Can You Use Recycled Mason Jars for Canning?

There are seemingly endless ways to go about reusing glass jars. From food preservation to home organization, we’re always fascinated to see how people reduce, reuse, and recycle.

But in your quest to be more environmentally and budget-friendly, it’s critical that you follow some best practices to better ensure your safety, especially when it comes to food preservation. To help you get started, Masonjars.com wanted to answer a few frequently asked questions about reusing glass jars and lids.

1. Can I Reuse Jars for Canning?

You can reuse Mason jars designed for canning, such as Anchor Hocking, Ball, and Golden Harvest. Before canning, the National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends you:

Wash jars in a dishwasher or by hand, using detergent and rinsing well.
Inspect jars for cracks or chips, discarding or re-purposing those jars for non-canning uses.
Soak jars with hard water scales or film in a water-vinegar solution.
Sterilize jars by submerging them in boiling water for 10 minutes.

However, you should never reuse commercial product jars (e.g., jam, sauce, or pickles jars). Reason being, most commercial pint- and quart-size jars have a narrower sealing surface and are tempered less than Mason jars. In addition, several co-packed jars are coated with a scratch-resistant surface. You can’t see it, but it leads to breakage during the canning process. However, many other ways exist to put those old jars to good use. For instance, you could store:

Bulk Dry Goods
Cookie & Cake Mixes
Dried Herbs & Spices
Homemade Cosmetics
Lard & Tallow

Leftovers
Nuts & Bolts
Plant Cuttings
Simple Syrups
Soap

2. Can You Reuse Canning Lids?

We don’t recommend reusing your metal lids and bands. While you can find a variety of “hacks” for reusing canning lids, you’re increasing your chances of having seal failures during the canning process. Ultimately, we strongly recommend you use new lids each time you can.