BPA Free Canning Lids

We did some canning today and after all that work researched shows that our lids contain the dreaded BPA toxin.  The criminals at the FDA (Federal Death Administration) says BPA is safe for babies!

What lids are best to use?

Here are some links:
http://eatclosetohome.wordpress.com/2010/02/11/bpa-free-canning-lids/

http://www.reusablecanninglids.com/

Wow Campy, who knew!  Thanks for the links. . . .

Do you happen to know if the BPA coating ever wears off on the standard metal lids?

I am at the grocery store tonight explaining how BPA is poisioning cashiers via the thermal paper in the reciepts.

Needless to say the other cashiers gathered around in horror.

It all started when I would not let the nice lady hand me the reciept.

We are done a great diservice by those who we pay to protect us for harmful chemicals.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20011903-10391704.html

http://www.google.com/search?q=bpa+reciepts&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1&rlz=1I7ADFA_en

There's a receipt manufacturer that is cashing in on this by making receipts with bisphenol sulphonate in place of the BPA. Maybe Ball or Kerr will start to do the same...whichever one switches over first will have a leg up on the other.

Joel, Ball and Kerr were both bought out years ago by Jarden Home Brands Corporation. http://www.jardenhomebrands.com/ ;       They are both packaged and produced from the same locations now. I called both companies to find out if I could get new boxes for my jars, that had water damage from a barn and that is when I was told that both companies are now one and under the umbrella of Jarden's. They are their own competition.

Fascinating!

The aerospace division of Ball is still its own entity, though, as of 2002.

I tested out some reusable canning lids this year. I'm really happy with their performance and they are BPA free. You can read about them on their site: http://www.reusablecanninglids.com/ ; While they are spendier than the one use lids, I think I figured they'd pay for themselves if you used them just five seasons. The company calls them "indefinitely" reusable. So you might get 20 or more seasons out of them.

Does anyone know for sure that the ball lids have BPA in them? I have tried calling and of course their website doesnt say anything. Their call center is worthless, since they dont put you on hold. If there is no one to answer your call it simply disconnects you. Talk about poor customer service. I even emailed with no response.

I spent last summer researching the BPA canning thing into the ground because I was really upset to find out about all my work being contaminated with BPA. Alll the metal lids have BPA, which is particularly released under heat. In terms of the reusable lids, if you are talking about the Tattlers, these have their own set of problems because of the type of plastic they are. It becomes porous with heat and then there are problems with whatever it gives off under heat. I have seen also the plastic lids Lehman's has, but at this point I have decided no more plastic, since glass is available.

i have switched to using vintage glass lids on modern jars. This is what used to be used in the US and they are still available on ebay. They need a rubber ring to go with them and a band, all of which are available on ebay and other sources for vintage canning stuff. The regular bands will work on them but the bands created for them work better. They fit the regular mouth sized jars. Sometimes you find the wide mouth size, but I haven't found a source for the rubber rings for that size yet. The Tattler rings might work on them. I've been using vintage glass lids for the past year, and when you get used to them, they work great. I haven't used them for pressure canning, but someone over on Dave's Garden did in the past. It's great to know they have no plastic and the rubber bands are just that, rubber. The rubber rings, even though they are vintage, seem to be quite sturdy and reusable. I haven't found any modern rings that work with the glass lids.

There are also the glass-lidded European jars which are all in production: Weck, Bormiolli, and Le Parfait. I have used all of these. I like the Weck jars best, even though you need a pot with a wider bottom to process them if you like the squat ones and the straighter shapes need a different kind of jar lifter that Weck makes. They are the easiest to open of the European jars. The other two are bailed jars. They have very thick glass but are difficult to open. I have to use a plier to pull the rubber tab. The rubber rings for all of these often need replacing because they get deformed from processing and opening. But since they are still in production, I don't mind that. I have just bought piles. The biggest problem with these jars is their expense, but I am considering them a life-time investment. Peaceful Valley has the Weck jars, Sur la Table has the Bormiolli jars, and I got a bunch of the Le Parfait on ebay, but there is also a place online that has them called wholesaleglassbottles.com. I have not bought from them, so I don't know what they're like. Have them bookmarked, though. They also have them available in pallet quantities.

There are the old American glass-lidded bailed jars that are widely available, and rubber rings for these are still being made. I haven't tried these yet.

The other possibility is the zinc lids, which have glass liners. These need to go on the old jars with the heavy shoulders, though. These are all available on ebay too and they are still making the rings for these. Lehman's has them. I haven't tried these yet either, but Stocking Up has directions how to seal with them and with the old bailed jars.

The vintage glass lids on the modern regular-mouth jars is the most economical choice, IMO.

What wonderful information Paracelsus - thanks for sharing your experiences.

Yeah ditto on that, I didnt realize half of what you said! Thanks very much.

BPA is not safe for babies in Canada, manufacturers had to exchange any baby bottles or drink cups made with it a couple of years ago now. It's been declared a toxin by "Health' Canada now too, not that they are doing anything about it yet.
I am wondering though, not that I do a lot of canning, does the food actually touch the lids? Searching out and replacing all my jars with the old fashioned kind with glass lids would be a Real drag...

BPA is released through heat. During the canning process, there's a lot of turbulence inside the jars as the air is driven out. Maybe the BPA gets driven out of the jar with the air, or maybe it gets driven into the food, or maybe both, but it has to go somewhere, and it is not able to go up through the lid. The likelihood is that it's still in the jar, in the food once it has been canned. So it doesn't really matter that after canning the food doesn't usually touch the lid. This is the same problem with the reusable lids. 

Take a look at Quattro Stagioni lids from Bormioli Rocco.  They are available at many online retailers, including Amazon, as well as The Container Store.  The lids are made from aluminum and are BPA free.  They fit standard and wide mouth Ball/Kerr jars (confirmed myself after buying a bunch).  The lids come in two-packs and cost about $1.50/pack.

Here's an interesting look at canning lid options:
http://whatdidshedotoday.typepad.com/what_did_she_do_today/2010/01/she-voiced-her-desire-for-bpa-free-canning-jar-lids-january-15-2009.html

Updated: I stopped by The Container Store, purchase a few lids, tried them out, and updated the information above.  I am impressed.

It's been about a month since my last post, so I wanted to provide an update on the Quattro Stagioni (BPA free) lids.

I've canned a total of 14 quart jars with the new lids (with Ball and Kerr jars).  All but one lid properly sealed (which was probably my fault for not tightening the lid enough).  The lids create a very good seal which takes a bit of effort to break, and you get a very loud POP when opening the jar.  I've re-used a few of the lids with success.  I'm sold on these lids... I'll be buying many more in the near future, as canning season arrives.

Are these a 1 part lid? How does it seal down tightly? Does it use a rubber seal? Thanks for the info!

Rob S. aka Blitz wrote:
Are these a 1 part lid? How does it seal down tightly? Does it use a rubber seal? Thanks for the info!

Yes, the Quattro Stagioni lids are one part lids (unlike Ball and Kerr which have a separate top and screw band).  These lids use a gasket similar to the Ball and Kerr gasket to seal the jar.  The process for using these lids is exactly the same as a Ball/Kerr lid; screw on the lid so that it is snug, can as usual, and allow to cool.  These lids, when opened, will "POP" just like the Ball/Kerr lids, if the jar was properly sealed; in fact, the "POPPING" sound is significantly louder with these lids.

And are they one time use or what? I can't find any info on them that gives all their specs. Thanks Ryan.

Rob S. aka Blitz wrote:
And are they one time use or what? I can't find any info on them that gives all their specs. Thanks Ryan.

I know what you're going through, Rob.  It took me hours of research and experimentation, as little can be found on the internet about these lids.  According to our government agencies, all canning lids should be used only once.  However, from personal experience, I can say that these lids are re-usable.  I have no reservations about re-using these lids until they no longer hold a seal.

A word of advice... even if you tighten the lids down really well, after canning you'll find you can tighten the lids quite a bit more - don't do it!  As long as you got the lid pretty snug prior to canning, the seal should be just fine. 

Awesome! thanks so much.

Has anyone looked into the safety of the rubber gaskets? I assume they are true rubber and/or silicone. Are there any chemicals in these products that would be of concern to this crowd?

hello everyone,
this is my first post. 
I am Canadian and did lots of research into the old GEM canning jars.  They are an in-between size to the standard and wide mouth jar, and had zinc rings and glass tops with rubber rings. You can also buy modern two part rings and lids in this size. 
I have learned that the thickness of the rubber rings is important as the old jar rims are not as precise as the new jars, and the sealing material is too thin on the modern lids and causes seal failures. 
The rubber rings are called "Rubber fruit jar rings" and made by Viceroy in Ontario, Canada.  They are natural rubber as far as I can tell, and require boiling for 15 minutes before using when new. 
The rubber has very little contact with the food, and I get very few failures with the glass tops.  More fail with my new jars.  A glass top will just fall off if not sealed, and so I do not miss the pop/dent to tell if it is sealed.  I was lucky to inherit a very large collection of these jars and glass tops, and they are still great to use, even meat in a pressure canner works great.  The right seals are very important to make these old jars functional. 

Thanks for that info!

Paul talks with Wilson and Kya about Tattler reusable canning lids (BPA free). Kya knows a lot about them. Here is the podcast: http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/597-podcast-092-canning-worms-chickens-weeds

Campy in Nashville, Tennessee, USA wrote:We did some canning today and after all that work researched shows that our lids contain the dreaded BPA toxin.  The criminals at the FDA (Federal Death Administration) says BPA is safe for babies!

What lids are best to use?

Here are some links:
http://eatclosetohome.wordpress.com/2010/02/11/bpa-free-canning-lids/

http://www.reusablecanninglids.com/

By the way, I'm under the understanding that canned foods (EVEN ORGANIC CANNED FOODS) in this country have BPA in them. It's not OK for the rest of the world, but here in the land of the free, it's OK to not even know that it's in there.