With supply and worker shortages and an increase in home canning in 2020 and 2021, new or unfamiliar brands of canning jars and lids began to appear to fulfill consumer needs. Should consumers trust these new or unfamiliar products?
Canning jars have been around since 1858 when John L. Mason invented and patented a threaded glass jar that became known as the Mason jar and sold under the label, Mason. The original jar has changed very little but has undergone variations in shape and cap design. After Mason’s patent expired, many other manufacturers produced glass jars for home canning using the Mason-style jar with labels such as Ball, Kerr, Atlas, Drey, Mason, Globe, Mom’s, Knox, and Golden Harvest. However, as so often happens, through a process of competition and consolidation, the number of jar producers grew fewer over the years with one company, Newell Brands, acquiring the Ball®, Kerr, Bernardin, and Golden Harvest brands—all familiar brands to consumers.
Mason’s initial form of closure for the glass canning jar was a zinc screw-on cap with a milk-glass liner that screwed down onto a rubber ring on the shoulder of the jar, not the lip. In 1903, Alexander Kerr introduced lids with a permanent rubber seal eventually giving way to the modern two-piece metal lids that seal on the rim.
AnswerLIne has received many calls from clients wanting to know about the new or unfamiliar brands of jars and lids filling the shelf space formerly occupied by familiar and trusted brands. It is important to note that regardless of the brand, USDA canning procedures and processing times are based on scientific testing using standard Mason jars and two-piece metals lids. See Canning in Odd Sized Jars for information on non-standard sized jars.
Here’s what has been gleaned about some of the brands AnswerLine clients have asked about as they have shopped for canning supplies:
Anchor Hocking – Originally known for glass bake- and cookware, Anchor Hocking has re-entered the market with Mason jars. The jars are made in the USA and per company information are dishwasher safe and perfect for canning, crafting, and storage. The Anchor Hocking website gives instructions for both water bath and pressure canning with the jars. Information on the box says the jars, lids and bands are BPA free. The jars come with lids and bands; no information was found regarding the quality of the lids.
Country Classics – These jars and lids are made in China and distributed by a company in Ohio. Per the Country Classics website, www.countryclassicscanning.com, the jars are safe for preserving, crafting, and storing; information is provided for canning by water bath and pressure. Wide-mouth and regular lids are available. There is no information about the lids on the website but customer reviews on other sites are mixed. (17 October 2022 Update: numerous AnswerLine clients who have used these lids have reported buckling and seal failure.)
Denali – Offering wide-mouth and regular flat lids, rings, and a pressure canner in their canning line, this company has an engineering team in the US with manufacturing facilities currently in China; per the company website, www.denalicanning.com, this company plans to expand US operations in the near future. Made of a heavier gauge of steel, the lids have been rigorously tested. Consumers find that the lids seal well. If something should not go right with the lids, Denali has a customer resolution option with possible refund.F
ForJars – ForJars has been in business for two year and currently offers only canning lids. Per the company website, https://forjars.co, the lids are made of high-quality metal, which prevents bending and buckling. They have also added some stainless steel material to the composition which prevents the formation of rust. The lids are thicker than many lids with a thickness of 0.18 mm versus 0.10 -0.12 mm of others. The lids work well for either pressure or water bath canning. A high-quality food-grade silicone is used for sealing. Presently the lids are manufactured in China but the company is hoping to open production facillities in Florida by late 2022 or early 2023. Customer service is provided at 941-257-8236 or support@forjars.com. A company representative said that they guarantee their lids and will work to make things right with customers who experience problems. Customer reviews are positive.
Golden Harvest – Golden Harvest is back on the market as a lower-priced line of home canning jars and lids sold by Newell Brands which also owns the Ball®, Kerr, and Bernardin (Canada) brands. Most home canners find the Golden Harvest jars and lids to be of good quality. The lids are manufactured in the US. There are no wide-mouth jars in the product line and there is no website for customer service.
Kilner® – Kilner® is an old English company. Currently jars are being manufactured in China. Kilner® makes a variety of jars but the standard Mason jars with two-piece metal lids meet the USDA’s guidelines for home canning jars. They are safe for all types of canning, including pressure. Kilner® makes their own lids but standard, two-piece, US market, metal lids also fit these jars. The jars may come with recipes but should be ignored; instead, recipes from a reputable source should be used. The jars come in “ml” sizes, not the US standard half-pint, pint, and quart jars so processing times* need to be considered. The USDA has not released any recommendations on these jars at the present time, so the rule of thumb is to use the next tested time up. More information can be found on the company’s website, www.kilnerjar.com.
Mainstay – The Mainstay line has been part of Walmart’s offering for several years. However, it is not clear that Walmart is selling Mainstay canning jars and lids in 2022. Prior, both jars and lids were made in the USA per product labeling—jars at an Anchor Hocking plant in Monaca, PA and lids by Healthmark LLC Jarden Home—but cannot be verified for recent products (should there be any). Judging by 2020 consumer reviews, most consumers were satisfied with the lids but did note that the lids were thinner and some of the lids were defective right out of the box. The jars were listed as safe for home canning and freezing but did not specifically mention pressure canning. Mainstay BPA-free plastic lids that fit Mason jars are still available; these lids can be used for storage but not for canning.
Orchard Road – Orchard Road canning jars and lids are made in China following stringent guidelines per a company spokesperson. The plastisol sealing compound is made in Pennsylvania. A company spokesperson said the entire canning product line has been tested by an independent lab against Ball® products and found to perform just as well. Azure Marketing asserts that they provide consumers with high-quality canning products at reasonable prices. The jars are heavy and safe for both water bath and pressure canning. The lids are BPA-free and can be used with other Mason jars. They also offer a line of decorative lids.
PUR Mason – PUR Mason jars and lids are manufactured in China and distributed by the PUR Health Group in Broomfield, Colorado. According to a PUR company official, PUR lids and jars are safe for canning—both water bath and pressure canning. Jars are lead free. A new generation of BPA-free lids are now on the market and are heavier, have a thicker coating of enamel on the inside, and have an improved sealing compound for better adhesion. For more information visit the PUR website.
Tattler – Known for their reusable lids since 1976, Tattler began producing one-time use lids in October 2022. American made, the disposable lids feature extra thick metal for durability and double BPA-free coating on the underside to deter corrosion. The flat lids are designed to be used with Tattler’s existing rubber gasket ring which replaces the plastisol used by other companies. The lids are suitable for pressure canning, water bath canning, steam canning and vacuum sealing. For more information visit the Tattler website or call customer service at (231) 912-0525.
True Living – Both jars and lids are made in China and distributed by a company in Tennessee. Lighter in weight than some other brands, they are sometimes found in the craft section of stores rather than the kitchen section. Information on the side of the jar box says “dishwasher safe and BPA free.” Lids have mixed reviews.
Weck – Weck home canning jars are made in Germany and are well-known in Europe. Weck also owns the Rex line of preserving jars in Austria. The Weck canning jar system consists of glass jars, glass lids, tabbed rubber gaskets (sealing rings) and metal clamps. The jars are certified for both water-bath canning and pressure canning. The jars come in numerous irregular “ml” sizes—not the US standard half-pints, pints and quarts requiring processing time* adjustments; there are currently no USDA recommendations. Canning information accompanying the jars has been found to lack modern, research-based procedures so should be discarded in the interest of food safety; tested recipes from reputable sources should be used. Weck jars and supplies are more costly and are irregular in size; it is not possible to fit the standard 7 (quart) jars in a canner. More information can be found at www.weckjars.com.
There are countless sources for canning lids and it appears that most are made in China. It is not possible to find reliable information for the no-name brands; reviewer’s comments indicate that lid failure is a problem. Counterfeit lids are still being sold so it is definitely a “buyer beware” canning market. While the cost will be higher, supplies are predicted to keep up with demand in 2022.
The USDA, National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP), Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, or AnswerLine do not recommend for (or against) any of these products. The current recommendation is to use the tested two-piece metal lid system that has been the norm for many years and Mason jars specifically made for the rigors of canning.
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*The shape and size of a jar effects the safety of the canning process, so it should not be assumed that recommended processes can be used with jars other than the standard sizes and shapes of Mason-type jars manufactured for home canning. – So Easy to Preserve
I’ve wondered about the Better Homes and Gardens jars and lids I’ve seen sold, maybe at Walmart.
Thank you for the comprehensive article on such an important topic.
I have seen a new canning lid on the internet called
For Jars.” I read their background information, but it they did not directly say they were made in America. Their claim is their jars are made of stronger metals containing stainless and will not buckle or rust. I am trying as much as possible to buy only American products to keep our country going strong. Please find out what you can about these lids and let me know if they are a true American company.
Hi Annette, thank you for bringing ForJars lids to my attention. You are the first to ask about them and in doing so, I learned something, too; I will add to the blog. I visited the company website to learn more about their product. This morning I called the company to learn more and to specifically answer your question on the country of origin. Presently the lids are manufacturered in China; however, the company is presently working on setting up manufacturing facillities in Florida and hopes to be up and running by late this year or early next year. They have been in business for 2 yrs. As you may have seen on their website, the customer reviews are quite positive. The company rep also told me that they guarantee their lids and will make anything right should something go awry.
Thank you for this informative article. It gave me the information I was looking for about TrueLiving canning jars, bands, and lids. I canned 12 pints of green tomato pickles last night. Out of 12 jars, 2 jars had accompanying nicked lids and rings.This morning, I wiped off the necks of all the jars and to my dismay, I found rust on the dishcloth from the edges of the lids. I couldn’t find any place to leave a review online, so I’d like to add my two cents for your information. We need to stop accepting this cheap junk. But what can I do now? The store will say I can return them and I have them filled with pickles. The days of getting a partial return on items that come in multiples are gone. The lids are junk, readers don’t make the mistake I made.
Ginene, I’m sorry you have had this experience but greatly appreciate sharing your experience.
You mention Knox in your intro but no listing for Knox jars. What did you kind out about them? Safe to pressure can?
Hi Vicki, Knox jars are now vintage jars. Vintage, or antique, canning jars are perfect for decorative use. Canning jars have a life expectancy of 10–13 years. After that, you will experience more breakage because of the wear and tear of normal use. Because of this, it is not recommended to use vintage or antique canning jars for food preservation.
Country Classics lids are not working well for me. I think they are too thin. There is no information on the lid box regarding how to prep them for use and they are buckling for me, both in hot water bath and pressure canning.
Hi Janet, customer reviews on the Country Classic lids have been mixed. We have heard of others who are having trouble with this brand of lids buckling as well. Buckling is usually caused by rings being too tight. If bands are too tight, air cannot vent during processing and lids will buckle. Another cause is over-softening of the plastisol. When the plastisol is softer than needed, it will begin to form around the rim of the jar sooner than necessary, making it more difficult for steam to escape. It may be that the lids are too thin as well. Do check the the tightness of your rings and avoid heating your lids prior to use. If those two issues check out, it might be best to try a different brand of lids. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I used Country Classics in my Nesco Canner. I had a few of my lids to buckle but they still sealed. Not happy. They were right at 20.00/12 pack at Rural King
Hi Edith, it appears that the Country Classic lids are problems for some canners. I’m sorry that you’ve had this experience. The seals on jars with a buckled lid will be prone to failure so do not consider this food safe. You may read in some canning forums that buckled-lid jars are fine, just store them at the front of the shelf, and use them up first. But we recommend against that as the failure rate is very high. If you are within 24 hrs, treat the buckled-lid jars as “failed to seal” and 1) reprocess the jars beginning with reheating, new lids, and processing as if anew; 2) refrigerate and use up soon; 3) empty the jars into a freezer container and freeze.
Hi there, and thanks for the info! Another USA-made lid that seems to be well-made and has good reviews from what I can see is Superb. They started making lids in Ohio in response to the COVID lack of supply and seem to be of good quality (I have not used them myself).
Just FYI in the hopes it might help canning folks! 🙂
Hi Susan, We appreciate you bringing this brand of lids to our attention and are pleased to learn that so far canners are finding them to be reliable and of good quality. We will look into them.
I have tried the True Living jars (commonly found at Dollar General) and lids and really all they are good for is dry goods. They do not seal properly, only sealing about 50% of the time, and the rings do not sometimes fit properly. I even had 2 lids literally buckle from boiling water allowing the contents on the jar to flow out. The lids folded like a piece of paper. Both the lids and the jars are very thin. I would not recommend using these for any canned foods unless its to store dry goods. Dollar General also carries Golden Harvest, which is significantly better and still reasonably priced.
Hi Darcey, we really appreciate your comments. Thank you for sharing.
I found Homepointe canning jars at True Value Hardware. The box says they’re made in China but I can’t find any information or reviews on this brand. Are they safe for pressure canning? Anybody have experience using them?
Hi David, HOMEPOINTE is a trademark by the True Value Company, L.L.C. for homegoods. Like you, I can find no specific information beyond the fact that they are made in China. One site stated that they were good for ‘preserving’ which can mean several things. Unless we can find reliable information that specifically says they are suitable for pressure canning, I personally would not use them for that purpose; the glass may be too thin to support pressure. You are the first to bring this brand to our attention. Unfortunately, due to the canning supply shortages of 2020-21, several companies have gotten into the business of providing canning supplies, most made in China, to meet consumer demand without attention to quality. Many of these products seem to made of thinner glass and/or thinner metal lids and less sealing compound.
I used the Country Classic jar lids for the first time. I WOULD NEVER BUY these lids again!
Out of 12 cans of beef, 11 of the lids buckled in the pressure cooker.
I redid the process from the start with Ball lids and ALL of them sealed!
The Country Classic lids are poor quality.
I can send a pic if helpful.
Hi Mary, sorry that the Country Classic lids buckled; other consumers have had similar problems or seal failure. I purchased a box to check them out. They seemed very light weight to me and did not have as much plastisol as some of the other brands. Good to know that your beef canning ended well with the Ball lids. Thank you for sharing.
Hi, What is the price supposed to be for Harvest Time jars? I spent good 2 hours on researching with every key search available to find 64 oz square glass canister with screw plastic lids but I’m unable to find these and people are selling on amazon or ebay for $16 per jar.
Are Golden Harvest or Harvest Jars discontinued for good?
Thanks!
Hi Pam, Newell Brands now owns and manufacturers Golden Harvest. I am not sure if the jars have been discontinued from the Newell line. As you’ve found, jars are still available at individual shops with prices more than one may be willing to spend for a specific purpose. Since they are made for the Canadian market in metric sizes, they may be more readily available in Canada.
I just purchased Country Classic jars with lids and bands. I’m concerned about they kids as when I took them off the jars to wash they rubber rings already had grooves from the jars in them and were very hard to remove. Should I toss them? Sounds like it from the comments. Thanks for your efforts to help us “newbie” canners!
Hi Judy, your message is so discouraging. It does sound like the lids may be a potential problem. I probably would encourage getting new flat lids of a different brand. I know this adds to the cost but hopefully will give you a good ‘newbie’ experience. The Country Classic lids can still be used for anything you might keep in a jar that is not canned.
I purchased ForJars lids and used quite a few of them. I mainly pressure can. Although the ForJars lids are sealing, I’ve noticed that when I open my jars of food the seal doesn’t seem as strong as with my Ball lids. There also seems to be more instances of product leaking under lids and onto the outside of my jars, especially with crushed tomatoes. I was surprised because I never had this issue before (been canning for years). For right now I’m switching back to my Ball lids and keeping ForJars lids as backup. Has anyone else noticed any of these issues?
Hi Nancy, thank you for sharing this experience. I think that ForJars would appreciate you reaching out to them and sharing your experience. This company is really wanting to make a great consumer product.
I’m surprised that you did not mention the Superb brand lids/flats that are made in Ohio.
I have used the regular mouth ones and they worked great!
Thank you, Kim, for the heads up. We were not aware of this label so will check into it. Since the shortage in 2020, there have been so many new options.
I bought literally cases and cases of the Golden Harvest lids and bands, and also cases of the lids this past year. They were hard to find and when the store finally got them, I stocked up. Well, I’ve opened numerous boxes and found crimped or bent lids and a few bands also. No boxes/cases are damaged. This is coming off production/packing line and being packaged. I got a collection of the damaged pieces going on. Do not know where to go about possible replacements? Also do not know how many more will be damaged until in open more cases.
Bonny, I am very sorry you are having this experience with Golden Harvest lids. The customer service numbers for Newell Brands are 800.424.1941 or 770.418.7000.
Excellent information, thank you. I will come back to consult this list frequently! As an aside, I do regularly water bath can in Weck jars and have found them to be vastly superior to the metal lid/ring combination usually found here in the US. A few minutes of basic math is all that’s needed to ensure correct processing times. I have been doing this for years (ever since Weck became available in the States), and have canned hundreds upon hundreds of Weck jars. I have had seal failures 4 times, most likely due to hurried rim wiping. I understand if people are wary, as there is less information available about them, but for the record I will always can with Weck!
This blog post explores the various brands of canning jars and lids, offering helpful insights for making informed choices. Great information!
My Country Classics 1/2 pints cracked from bottom to top as soon as I put warm jelly in one of them. They had just come out of the dishwasher so they were warm and the jelly was not 200 degrees. Also many of the rims had dents. I would never buy them again.
Hi Marilyn, so sorry you had this experience. However, thank you for sharing.
I used Country Classics jar lids with 25min pressure canning at 11psi on wide mouth quart jars and noticed all of these lids where buckled and raised above the closing rings by about 1/8″ with several creases caused by the severe deformation…. They did eventually lower to the proper sealed position once cooled but do not trust those jars and placed in fridge for immediate use. Had 2 Ball lids used in same patch with zero deformation. Seem to be danger of rupturing.
Thank you for sharing! Sorry that you had trouble with these lids. You certainly did the right thing to question the safety of the seals and place the jars in the refrig for immediate use. A very good food safety practice.
Ball, Kerr, Golden Harvest are all the same company. (first Kerr company bought Ball, and continued to use the ball name out there, and then those two were bought by Rubbermade Newell which was GHarvest. Notice that the newest GHarvest flat lids don’t even have the golden harvest logo on them.)
We have abandoned them altogether as the failure rate is too high 30-75%.
The lids are weaker, the sealing material is less, and the divot pops down and can stay there even if the seal fails.
It’s no longer worth using them in my house. I have too much time and product involved to risk it, not to mention food safety.
I have switched to superb, and am back to 100% seal rate again.
I personally have had terrible luck, hit and miss, with the Tattler.
(Canning for over 40 years)
Most of the other brands listed aren’t available here, in the middle of nowhere.
Pur just showed up at the end of last year.
I did see a brand from India at tractor supply this week, but the name escapes me. 20$ for a dozen quarts.
Have found unless I use made in USA I have problems been canning to fifty years.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Disappointed in the jars also no labels came with the pack
Sorry to learn, Arlene. I wish we knew the manufacturer.
I purshased lids with the name Kanaware printed across top, at local Amish store. Any info on these?
Carolyn, sorry I cannot help with this name. The only info I could find on them was a YouTube and comments that followed. Thanks for bringing this name to our attention.