It no secret that there was a canning lid shortage in 2020. With pandemic panic buying and inflation coming at us full steam, many people are learning to can their own food and be more self-reliant. The first step most people take is purchasing canning lids from their local grocery store or online retailer, but those sources have been gone for ages now. This article will discuss why there has been a shortage and why existing stock might be more expensive than what youre used to.
In 2020, a pandemic was declared worldwide. This caused panic buying on anything that could protect from the pandemic or provide sustenance in its aftermath. And toilet paper.
Lockdowns gave many people lots of time for new hobbies (remember the sourdough bread craze?) including gardening. We called the surge of canning interest “Sourdough 2.0” and though those two things may have been the largest contributors to the shortage in 2020, this year things are a lot more complex.
As more consumers prepare their meals at home, Ball and the entire canning industry have experienced an unprecedented demand. The demand has resulted in supply constraints, extended lead times and recently limited product availability at stores and online.
Signs that you might be buying bad lids include:
Fake or low-quality s are a sign that the manufacturer or seller might not be reputable.
Keep an eye out for misspelling of common words or strange phrases. If the description uses words like silicone in place of plastisol or rubber, you might want to think twice.
Does the company have any history? Can you contact them? Do they have any means of customer service? If youre looking at lids from a fly-by-night Amazon seller, youre probably going to get substandard lids. The price might be lower, but the cost can be much higher.
Product reviews should also give you a big clue about whether the company or product is legitimate. If there are are no reviews that might indicate that the website is brand new, so you are taking your chances. Pay attention to the language used in the reviews. If all of the reviews say exactly the same thing, they are probably fake. If the product reviews are bad, then you probably want to steer clear.
The lid shortage has us all feeling blue, but you can make sure you dont miss out on the lids that are available.
Check here for our current stock here.
How do I reuse a canning lid?
You can reuse canning lids for dry storage, freezer storage, and any number of crafts, (11 Creative Ways to Reuse Flat Mason Jar Lids) but we cannot recommend reusing canning lids or the flat part of two piece lids on mason jars for canning purposes. Yes, people do it, but we arent going to recommend this as a good alternative.
Extended Shortages! NO MORE CANNING SUPPLIES!!
FAQ
Why are canning jars in short supply?
Is Ball no longer making Mason jars?
Why are Mason jars so expensive right now?
Can vacuum sealing replace canning?
Why is there a shortage of Canning lids?
Yet even as coronavirus no longer dominates headlines, the canning supply issues have persisted. Why is there a shortage of canning lids in particular? Unlike the glass jars, which can be washed and reused, metal canning lids have to be tossed after one use, which may mean canners require more lids than they do jars.
Are Canning lids still in short supply?
But since the summer of 2020, when supposedly everybody in America was staying home, planting garden and canning produce, lids for canning jars have remained in short supply. This was understandable during the first several months of the pandemic until the canning lid suppliers could catch up with the unprecedented demand.
Is the Canning supply shortage still going on?
Home canning was actually on the decline, so companies such as Ball and Kerr have been unable to meet the unexpected demand for supplies over the past year. That’s right, the canning supply shortage is still going on. And while glass jars can be reused, their metal lids cannot.
Are we having the Great canning jar lid shortage of 2020?
Well, it appears we may be having the Great Canning Jar Lid Shortage of 2020. Family and Consumer Sciences Extension agents in many parts of North Carolina are finding difficulties in getting their hands on canning jars and / or lids, or they have clients who are calling them to say they are having difficulty getting what they need to can food.