Can You Reuse Canning Lids?

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No, you can't reuse canning lids for canning. The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) says flat lids "should not be used a second time since the sealing compound becomes indented by the first use, preventing another airtight seal." Jars and screw bands can be reused; the flat lid can't.

The good news is that the lid is the cheapest part of the setup. A new lid every time is a small cost for a seal you can trust, especially on low-acid foods such as vegetables and meat, where a failed seal can mean botulism risk.

Below: why lids are single-use, what you can reuse, and how to seal canning jars so the new lids do their job.

What You Can and Can't Reuse

Can You Reuse Canning Lids? Why They're Single-Use

The USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning explains how the lid works. A flat metal lid has a trough around its edge filled with a gasket compound. During processing, the compound softens and flows slightly to cover the jar's sealing surface, while still letting air escape. As the jar cools, the contents contract, pulling the lid down to form a high vacuum and an airtight seal.

That compound only does this once. After one processing, it carries a permanent ring-shaped impression of the jar rim. Put it on another jar and it may not flow and reseat the same way.

The manufacturer says the same thing. Ball's SureTight lid packaging, as listed by True Value, states that the lids "are not recommended for reuse."

Reusing Bands and Jars

Bands: The NCHFP says screw bands can be reused unless they're badly rusted or the top edge is pried up, which would stop them from holding the lid properly. The USDA recommends removing bands after the jars cool. Washed, dried and stored dry, they can be used many times. If you leave them on stored jars, the USDA says they become hard to remove, often rust and may not work properly again.

Jars: The USDA says Mason-type jars "may be reused many times, requiring only new lids each time." Before each use:

• Run a finger around the rim to check for nicks or chips, which can stop a seal.
• Check for cracks. The NCHFP lists hairline cracks among the causes of jar breakage in the canner.
• Wash the jars in hot, soapy water or the dishwasher, and rinse well. To remove hard-water film, the USDA suggests soaking them for several hours in 1 cup of 5% vinegar per gallon of water.

For when jars need sterilizing (most don't), see our guide on how to sterilize canning jars.

What About Reusable Canning Lids?

Reusable lids made of plastic with separate rubber rings are sold for home canning. They're a different system from the two-piece metal lids the USDA's directions describe. The NCHFP's guidance is that if you use another type of lid, you should follow that manufacturer's directions, including for checking whether jars are vacuum sealed. The USDA seal tests below are written for the standard two-piece metal lid.

Buying and Storing Lids

• Shelf life: the USDA says gaskets in unused lids work well for at least 5 years from the date of manufacture. The compound in older unused lids may fail to seal.
• Buy for one season: the USDA recommends buying only the lids you'll use in a year.
• Inspect every lid: don't use old, dented or deformed lids, or lids with gaps or defects in the gasket.

How to Seal Canning Jars, Step by Step

A good seal comes from a clean rim, the right headspace and a band that's not too tight. These steps follow the USDA guide and the NCHFP.

1. Prepare the lids as the maker directs. For Ball lids, University of Maine Cooperative Extension says washing in warm, soapy water is all you need. It notes the manufacturer stopped recommending preheating lids about 10 years ago, and that preliminary research suggests preheating may cause lids to buckle. For other brands, follow the box.
2. Fill the jars and add the covering liquid, leaving the headspace your tested recipe specifies.
3. Release air bubbles by sliding a flat plastic (not metal) spatula between the food and the jar, turning the jar as you go. The USDA says you can skip this for jams, jellies and liquids such as juice.
4. Recheck the headspace. The NCHFP says too little can let food bubble out onto the rim during processing. Too much can leave food at the top discolored, and the jar may not seal because processing doesn't drive out all the air.
5. Wipe the rim with a clean, damp paper towel. The USDA says an uncleaned sealing surface can cause seal failures. For fish, the USDA adds a second wipe with a dry towel to remove oil.
6. Center the lid on the jar, gasket side down.
7. Screw on the band fingertip tight. The USDA says to follow the lid maker's tightening directions. University of Maine Extension describes it as tightening with your fingers, not your whole hand.
8. Process the jars for the full tested time in the right canner. Our beginner's guide to using a pressure canner covers the pressure side.
9. Don't retighten the bands after processing. The USDA says retightening hot lids may cut through the gasket and cause seal failures.
10. Cool the jars undisturbed at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours.

Why band tightness matters: the USDA says bands that are too loose can let liquid escape and seals fail. Bands that are too tight stop air from venting, which can discolor food. Overtightening can also buckle lids and break jars, especially with raw-packed food in a pressure canner.

How to Test Canning Jar Seals

After 12 to 24 hours, remove the bands and test each lid with one of the USDA's three methods:

Buckled lids: the NCHFP describes a buckled lid as one that sealed but has a crease across part of it, usually from improper filling or band tightening. These have a high failure rate. If you notice one right after processing, refrigerate, freeze or reprocess the jar within 24 hours. If you find it on the shelf later, the NCHFP says to assume the food has spoiled and throw it out.

What to Do With a Jar That Didn't Seal

You have three options within 24 hours of processing, per the USDA:

1. Reprocess it. Remove the lid, check the rim for tiny nicks and change the jar if needed. Use a new, properly prepared lid and reprocess within 24 hours for the same time. The NCHFP adds that you should reheat the food to boiling, refill a clean jar and use a tested hot-pack process. If your first batch didn't follow a tested recipe, the NCHFP says all jars may be unsafe and should be discarded. Expect some loss of quality.
2. Refrigerate it and use the food within several days.
3. Freeze it after adjusting the headspace to 1½ inches.

Never put an unsealed jar on the shelf. If a sealed jar later shows a bulging lid, leakage, spurting liquid or an off smell, don't taste it. Our botulism safety guide explains how to dispose of it.

Common Lid and Sealing Mistakes

• Reusing flat lids for canning, even ones that "look fine."
• Boiling Ball lids out of habit. The maker no longer calls for it.
• Cranking the bands down hard, which can buckle lids and trap air.
• Retightening bands after processing.
• Skipping the rim wipe, especially with greasy or sugary foods.
• Storing jars with bands on. The USDA recommends removing them, which also makes a broken seal easier to spot.
• Stacking jars directly on each other. The NCHFP warns stacking can disturb seals; one manufacturer recommends no more than two layers, with support in between.

If you're stocking up on lids and tools for the season, our canning supplies guide lists the essentials. For a reference that covers lids, jars and every tested recipe, see the best canning books.

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