getting the smell out of jar lids (for re-use)

This is a frugal question, too, I suppose.

I like to dry herbs, or buy them in bulk and store them in jars. And recently, I've enjoyed learning to make naturally fermented sauerkraut and the like, which also takes, jars. So, I've been washing glass jars from store-bought goods and stock-piling them for later use.

And yet there is sometimes a problem. That rubber seal inside the jar lid can smell strongly of the food the jar used to contain - even after repeated washing. Pickles, olives, curry paste - these are some of the worst offenders. Somehow, I don't want my peppermint or feverfew tea to smell like curry. Or taste like pickles.

Here's what I've tried:
--soaked the interior of the lid overnight (or over several nights!) in baking soda paste
--soaked the lid in white vinegar.

The lids still reek.

I'm thinking of trying Borax next, but that strikes me as not exactly food safe.

I wonder, would boiling the lids in vinegar work better? Does anyone have any good tricks for this, or should I give up?

I haven't had any luck washing the lids either. I wonder if baking soda would help? But I've just decided to label little cardboard boxes and keep like lids together...sauerkraut and pickles seems okay, but sauerkraut lids with tomato sauce is a stretch. So long as I keep the kraut, pickle, and tomato sauce lids away from the applesauce, I'll survive.

I've tried the things you mention and more! As far as I've experienced, stinky things impregnate the rubber seal for good. I wouldn't boil the lids as it's likely to melt the seal.
If I'm making something potent, I search out the jars with pongy lids.
It's not anywhere near a good solution, but I score people's old jars, with an eye to ex-jam jars, since they don't smell. Sometimes a jar/lid's too whiffy to bother with and it goes in the recycling.

Two thoughts:

First, I have had some luck with 50/50 vinegar and water, multi-day soaking to remove lasting smells. But that might well not help you, especially if you're going to put things in the jars that have delicate flavors.

I know it's not exactly what you're asking about but canning lids are cheap and will fit standard jar mouths. If you just seal them finger tight and don't can with them, they seem to be indefinitely reusable.

Although patience may be a even more distasteful, letting the lids air out for a while will definitely do it - but it may take a year in a paper bag? I have kraut and peppers jars stored with lids removed that seem completely ok, and a few stored with lids on still smell..

I also tried all of the above with only moderate success. What works for me is direct sun. I set the lids upside down next to open jars outside and leave them there for 3-5 days. Works wonderfully. I am in Arizona with strong sun though so I'm not sure if it might take longer in other places.

Rub the offending area with a lemon rind. Will take care of most odor problems quickly and easily.
If fresh lemon wedge is not available, lemon juice will work, takes a little more. Its the oil in the skin that does the work. The juice has less oil, hence it takes more.
Other citrus skins will work, but lemon does it best.

Great ideas and, I must admit, it's nice to know I'm not alone in some of these seemingly minor things!

Here's a summary so far:

baking soda

vinegar

airing out/leaving lids off jars in a box or bag

using with like-smelling foods

recycling if can't reduce odor

replacing with canning lids (if fits)

direct sun for 3-5 days

rub with lemon rinds

Since the first two didn't work for me, and I have some lemon wedges that need a purpose before composting them, that's what I'll try next!

Thanks so much everyone!

It's a bit ot, but give me an opening to talk about jars...
I have lots of old agee jars (like mason jars), as does my mum. I learned from her that Nescafe instant coffee jar lids fit agee jars.
Nescafe may not even make them any more, but when I see them in thrift shops, I feel ridiculously happy and pounce, thinking "Aha, hard plastic lids so I can store fermenty/salty things". They also don't seem to absorb odours much.

Have you tried used coffee grinds? I keep a pot of them in my fridge to absorb strong cheese odours and it works a treat.

Leila Rich wrote:It's a bit ot, but give me an opening to talk about jars...
I have lots of old agee jars (like mason jars), as does my mum. I learned from her that Nescafe instant coffee jar lids fit agee jars.
Nescafe may not even make them any more, but when I see them in thrift shops, I feel ridiculously happy and pounce, thinking "Aha, hard plastic lids so I can store fermenty/salty things". They also don't seem to absorb odours much.

Not OT at all! It's about re-using jars and ones that don't have stinky lids--I like it!

Stephanie Newman wrote:Have you tried used coffee grinds? I keep a pot of them in my fridge to absorb strong cheese odours and it works a treat.

Nope, haven't tried that one yet! Still haven't tried Ken Peavey's lemon rind idea yet, either. Took a trip to Montana and the lemon rinds were left behind. Ah well.

Here are my thoughts on trying to reuse jars with smelly lids. You may well spend more on trying to clean the lids than buying new....

I use a completely different approach. I buy mason jars from St. Vincent DePaul, and Goodwill. I'm lucky that I actually commute more or less past 5 of them on my way to work every day.

I collect all the branded mason jars I can get no matter what the size and take them home and wash them.
I then sort by size of jar, and size of opening. I get empty potato boxes from work (you can try asking at the grocery store) and cut the box down to the appropriate height. Then I cut and fit dividers for the boxes and crate them up. In a 50lb potato box I can fit 12 quarts, 12 wide mouth pints, 24 wide mouth half pints, 18 pints,18 half pints,18 quilted jellies etc....

I pay $2.40 plus tax so say $2.65 per dozen, the boxes and dividers are free and I collect 15-20 dozen per year. I have a personal capacity for use of about 20 dozen jars per year. I give away about 3 dozen jars of jelly per year around the holidays and I sell all the other extra boxes on craigslist for $6-$11 a box. The 18 pints garnering the highest price per box and the regular mouth quarts the lowest. All the proceeds from the sales go to buying next years jars, the sugar for jelly making and all the lids I need.

The best time to collect is the end of January until about late July. I've already gotten 4 dozen this year.

It can take some time and you do need some space to do it. Don't be discouraged if all you can find is like regular size quarts or something. If you are willing to sort and store the jars you will eventually get the boxes full and then like me you can sell of the excess to people who don't want to take the time to go looking. It's great, it saves them money and makes me enough per year that all my canning is essentially free except for the time it takes.

I've found a way to remove most odors from lids; at least every odor I've tried it on. The answer is fat! If an odor isn't removed through washing, it's probably not water soluble. However, lots of things that don't dissolve in water do dissolve in fat. So put some fat (I use lard, but I'm sure other fats would work) in your lid, leave it in a warm spot for a couple of days, then wipe clean and wash. I've had great luck with pickle and salsa lids, so far.

It's also possible that if this doesn't work, the flavors could be alcohol soluble. So try vodka or everclear for really tough ones.

Nick, that is brilliant. Better living through chemistry.

John Crawford wrote:
I pay $2.40 plus tax so say $2.65 per dozen, the boxes and dividers are free and I collect 15-20 dozen per year.

I wouldn't worry about smelly lids if I could find mason jars for that price either! The thrift stores around here have ridiculous prices on jars of all kinds.

Loving the suggestions of coffee grounds, citrus rinds, and now fat and alcohol, too! Thanks Nick! Still haven't tried any though.