Is it just me or does anyone else have a preference of which brand of flats that they use. I noticed a couple years ago that the kerr flats seemed to seal better, harder to get off to open. I also seem to be having a problem with some of the older jars that have a thicker rim. I wonder if seal on flats have gotten smaller- less sealer and the old jars seem to fail to seal at a higher rate than the newer ones that have a thinner rim. Anyone else notice this? Tami in WI

-- Tami Bowser (windridg@chorus.net), August 02, 2000

Answers

Hi! The Kerr do seem to work better,but I just use whatever I can get at a decent price.Interestingly,they(KERR,Ball and Bernardin)are all owned by the same company,the Altrista corp. Happy canning, ~Tracy~

-- Tracy Jo Neff (tntneff@ifriendly.com), August 02, 2000.

Somewhere on the web, I saw a page selling reuseable canning lids. I sent away for a sample, but never heard back. You might have better luck. Wait, found it: www.canninglids.com

-- Soni Pitts (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), August 02, 2000.

I buy the Ball lids for the 80-plus year old lady neighbor. I prefer whatever's cheaper and have had equal sealing results. Even from no- name "Golden Harvest" brand. Clean jar tops, and good procedures make the difference, I think.

-- Anne (HT@HM.com), August 02, 2000.

I have used both Kerr and Ball and never noticed any difference. Like Anne, I also have used no name brands which were considerably less expensive, with equally good results.

-- Marci (ajourend@libby.org), August 02, 2000.

I guess that I have never seen the 'no name' brands, I will have to keep my eyes open. Tami in WI

-- Tami Bowser (windridg@chorus.net), August 02, 2000.

I emailed Altrista last year to inquire if there was any difference between Ball & Kerr jars, lids, etc., and if there was a problem using, say, Ball lids on Kerr jars. The answer was that the only difference is the name they put on the item, and they can be used interchangeably.

-- J E FROELICH (dragnfly@chorus.net), August 03, 2000.

Ok, here's my .02 worth. I've had famous luck with Ball flats. Golden Harvest ones I use ONLY if I'm out of the Ball. They just don't seem to seal right for me. Haven't tried Kerr, only because I can't find them around here.

-- Misha (MishaaE@aol.com), August 03, 2000.

I actually seem to have better luck with Ball jars and Ball lids. And if I have the choice, I buy and use Ball lids on all my other jars - Kerr, Golden Harvest and other's (Atlas, Chattanoga Mason, Lamb Mason, etc.)

-- Eric in TN (ems@nac.net), August 03, 2000.

I have to admit, I use Ball lids because they have a space to write on. Pretty silly, but it makes things easier on me. We only have the Kerr and Ball lids around here and they run about the same price. As for reliability, sure seal, etc. I can't find a difference. annette

-- annette (j_a_henry@yahoo.com), August 03, 2000.

I have better luck with Ball. It seems that whenever a jar doesn't seal, there is Kerr lid on it. As for thicker jars, I haven't noticed anything different, unless there is a rough edge then forget it. No seal

-- Feather Stitches (featherstitches@yahoo.com), August 03, 2000.

Given that they are suppose to be the same with diffrent names I wonder if it was just that I got and especially good batch with lots of seal on it once. It is interesting to know. At walmart Kerr are about 5 cents more than Ball. Tami in WI

-- Tami Bowser (windridg@chorus.net), August 03, 2000.

Golden Harvest lids are $1 a box of 12 at our local Dollar Store. Pint jars - $5/dozen. Didn't price quarts. Ball and Kerr lids are within 5 cents of each other at Wally World. I got mine last year on close out for 84 cents or so a box. Will probably run out soon, as I am starting on the tomatoes and will have grapes and applesauce to can after that. Hmmm...maybe I could just freeze the spagetti sauce....

Does anyone else use the square plastic freezer boxes? I prefer them because they stack better in my freezer and they are a lot easier to fill. Pop likes zipper seal bags, but since I do the shopping, we now use the boxes for most stuff. I put corn in quarts, freezer jam in pints, freezer slaw in 1 1/2 pts and berries in whatever size I have handy! I still use the zip bags for apples and peaches that I put up for pies and crisps - easier to break up to put in the pie shell.

Mom used to freeze pies - had about 15 pyrex pie plates that she would bake the pies in, then wrap in double foil and then in a plastic bag. We'd set the pie, still in the foil, on a trivet on top of the woodstove when we'd go out to cut wood or prune in the winter (right next to the veggie soup!) and when we came in for lunch, we'd have hot apple pie. Mom's been gone 10 years now and I don't have a wood stove anymore, so I just make my pies as I need them. Considering maybe trying a couple in the freezer this year - not sure how long I'd need to put them in the oven. Do you think I should bake them first, or wait 'til I get ready to eat them??

I sure do miss pilot lights on stoves - does anyone else? Perfect place to set the old drip coffee pot to keep the coffee warm in the morning; and the oven one provided enough heat to raise my bread dough on those days that it was too chilly in the kitchen, but not chilly enough to bother lighting the stove. I still have my old 1952 Roper gas stove sitting out in the shed - I think I'll design my next kitchen around it. Best cook stove I ever had - worth every bit of the $10 I gave for it!!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), August 03, 2000.

Ball seems to have the market in Maine. 99 cents for regulars, and for some insane reason, $1.69 for wide mouth! Walmart has the regulars for 82 cents. BUT, if you buy them in October, you can find them for as little as 3 boxes for a dollar. Don't count on the supermarkets for the bargains, though. They apparently send them all back to some store in the sky that will jack up prices next year. Another reason to do it ourselves. Happy "putting by"! GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), August 04, 2000.

I try to match lid and jar manufacturers when possible, but really it doesn't matter, all components are made to specifications.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), August 06, 2000.

I generally use Ball because they're cheaper than Kerr and easier to find. A couple years ago, the canners around here were having trouble with the jars staying sealed no matter what lids. Also, Kerr jars had almost too much rubber on them. Does anyone know if the while coating on Ball lids is the same coating on tin can from the grocery store? A few years ago, there was talk that this coating contained something that would prevent conception. I've heard that more than once lately.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), August 06, 2000.