Measuring and buying jar lids?

[crazy_red]

Hi,

I have oodles of different sizes of glass jars but no lids!

Can anyone recommend an online shop where I can buy a range of lid sizes, corks, jars and bottles, etc. at reasonable (i.e. cheap) cost?

Also, does anyone know how to measure a jar for what lid size you need?

I have loads of baby food jars, for example, and it would seem you can't re-use the lids they come with - unless someone has come up with a fool-proof method of doing so?

Certainly, I've had no success. They seem almost impossible to get back on without going wonky and when they do occaisionally go on straight they don't seal air-tight.......

Also, although it doesn't matter for my own use, I've been told there are copyright probs/laws against selling home-made stuff with a lid that says 'Heinz' or whatever on it - even if it's covered up with another (my own) label.

I can probably run to new lids, if I share wholesale costs with peeps in the same situation, but if I have to buy new jars as well for my preserves, it obviously doesn't save me any money - in fact it actually makes it much more expensive to make my own stuff, so I'm getting quite frustrated

Any help would be very gratefully received.

Thanks,

Red x

[rustylady]

Hi,

I have oodles of different sizes of glass jars but no lids!

Can anyone recommend an online shop where I can buy a range of lid sizes, corks, jars and bottles, etc. at reasonable (i.e. cheap)

I have loads of baby food jars, for example, and it would seem you can't re-use the lids they come with - unless someone has come up with a fool-proof method of doing so?

Certainly, I've had no success. They seem almost impossible to get back on without going wonky and when they do occaisionally go on straight they don't seal air-tight....... I've used baby food jars, no problem.

I can probably run to new lids, if I share wholesale costs with peeps in the same situation, but if I have to buy new jars as well for my preserves, it obviously doesn't save me any money - in fact it actually makes it much more expensive to make my own stuff, so I'm getting quite frustrated

Red x

Why bother?? Ask around and get your friends to save jars for you. Most people buy pasta sauces, mustard, apple sauce, horseradish sauce etc. All these are reusable, and once word gets round you should be overrun with jars and lids. Just make it clear you don't need coffee jars with plastic lids.

[valmarg]

Lakeland do screw top lids that fit 1 lb and half pound jam jars. They also do both size jam jars. They are reasonably priced.

valmarg

[BrideXIII]

Why bother?? Ask around and get your friends to save jars for you. Most people buy pasta sauces, mustard, apple sauce, horseradish sauce etc. All these are reusable, and once word gets round you should be overrun with jars and lids. Just make it clear you don't need coffee jars with plastic lids.

absolutely, my neighbours either side keep me well supplied with jars and lids, and some of the lids are interchangeable, bottles too for the homebrew, and peelings for the composter, they can't do it themselves, and dont want to, but a jar of chutney, wine or pickles keeps em happy, they are recyclers anyway, and think i am 'soooo clever to do all that stuff'.
ask and you shall recieve, or at least ask permission to raid their recycling bin, you would be surprised how helpful they become.

if you have jars that have no lids, then use jam covers, they are pretty cheap, and they were good enough for our mothers mothers

[crazy_red]

Thanks all!

I do have friends collecting jars for me and recycle every type of container I can.

That's half the problem

I have been given tons of these baby food jars now, but the lids don't want to go back on for me , nope, no way, no-how

I'd be really interested to hear how you do it, Rustylady, cos I just can't seem to get it to work

The jars have a screw thread on the rim but the original lids (the kind with a security popper on them) don't have a thread on the inner rim, presumably because they are push-fitted during manufacture (?)

I've gotten so frustrated with the darn things that I've started to consider trying a mallet......

Red

[SarzWix]

It's not a problem to re-use lids with the original manufacturer on, if all you're doing is giving the jars away or using them yourself. If you're planning on selling them then you run into all sorts of problems, not least that you probably wouldn't be allowed to use pre-used lids at all for hygiene reasons!
Do as Bride says, and use cellophane jam-pot covers - you put them on damp, with a rubber band and as they dry, they shrink to fit the jars. So they'll work with any size jar.

[crazy_red]

Thanks everyone for all your help.

Red x