Should I Remove the Rings From My Canning Jars?
Now that canning is in full swing, I thought I would address whether or not you should remove the rings from canning jars after the jars have been processed.
I know that a lot of people don’t remove them–and they have been totally fine after years and years of canning. BUT, the short answer to the question is still yes, you really should remove the rings.
The rings are really only designed to keep the lid on during the processing and cooling part of canning. After that, they only provide a false sense of food safety, by giving the illusion of a good seal. Once jars are cooled, take the rings off and store the jars. Don’t stack them–that can also affect the seal.
When a canned good does not have a good seal, eventually the lid will start to lift off of the jar. When the band is on, it can prevent the lifting–making you think the food is still sealed.
{photo credit MamasMinutia}
In addition to giving the illusion of a good seal, the rings can rust.
Rust leads to a nightmare of a time getting the rings off when it is actually time to eat whatever is in the jar. It also really shortens the life of the rings. And seriously, why spend money replacing something if you don’t have to?
I know the jars won’t look as pretty on the shelf without the traditional canning ring band, but seriously, in the end, it is a safety issue for you and your family. And, the good news is that in the end, it will save you time and money. No more trying to pry off stuck on rings–and no more purchasing excess rings, just new lids.
Happy canning,
~Mavis
Need help getting started on the canning process? Go HERE to find out how to can with a water bath or go HERE to find out how to can with a pressure canner.
Know how to can but need some new recipes? Check out my canning recipes HERE.
Audrey says
Question: If the seal is bad won’t that still be evident when you remove the ring when you go to eat them? I mean, unless you re-tighten the ring they are actually loose when the canning is done. Shouldn’t that give enough room for the lid to unseal, thus popping the center ring? I’m genuinely curious. I have a friend who doesn’t ring her jars, I have and have never had an issue. But there’s always a first time! I’m just curious.
Kim says
I leave the rings on and yes you can tell when something is bad. There is funky stuff on the lid always and it doesn’t pop. Even if it reseals there will not be a vacuum sound. I don’t know why people make such a big deal of this. If you want to leave your rings on do it. When we moved i had to put the rings bck on 1500 jars not making that mistake again..
Candy says
Very good insight! On keeping rings on. Rust on rings will be due to poor storage and care.
Shannon Featheringill says
I used to take my rings off of stuff that we would use all at once (ie: pasta sauce, canned beef, sour kraut) but left them on pickles, salsa, jam, etc. because of keeping them in the fridge after it was opened. A few years ago I found plastic screw on caps for regular AND wide mouth jars at Wal-Mart. Problem solved!
Jane says
Those plastic caps changed my life! 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
We love them too. 🙂
Janine Oldenburg says
If you purchase Kraft grated parmesan cheese, or even the Aldi brand, those green plastic lids fit the regular mason canning jars.
Ruby says
Mayo jar lids & some peanut butter lids fit regular & wide mouth jars for storage in frig & cabinet after opening.
Teckla says
Mavis, you are right on all points! I always remove the rings, rinse them, let them dry, then store in gallon Ziploc bags until time to use again. I always rinse and dry the jars before storing so that they will not have any mold or gunk on them. And, for sure, why pay extra for stuff you don’t have to! Good advice!
Ellen in Clackamas says
My Mom always took the rings off and then we kids washed and dried them and put them in a big brown grocery bag. They were my first pieces of jewelry…bracelets up the arms!!!
Sandra says
I love the plastic lids for storing opened jars in the fridge! I recently discovered that some brands of peanut butter have jar lids that fit regular mouth canning jars. Before I recycle my peanut butter jars, I check to see if it has a “free” lid. If you use Parmesan cheese in the jar, the lid for the brand name product also often fits canning jars.
Frauke M Massimilla says
any mayo. jar plastic lid will fit reg. mouth mason jar. I’ve been using them for years.
Ashley says
Hello, I am very new to canning, but alas I have already had my first catastrophe. I decided to leave my rings on, after thoroughly drying, for the purpose of having them when I opened the jars. My husband had built two shelves for me to store all my many jars of pickles on. Apparently, he didn’t do such a great job and a shelf with about 30 qts came down. Interestingly enough, the rings saved my food. Some of the jars did break, but only about 8 out of 30-40, so not a huge loss. The rings were dented, but they kept the lids on the other jars! So I am now in favor of leaving the rings on. I don’t understand the rust issue, it seems to me that if everything is dry when you shelf it, how would it get damp to rust? Also, I periodically checked my seals, since this is my first season canning, and I did have one batch of jam that didn’t seal (too much headspace) and even with the rings on it was evident my seal hadn’t kept.
Mavis Butterfield says
Yikes! I’m glad to hear most of your jars made it.
SweetSue says
I’ve been canning for years but my daughter taught me something new and it worked. We’re told to put the hot jars upright after the hot water bath. My daughter said to put them upside-down as the heat from the water, jam etc. seals the lids faster and better. I tried it and she was right. Try it and after they pop(creating a vacuum) you can turn them right-side up and let them cool completely.
Ashley says
I have done that with strawberry jam and my jam is still all stuck at the top of the jar a year later!!!
Sandy says
A word for those who do jam and jelly. I’ve been making my own jams and jellys for years. I have never hot water bathed them or pressure cooked them. I have done all kinds of jams and jellys in an open kettle. The trick is use a tine fork. After you add the sugar and it boils again. Start checking with the fork. When it clings it’s done. I start my caps to boil so there good and hot. Ladle into clean jars, cap and ring. I turn everything upside down on new paper on my counter. After the last jar is filled and turned. I set my timer for 5 minutes. 5 minutes up turn everything over. They will start to pop shortly. I’ve done this for the last 30 years. I’ve only lost 2 jars.
terry jasinski says
That’s how I always used to do it. I have never poisoned or killed anyone, but now the higher ups say to pressure or hot bath canned goods, I thought maybe it is because so many vegetables and fruit are not the same as when I started canning, what with genetically modified stuff??
Tibbs says
That can cause poor lid sealage, it’s an old way of canning, no longer recommended by Ball Canning procedures. I have been canning for years, hot water and pressure. I have never ever had one seal failure after processing , I only follow Ball Canning Procedures.
Cyn says
Rust on the rings are mostly due to damp areas such as root cellars, and sometimes storing canned jars in a laundry room, when a dryer vent is not secured……
Denise says
I had a jar with the ring off, and it popped off. Let me just say a mouse had a great time in the jar of butter beans! YUK I loosen the ring but keep it on.
Kathleen says
I always took my rings off. But… we had a mouse get in!! Do you know that booger actually pried off the lids of some of the jars!! He couldn’t get to the lid of the few jars that had the rings on them. I even found small dents in the lid edge where he tried and failed to break the seal. Needless to say, they went out in the trash. Everything had to be rewashed and sanitized. Then I stored with the ring on loosely. I did make certain that everything was dry. I also check the seals regularly. Live and learn I guess.
Bev says
Unfortunately I have to agree here with the lovely mouse reference! Every year I seemed to have a smart rodent opening jars until I started leaving my rings on. Country mice head inside as soon as the weather starts to get cold. I want to feed my family not the mice.
Jackie S. says
i have been canning for 49 years since I was married. I learned from my mother-in-law to keep the rings on. What I do is to loosen the lid so it is just barley on and they never stick. It’s just easier to keep the lids on and you know where they are. I could always know if something was bad just by looking at the jar.
Now I have a question on another subject. Does anyone have a good recipe for Preserves. When you go shopping these days you see jars saying they are preserves and they are just jam. I like fruit in my preserves and can’t stand the jam and my family can’t. Lost my recipe many years ago when I moved and have not been able to make it since then. My family is haunting me to make some now.
Thanks For the help
Sunny580 says
There are LOTS of them on Pinterest. Instant pot is very popular in making them. I make the orange marmalade recipe and friends always wants more.
Carolyn Edwards says
Our preserves are 1 pound of sugar for each pound of fruit. Nothing else. I recently made pear preserves. Just cook until desired thickness and can.
mary Thacker says
We always leave our rings we never had a problem with anything ever
Judy S. says
Once my jars seal, I take off the ring, rinse off the jar and ring (sometimes there is leakage before it seals) and let the rings dry overnight on the counter. Next day everything is ultra dry and I put the rings back on. If the seal is not good and the jar opens months later, the food inside usually oozes out very gradually when it spoils. You will
see it under the jar, on the shelf below and/or the floor.
Dennis says
I’ve never canned. I just now read an article on it and it’s pretty straight forward for people with at least highschool education. (I only say that because of the idea of some basic science behind all that’s involved ) . If I were to can, I believe that I would remove rings after the processing and cooling! If the lids seated properly, there shouldn’t be any signs of leakage and you’d easily be able to see this with the rings removed. But, thats just my opinion. Also, I would find a cool dark place, free of moisture where I could store the jars. I think if I built shelves for them, I would make sure that I had enough sturdy materials and built them properly so they couldn’t fall off the walls, even in an earthquake. I would also try to come up with something to deter any kind of pest; like bugs, mice, cats, dogs, farm animals and the likes. I also think that maybe, just maybe, I bit of common sense would make my canning experience a grand success!
Lauren says
You should probably get off Pinterest and start canning then. You already sound like an expert.
Linda says
Bravo Lauren!
Lorrie says
People used to take the rings off so they only needed one set to use over and over. I leave them on. A bulge is a bulge. If something went wrong, you will know. The scary thing is to see recipes for oven canning or skipping pressure cooking for items that must be pressure cooked.
Now, Europeans think we are crazy. They use a solid lid, just like manufacturers do. I’m slowly switching over.
Anna says
I come from those Europeans. Our jars EXPLODE with those solid lid sometimes, because pressure just keeps building up from inside. Not fun.
Renee says
I just read your articles regarding taking the lid off
Unfortunately I waited over a month after canning and when I removed the lids the seals “made a popping sound and came off with the lids” Dies this mean the seal wasn’t secure???
Is my sauce still good to eat???
Ruthie says
Are usually take my rings off, wash and dry them but I store them on paper towel holders from the dollar store until they are completely dry and I’m sure they won’t rust. I’ll store the paper towel holders on the shelf in my outbuilding where they are clean and protected Just above the shelves that hold the empty jars
William says
The rings that the Europeans use, are they reusable? Never heard of them.
William says
What is meant by “moderation”?
John Solem says
Just canned 15 quarts of chicken and had 5 failures.. checked online with others who are canning and to my surprise there are a lot of failures with ALL the canning lids. so i compared them to some older ones and there a JOKE!! very little rubber.. So im going to the reuseable;–yes there expensive but so is throwing away 5-7 pound of chicken–SO FAR**
Another thing im going to do is after canning and cooling remove ring and lift jar buy the lid to make sure its sealed enough. one morev thing; ihad bought all new ball jars and lids and rings and noticed that the lids were screwed on tight so the lids were already slightly compromised! probly thats why my jars didnt seal properly? live and learn……..
fiona says
I noticed some of you talking about solid lids. In Australia Fowlers Vacola has always been our canning equipment provider. They have solid lids that sit on a rubber ring and are held in place with a metal clip during water bath. I’ve had very few mishaps with this system.
Teresa says
I’m new to canning and seemed successful with some marmalade. I canned some asparagus and pineapple, did everything as directed… leaving the 1/2” headspace and completing the water bath process. My question: there is still air in the top of jars… lids are completely sealed. Is this ok? Someone said air is not your friend so I was concerned. Thanks so much for your help!
Rita says
Yes, If the lid sealed your food is fine… the 1/2 inch head/air space is necessary for a good clean seal. Lack of this space allows food/liquid to come between the lid and the jar before it can seal, this allows that food to be exposed to unsterilized air and it will rot. The air in the jar is sterilized by the canning process.