Buy the correct canning lids for the jars and then you have no worry. Cheep is not in my book of safety. Just the opposite.

mattias_lang. I really stick to canning jars and the approved lids. Mayo type jars, as I know, have never been approved for preserving good products long or short term. They are made for one time short term use. Is there any reason you don't trust the time and proven Ball or Kerr jars other than price? Proven quality and safety trump price to me. This is just my opinion.

Plastic lids can really come in handy for all the dry storage jars and there are no safety issues involved so it would be handy to get some. I even have several old mayo jars that I use for dry storage and for pickling/fermenting.

Thanks for the tip but sadly we have none of those stores in our part of the country. I'm wondering if some of the local stores might carry that brand in their ethnic foods sections so I'll check it out. A bit of lime in the mayo might hit the spot.

Dave

You can buy plastic lids for small and wide mouth jars. They're inexpensive and widely available.

Yes, lacyvail, Ball sells plastic lids, too. They just don't fit tightly unless you also put a flat canning lid underneath the plastic screw on cap.

I'll add, though I've mentioned it on another thread, that you can turn your canning jar into a shaker jar by using the lids from Kraft or Aldi brand parmesian cheese that cans in plastic jars. The threads fit just fine onto a canning jar.

I save all mayo and coconut oil lids to use on my regular mouth jars. I use them for dry goods, freezer, and refrigerator. I too use parmesan cheese lids for spices and dried herbs.

I know we've discussed this before, and I often re-use mayonnaise jars and spaghetti sauce containers, pickle jars, etc. I don't use them for pressure canning, as I tend to get more breakage, but have experienced no more problems with my "recycled" jars than I do with commercially available Ball/Kerr jars. This is from the National Center For Home Food Preservation:

"Most commercial pint- and quart-size mayonnaise or salad dressing jars may be used with new two-piece lids for canning acid foods. However, you should expect more seal failures and jar breakage. These jars have a narrower sealing surface and are tempered less than Mason jars, and may be weakened by repeated contact with metal spoons or knives used in dispensing mayonnaise or salad dressing. Seemingly insignificant scratches in glass may cause cracking and breakage while processing jars in a canner. Mayonnaise-type jars are not recommended for use with foods to be processed in a pressure canner because of excessive jar breakage. Other commercial jars with mouths that cannot be sealed with two-piece canning lids are not recommended for use in canning any food at home."

Given the above statement, the premise that "Mayo type jars, as I know, have never been approved for preserving good products long or short term" is incorrect, they have been and still are "approved" for limited use.

So, it's perfectly fine to re-use those mayonnaise jars and such, if you have them available. Even the Goverment and the widely recognized experts above say it's OK. Grandma did it, and I have some of the old wide mouthed marshmallow cream jars from back when they were still glass. Grandma used the stuff in fudge so she had several and when she quit canning she gave them to me. They've held at least 20 years worth of sweet relish and salsa, I like the size and shape for that as the product is easily accessed. Why do I use them when I can easily afford to just buy new commercially available jars? Because I don't like to buy things I don't need, I like to reuse/recycle/re-purpose all I can, and I don't like useful items to end up in landfills when it's not necessary. In spite of recycling centers, most things don't get recycled, and more resources must be used to produce more jars, so that they can then be thrown away. It's just not sustainable or ecologically sound.

Matthias, it's good to know that those plastic lids fit the jars. I like to use them when storing a jar of something that wasn't completely used up, and the newer/thinner lids get bent by my can opener to the point where the ring doesn't screw all the way down and the jar isn't completely sealed shut. I also use my old "vintage" blue Ball jars for storing lentils, beans, rice, popcorn, and as refrigerator containers for leftovers. Sometimes in canning season I'm right down to my last lids, so I don't want to "waste" a good flat on a storage container.

Annie

I'm in the camp of those that favor recycled lids too. I do own some of the ball caps, and they are nice. But I don't want to toss a lid I could just as simply save and not have to buy more lids.

I often use recycled lids for temporary fridge storage- like leftover sauces, or splitting up a large can of V-8 into a bunch of "glasses" for lunches. Lovely for capping off other jar eats like prepped salads in wide mouth pints, individual jellos/small desserts- 4 oz jars are great for this. Dry storage too, I have a lot of herbs and seasonings in bulk that I use up fast enough that I just store it in canning jars and recycled lids.

Maria's Salad dressing lids fit the small 1/4 pints. Lighthouse dressing lids are a "hit n miss" for me. Mayo lids use to work but they changed the threads and don't work like they use to. Oyster jar lids from the meat section work too.

A while ago I posted that mayo jar lids fit regular mouth canning jars. I also buy Ball plastic lids but like other posters, I'm not going to throw out a lid that fits. Not all mayo jar lids fit. I usually buy Hellman's but need to check to see if those lids fit or if it's the store brand that fits. I like to use these lids when I've opened a jar and don't use all the contents. I am also re-using the one piece metal lids that come on jams and pickles I buy at the farmers market from people who use commercial canning facilities. The glass jars appear to be the same size as Ball 8oz.

Matthias_lang, I have no qualms about using lids from other products on my canning jars for refrigerated items. Have used other type jars and their lids for temporarily refrigerated items as well with no problems. For canning, only approved jars and lids.

Madonna

Wow, mayonnaise with lime juice? Definitely got to try that :p

In Canada, Renee's salad dressing lids (left) fit standard mason jars (watch out for the new smaller sized lid though). If you're looking for real mason jars, Classico pasta sauce (650 ml - right) and Classico pesto (218 ml) are bottled in Atlas mason jars.

hah. stumbled here looking for jars that fit standard Wide Mouth Mason lids. my intended use is for fermentation jars, so they don't need to be suitable for canning. there is no high heat and only a bit of pressure. I got some tips just the same