Posted on 08/09/2009 6:58:26 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
The aspect of self-sufficency is wonderful, too. And now you know what to do with that free basket of zucchini or apples or grapes, etc. left on your doorstep!
(Never refuse free food!!)
I’ve heard that lids are not to be trusted to maintain a seal
if they are over two years old, is there any truth to this?
Mmmmmm — zuchinni-apple bread. Freeze what you cannot eat within a week.
Foodie Ping!
Diana - you bet this deserves a Weekly Gardening ping! Thanks!
Hmmm....I’ve used lids for longer than that. I think it’s a conspiracy started by the people that want to sell you more lids, LOL!
When you hear the ‘ping’ of a jar sealing, no matter how old the lid, all is well.
I would imagine they’d wear out or get damaged eventually. Some people use new lids every year.
Your call, and I’m sure others will chime in with opinions on this. :)
I am swimming in zucchini! I plan on processing a lot of it after dinner tonight. Shred and freeze for use in sauce once the tomatoes rippen and for baking sweetbreads & muffins.
You’re saying you reuse yours? My wife uses new every year.
I’ve reused them. Check them carefully for any defects. I’ll reuse lids from green beans or peas (less acid damage) on tomatoes or pickles the next year. Some lids might last 2 or 3 years with rotation like that. However, always double check and be 100% sure the lid has “popped” before storing. Even though I’ve reused lids I’ve only had a failure to seal rate of probably less than 1%. Those that did fail were simply stuck in the fridge and eaten first.
Thank you for the ping, and thank you Diana, I also found a article about goats ( they have four...so far lol )that I was able to send to my daughter!
My wife, after checking with the local farm extension agent, said that new, stored lids shouldn’t be used if they are over two years old. Something about the seals dry out?
Is this correct or just BS?
I find it highly doubtful that in World War I, individual victory gardens in the US could have done much at all to feed Europe. Just common sense.
To start with, there is no uniformity in victory gardens, so there is no substantial amount of a given crop at a particular time that is ripe. Then that crop would have to be harvested and put on board a non-refrigerated ship for a nine day voyage across the Atlantic. Then once it arrived in a major European port, it would have to be shipped again to its final destination.
And for every “What if they did it this way?” alternative, there are still huge roadblocks to success.
Even making a successful victory garden at home takes a lot of prior planning and a lot of work. Most people grow easier crops like zucchini, tomatoes and herbs, that while enjoyable do not provide substantial nutrition. Instead, growing crops like potatoes and squash gives much more food value for the same area. They are also less prone to insect attack.
No more speculation. I’ll contact the manufacturer tomorrow about the lids. We do a lot of canning.
Pressure canning is not always faster.
The processing time itself will be shorter than the processing time for hot water bath canning, but the heat up and cool down time for the pressure canner are a must and add to the time.
My rule of thumb is to hot water bath can what is possible and only pressure can food that absolutely CANNOT be safely water bath canned.
We reused the Mason jars and rings but always bought new lids.
Every surface in the big kitchen would be full of hot jars and the lids popping as the contents cooled. If rain was coming and we did not close the windows fast enough some jars would crack when they felt the cool breeze.
In the wintertime she made the best tomato soup by heating a quart of tomatoes in one pan and milk in another pan. Then gradually add a few tomatoes to the milk and then mix it all together. Serve with a pat of butter on top. She always cautioned me that if I added the milk to the tomatoes it would curdle. I don't know why but I sort of remember a little baking soda in the mix, too. It's one of those things I took for granted but should have written down.
Maybe technically, but nah.... As long as the lid is not rusty, you can sometimes maybe get up to 10 years, like if a jar gets pushed to the back of the shelf..... ;)
It really is best to rotate stock, but two years isn’t out of the question.
I thought you meant lids on the jar. Ooops.
I date my lids when I buy the boxes but have never had any trouble with the seal.
I suppose the rubber gasket could dry out some if they’re too old.
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