Friday, July 15, 2011

Tattler-tale!

I read recently that regular canning lids contain BPA in the coating of the lid - that's right..the part that comes into contact with all of my canned food!  So...I'm raising organic food, canning with distilled or spring water (to avoid the nasty chemicals in the public water supply) and then I'm topping it with a lid filled with nasty chemicals which contaminates my food. Isn't that just great?! I began looking for an alternative for this year.

I found Tattler Reusable Canning Lids!


I decided to give them a try and see if I liked them. I LOVE them! They are just as easy to use as regular canning lids and you can use them over, and over, and over! They are BPA free. I've used them for water bath canning, pressure canning and I even tried them with my vacuum sealer. The lids work with the traditional metal rings you've used for years.


They come in both regular mouth and wide mouth sizes and fit all standard canning jars.



Here they are on some of the relish I've canned this year. These are the regular mouth lids.


These are the wide mouth lids on my recently canned green beans.


They are dishwasher safe, you don't have to worry about acid corrosion contaminating your food, you can reuse them indefinitely and they are made in the USA!  They've been around since 1976. AND...the lids are guaranteed to last a lifetime or they will replace them for free! The rubber rings are reusable and have been reported to last through 10 to 20 years of canning.  You can re-purchase the rubber rings separately if yours are ever damaged.


During use, there are two things to remember: once you tighten the metal band on the lid, turn the metal band back 1/4 inch to allow it to vent.  And, once your jar comes out of the canner, remember to tighten the metal band completely. You will also flip your seal the next time you use it - apparently you will be able to tell by the mark left on the seal from the edge of your canning jar.

One small caution....make sure you only have ONE seal per lid.  During my first use of the Tattler lids, I came up short one seal! I checked the trash, the garbage disposal, everywhere I could think of....Doodle took a look at my jars and sure enough one jar had two seals on it! It was my fault for not being more careful and once I realized it was possible, I just checked more carefully during use.  It never happened again and I've gone through 6 boxes now.

I like the fact that I'm not throwing a ton of metal lids in the trash each year.  The Tattler lid helps us reduce our waste.

Evidently there was a huge shortage of canning lids in the mid 1970s and the Tattler Lid came out of that crises. I like knowing that even if there IS a shortage of canning lids again one year, I will still be able to can my food each summer because my lids are reusable. It gives me an added sense of security that I will be able to provide food for my family no matter what the manufacturing industry or the economy does!

Then there is the cost savings!  These reusable lids cost more initially....but you only have to buy them once! Using the prices of conventional canning lids locally, I discovered that with the regular canning lids I will recoup my cost with the 4th use of the regular lids and the third use of the wide mouth lids.  From that point on, it's all free! I use many more wide mouth lids than I do the regular lids as do most of the friends I have that can food. So...the savings comes a bit quicker!  

I figured those costs on the purchase of 3 boxes (a dozen lids in each box) of Tattler lids - the smallest purchase possible through Tattler. My savings will go up if I buy the Tattler lids in bulk.  For me, it's a win-win situation.

I'm so impressed with these lids, I've become an affiliate!  If you decide to purchase the Tattler lids, please click on the link above or on the picture on the right under the heading of "Where I Shop".  I am so grateful to all of you who purchase through my blog! It does not cost you a thing, but I receive a small commission that contributes to my ability to stay home with my boys! I pray that our Father blesses each of you!

Happy Canning!

4 comments:

  1. Tina,
    THANK YOU! I think I've gotten it fixed :)
    Blessings,
    Cheri

    ReplyDelete
  2. I haven't canned in a gazillion years. You show your jars without the bands? Did you just can with them and take them off to use in canning another batch???? I am missing a lot of bands and don't really want to buy more. I may try these lids.
    Thanks,
    Susie

    ReplyDelete
  3. Susie,
    You use bands just like you were canning with regular lids. After my jars cool down, I remove the bands, clean the jars and store them without the bands - much less to buy that way :) The lids are amazing - and much healthier to use!
    Blessings,
    Cheri

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts with Thumbnails