# Tattler canning lids



## bunkerbob

I purchased 3 dozen each, of the wide mouth and regular reusable 'Tattler' canning jar lid system as suggested by *UncleJoe*. It consists of a plastic lid and a rubber ring, you use the standard metal rings. I made a traditional blackberry jam with sugar and processed for 30 min in a boiling water bath. I will do a product review when they have cooled and then about 1 month from now.

*Update, the lids seem to be tight and sealed as good as the common type, used fingernail pressure to test. Now I will wait, hopefully in about a month and retest, unless I get a urge to eat some more blackberry jam sooner.*

*Update 7-2, one out of the 5 lids failed to seal, actually the first one in years that has not sealed while canning. I am very careful to check the rim for cracks and chips, and wipe it down after filling with a clean damp cloth prior to putting on lids. I also put the lids and rings in boiling water prior to sealing to soften and sterilize them.*


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## kyfarmer

I have heard of them but never used them. Let everyone know how they worked out.


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## catsraven

I have been wondering about them. Thinking about getting some myself. Keep us posted.


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## bunkerbob

I posted updates in the original post.


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## Woodwife

I've been using Tattler lids for a couple of months now.

I really like them, so far they've been very dependable. I've reused some o the lids and rings several times already and they're still sealing great. I just need to see what happens a year from now to the jars that are put away.


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## lanahi

They have some excellent reviews. I did not see it, but Jackie Clay from Backwoods Home magazine also recommended them highly in one of her articles.

Tattler does point out one difference between those and regular lids:
Screw band on jar loosely. Center lid on jar and hold in place with finger while you finish tightening the metal band, THEN TURN BACK ¼ INCH. Product must be allowed to vent during processing. Process as per instructions for various foods. TIGHTEN METAL BAND FIRMLY IMMEDIATELY UPON REMOVAL FROM CANNER.

The failure to seal may be due to not turning it back that 1/4 inch so it can vent. Also, you have to have the right head space:
Shallow Thoughts from Iowa: My experience with Tattler Reusable Canning Lids

Overall, canning lids worked great

Adventures in Self Reliance: Tattler Reusable Canning Lids

I have three dozen of them but will use regular lids before I use the Tattler's, since they are more for the future after SHTF.


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## IrritatedWithUS

Excellent post! Very informative. I might give those a try on a few things. 1 out of 5 failing kind of put me off but I'll never know what'll happen until I try!

I went to a thrift store the other day and bought 2 big boxes of canning jars with lids for $15.00!!


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## BuggingIn

Nice find, IWU! I need to get together with a gal pal from work to pick up a roomful of canning jars, complete with contents. She's cleaning out her grandma's place, so I have no idea what's in the jars, but they'll feed the dog and chickens, if not fit for people food.


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## BuggingIn

On another forum I frequent, there was a hint on how to save flats for reuse. Most of the failures from re-using canning lids come from bending the lid when you remove it from the sealed jar. The hint was to place the unopened jar in a pan of water and let it heat slowly until the contents are hot...that causes the seal to unseal, without having to bend the lid. Then the flat can be removed with finger pressure, and the lid can be used again. Of course, this wouldn't work with things like jams and jellies, but for foods that will be heated before serving anyway, this provides a way to start the reheating process AND remove the lid easily.

I haven't tried this trick yet, but plan to soon. I would think you'd need to take a good look at the sealing compound, too, and smooth it down while it's still warm, if there's a thinned line from the jar rim.

I've bought a dozen of the Tattle lids, too, but haven't tried them yet as I have plenty of regular flats. I do need to try them out so I don't have a learning curve when it's essential to have every jar seal.


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## JayJay

BuggingIn said:


> On another forum I frequent, there was a hint on how to save flats for reuse. Most of the failures from re-using canning lids come from bending the lid when you remove it from the sealed jar. The hint was to place the unopened jar in a pan of water and let it heat slowly until the contents are hot...that causes the seal to unseal, without having to bend the lid. Then the flat can be removed with finger pressure, and the lid can be used again. Of course, this wouldn't work with things like jams and jellies, but for foods that will be heated before serving anyway, this provides a way to start the reheating process AND remove the lid easily.
> 
> I haven't tried this trick yet, but plan to soon. I would think you'd need to take a good look at the sealing compound, too, and smooth it down while it's still warm, if there's a thinned line from the jar rim.
> 
> I've bought a dozen of the Tattle lids, too, but haven't tried them yet as I have plenty of regular flats. I do need to try them out so I don't have a learning curve when it's essential to have every jar seal.


Great idea---I don't reuse my lids but if desperate I would. (have 50 boxes bought for later)
But I do save them now for other things...like my cornmeal, pancake mix, and flour are in canning jars now..less space in the cabinet and air doesn't get to it...many canister sets do not have air tight seals.


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## netandtim

Wanted to update this thread. I've been using Tattler lids for about 1 1/2 to 2 years. I'm opening up and using jars from a year ago. No seal failures so far in storage. Had a couple seal failures in my first couple of batches but that was 100% operator error. Failed to tighten seals after removing from canner. I use both Tattlers and regular lids. Regular lids on stuff that might get given away/ leave my house - mainly jams, jellies, pickles. Real food gets canned with Tattlers.

Tattler came out with a change to their processing instructions in mid-May 2012. Basically, they changed the requirement to 'turn back 1/4 INCH after tightening'. Below is copied from the email I received directly from Tattler outlining the changes.

We are e-mailing past customers to inform you of slight changes we made to our instructions in late 2011. We found that many customers were over-tightening the metal screw band prior to processing, which can cause excessive pressure to become trapped in the jar, thus causing potential problems with the seal. Please pay particular attention to Step #5 (the only major change we made) and #7 when canning with your reusable canning lids.

4. Wipe top of jar after filling. Place lid and rubber ring combination on jar. 
5. Screw band on jar loosely. Center lid on jar and hold in place with finger while tightening the metal screw band finger-tip tight. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN. Product must be allowed to vent during processing. 
6. Process as per instructions for various foods. 
7. TIGHTEN METAL BAND FIRMLY IMMEDIATELY UPON REMOVAL FROM CANNER. 
8. When jars have cooled, remove metal band and lift gently on the lid to determine if any failure has occurred. Sealed jars may be stored without metal bands if desired.


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## kappydell

Im glad Im not the only one who learned to re-use lids....grandma always was very careful when she removed the lids so she could re-use them. She also re-used the red rubber rings with her other kind of lids. I was amazed to find you can still buy the red jar rubbers....the canning instructors have fits, but nonetheless this is a good thing to know even if it is 'not recommended'.


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## Riverdale

Going to have to get some of these


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## kejmack

This is a great thread! I will be getting some of the Tattler lids now. I was too afraid to try them before. Thanks.


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## LilJo

Hi, new to this forum. I bought a few of the Tattler lids about a year ago to test them out. So far I have not had a failure. When finances permit, want to buy a "bunch." I regularly re-use my regular canning lids with good success. As somebody mentioned, the key seems to be taking them off very carefully. Tip I received was to use a spoon at the very tip of the jar and turn gently so as not to bend the lid, but I like the heating idea, I'll try that--when I'm not in a hurry


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## partdeux

I've had mixed success. Virtually never have a tin lid failure, but way too many Tattler lid failures.


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## fedorthedog

I picked up 200 of these assorted lids and rings from The Marketplace for 139.00 including shipping.


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## siletz

I have switched almost completely over to the Tattler lids. If you have a facebook account, you can "like" them on facebook and they post when they have a special sale on their website. I was able to buy them at just over $6 a dozen, so it won't take long before they begin to pay for themselves. It took a little getting used to when first using them, but it's not hard. I can a lot each year and these lids are a great way to be more prepared.


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## partdeux

siletz said:


> I have switched almost completely over to the Tattler lids. If you have a facebook account, you can "like" them on facebook and they post when they have a special sale on their website. I was able to buy them at just over $6 a dozen, so it won't take long before they begin to pay for themselves. It took a little getting used to when first using them, but it's not hard. I can a lot each year and these lids are a great way to be more prepared.


My most precious product, bloody mary mix, was canned using tattlers. Two out 18(?) did not seal. That's way too high a loss rate for that product!

Followed all my usual initial canning routines, wiping down the rims, putting on the hot lids (and seals), tightening it to the same pressure I use for flats. Normal pressure canning process, let pressure come off naturally, opened the lid to the canner, and following tattler's instructions, tweaked the rings a tiny bit... To about the same torque as initial.


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## siletz

partdeux said:


> My most precious product, bloody mary mix, was canned using tattlers. Two out 18(?) did not seal. That's way too high a loss rate for that product!
> 
> Followed all my usual initial canning routines, wiping down the rims, putting on the hot lids (and seals), tightening it to the same pressure I use for flats. Normal pressure canning process, let pressure come off naturally, opened the lid to the canner, and following tattler's instructions, tweaked the rings a tiny bit... To about the same torque as initial.


Yes, I would agree that 2 out of 18 is way too high a failure rate. I have not had any more seal failures with tattlers than I do with regular lids. I am not an expert on this, but one thing that I noticed about what you did was that you tightened them at the beginning before processing. They need to be kept loose during processing, and then tightened down after coming out of the canner. This lets the air escape during processing. Maybe you tightened them too tight at the beginning. I watched a youtube video put out by tattler recently that I thought had good insight into the differences in processing between the metal lids and the tattlers.






I would encourage you to not stop after one failed attempt. When things calm down a little over the winter, try canning water in them to see if you can get the hang of them without wasting food.


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## partdeux

Thanks for the link... you're right, I may have been tightening them too tight BEFORE the canning process.


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## siletz

Hope it helps. I've been canning for a long time now, so it took a little bit to re-train my brain, but it has definitely been worth it for me.


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## Caribou

I got a dozen Tattler lids at a garage sale over twenty years ago. I tried them and was pleased. I thought they were out of business as I had never seen or heard of them before or since. I set the ones I had aside for a rainy day. A few months ago I saw an ad and sent off for a bunch more and some spare rubbers. I have had no problems with them. I expect to experience failures in the future as I have had failures with my Ball Lids on rare occasion in the past. I did some canning this year and used the 20+ year old Tattler lids and gaskets, they all sealed.

I have a friend that reuses lids on a regular basis. He also uses jars that had products in them from the store if the lids are still good. That threw me for a loop till I realized this was a living person telling me so it must work. Subsequently I have eaten from these jars and he does a good job. I'll stick with canning jars for my own canning but I will keep this trick in my hat for future need.


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## BadgerPeak

Tattler canning lids are one of our hottest sellers. We hear almost 100% positive feedback from users, and we've been very happy with ours. They take canning from a decent preparedness concept to true sustainability.


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## DJgang

BadgerPeak said:


> Tattler canning lids are one of our hottest sellers. We hear almost 100% positive feedback from users, and we've been very happy with ours. They take canning from a decent preparedness concept to true sustainability.


That's good to know, being from the retailer of the product especially.

Been thinking about purchasing a large amount, myself and two others going in together, 'more bang for buck' so to speak.


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## DJgang

On sale today only on tattler website, 69.95 for twelve dozen


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## jsriley5

hope they rerun that somtime I haven't spent my budget


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## PackerBacker

BadgerPeak said:


> Tattler canning lids are one of our hottest sellers. We hear almost 100% positive feedback from users, and we've been very happy with ours. They take canning from a decent preparedness concept to true sustainability.


How many uses are the rubber rings expected to last?


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## siletz

PackerBacker said:


> How many uses are the rubber rings expected to last?


From the Tattler website:

A: Yes, the rubber gaskets are reusable and will seal numerous times when used as directed. We have received letters from customers stating they have used the lids and rings for as many as 20 years until the rings finally stretched beyond use. That anecdotal evidence is backed up by our own research. Last summer (2010) we conducted a test using 14 lids and rings. The test materials were product we found in storage since 1976. They were used in both water bath and pressure canning tests over several weeks, during which time all were reused 14 times without failure. The 14th round was conducted on food items, most of which remain in storage awaiting use. We ended the test due to time constraints. When cared for properly, many years of use may be expected.

I love my Tattler lids. I've been using them for over a year now, and have really liked them. I would recommend getting a few boxes to see if you like them as well.


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## PackerBacker

Thanks. 

They must last longer then I had imagined.

They still seem extremely cost prohibitive. The sale price quoted below is still ~4x the regular price of regular lids. ~7x times the sale price of regular lids.


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## siletz

To me, the cost was the biggest factor to get over before diving in. I purchased a few boxes to be sure I liked them first. Then, I waited until they had a bulk lot on sale that ended up being just over $6 per dozen. I also bought extra rubber rings at the same time. At current prices here for the regular lids, I'll start saving money on my 4th use. But, I didn't purchase them for the money savings. I purchased them because canning my garden produce is a big part of my preparedness plan. I like knowing I will be able to continue that without any added purchases.


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## DJgang

I made a bulk order on December the 10th for 12 dozen. I still haven't received my order. So I emailed customer service, as I got an email saying my order would ship within 48 hours, just to follow up.

They overlooked my order because I had paid via pay pal. Something about when paying with pay pal, they have to go into pay pal and accept the payment, mine was overlooked. Yet pay pal took my money that day. 

So, to give y'all a heads up....just letting ya know about this possible glitch in Tattler 's system. Seems like they'd be watching orders rather than pay pal, getting the order then verifying the payment rather than looking for payment and verifying order. Oh well. She said they are shipping.....


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## Trinka

Has any one tried these "rings/sealers" with reg lids? would they work?

OR any one lucky enough to have any of the old time glass ones that used the rubber seals? tried them with these?

There's a whole basket of the old blue green jars at my DD house in the basement.....I wonder if any of them have the old lids still on them?

She said I could have the whole basket....BUT...she hasn't brought them over yet.....hmmmm....will have to investigate further...


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## Caribou

Trinka said:


> Has any one tried these "rings/sealers" with reg lids? would they work?
> 
> OR any one lucky enough to have any of the old time glass ones that used the rubber seals? tried them with these?
> 
> There's a whole basket of the old blue green jars at my DD house in the basement.....I wonder if any of them have the old lids still on them?
> 
> She said I could have the whole basket....BUT...she hasn't brought them over yet.....hmmmm....will have to investigate further...


Lehmans has the gaskets for these old jars.

http://non-electric.lehmans.com/sea...39433734&ts=rac&rt=racsug&asug=jar?apelog=yes


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## Trinka

Caribou said:


> Lehmans has the gaskets for these old jars.
> 
> http://non-electric.lehmans.com/sea...39433734&ts=rac&rt=racsug&asug=jar?apelog=yes


Oh!  Thanks for the info and the link....even though my pc is throwing one of its fits right now and link won't load......I will keep trying....

Now I'm on the hunt for more jars!


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## Caribou

Trinka said:


> Oh!  Thanks for the info and the link....even though my pc is throwing one of its fits right now and link won't load......I will keep trying....
> 
> Now I'm on the hunt for more jars!


If the link wont work go to Lehmans and do a search on rubber jar seals. I've had good luck at garage sales and second hand stores. I find the best retail price for new jars and the rings and lids. I subtract the price of rings and lids from the price of the jars and then divide that in half. This is the maximum price I will pay. I have seen used jars priced higher than new when you factor in the cost of rings and lids.


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## simplymom

I requested them for Christmas and got 8 doz. I have tried them out and really like them.


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## simplymom

In response to the old glass flats...I have used the tattler rubbers and followed the same instructions. They have worked well. I only have a few glass ones butch my mother in law has more in her basement and I will be stopping by and getting them 


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