year like that out of a few hundred jars a year, both pressure canning and water bath.