A couple of years ago I bought, through one of the major seed company catalogs, a rubber top that fits on all sizes of canning jars; one way for wide mouth, the other way for small mouth. It is used to put over canning jars that have been opened in order to refrigerate. Can't find it in the catalogs now. Does anyone have a source for these?

-- Kathy Hart (Saddlebronc@msn.com), September 01, 1999

Answers

I have not seen the covers that you speak of, but Alltrista Consumer Products Company that sells the Ball and Kerr line, carries plastic storage caps that are pretty reasonable. The wide mouth caps are item #3700S (S as in Sam) and priced in a box of 8 for $2.25. The regular caps are item #3600S (S as in Sam) and priced in a box of 8 for $1.95. ALltrista's telephone number is 1-800-240-3340. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, weekdays. Their address is: Alltrista Consumer Products Company, P.O.Box 2729, Muncie, IN 47307.

-- greenbeanman (greenbeanman@ourtownusa.net), September 01, 1999.

I had several - they were the best, but I think I bought them at a supermarket or kitchen store around here - I live in a fairly large city.

-- Joan Murray (jccm4@sprintmail.com), September 02, 1999.

I hate to state the ovious here, but why all the extra expense of a special rubber cap to seal opened canning jars? I just replace the used lid, snug down the ring, and it works just fine. When the contents of the jar are used up, I throw the used lid away, wash the ring, and I'm set to go.

-- Dan Shaske (dshaske@excel.net), September 03, 1999.

Hi,

I found Plastic Jar Lids in Hoegger Goat Supplies. Their address is as follows: Hoegger Goat Supplies, Box 331, Fayetteville, Ga 30214 (770)461-6926 for info or 1-800-221-GOAT for ordering.

These lids can be bought to fit either the regular mason jar or the wide mouth jar. I vaguely remember the reversible ones you are asking about and have not seen them since that time. These work very well as I find a number of times when I need to put a small amount of something in a jar to keep it from bugs etc.

The folks at Hoegger are easy to work with and we have done business with them for many years. If you don't want to wait for the catalog to come in the number of the product is 12K-1 Plastic Jar Lids 3 for $1.75 and 12K-2 Plastic Jar Lids 10 for $5.25. They will ask you which you want - regular or wide mouth.

Blessings, Prisca

-- Prisca Wooster (kerryw@hctc.net), September 03, 1999.

I know the lids you are talking about...the reversible ones...my grandma had some. I don't think they are available around here anymore at all. I have used the plastic ball storage lids that everyone is telling you about though, and they are available at our Ace hardware store here in town.They are really reasonable and last for years.

-- jenny pipes (Auntjenny6@aol.com), September 09, 1999.

Do you have friends that buy their food at the grocery store? Mayonnaise and mustard quarts often have plastic tops that fit regular Mason jars. Remove the cardboard from the top of the lid. I also have friends save the jars. I can in them even though it is not recommended, but I am sure you have non-canning storage uses as well. As far as I have seen only a few pricey mayos have wide mouth tops, and they are metal. They will last for a while before they rust except over pickled peppers. A piece of plastic wrap under the lid will prevent the rust that happens in moist acid environments.

-- Kendy Sawyer (sweetfire@grove.net), September 20, 1999.

Thank you all for answering. I found that the mayo/miracle whip worked great on the small canning jars. Thanks again.

-- kathy hart (www.saddlebronc@msn.com), October 22, 1999.