Mason jar lids smell funny, am I forgetting something?

February 2, 2008 10:01 PM

New mason jar lids have an orange gummy ring to help seal the lid on tight, but it smells very chemically (strong glue smell) and I'm afraid it may taint food that I put into the jars. Am I supposed to boil the lids before first use?
posted by bumper314 to food & drink (6 comments total)

When used for actual canning, the lids are sterilized in simmering water before the product goes in. That's to prevent cross-contamination, though (botulism!), not to clean the lids.

Just wash them in hot soapy water. They're food safe and won't harm you. Besides which, if your food comes in contact with the lids, you've over-filled the jar.
posted by mudpuppie at 10:08 PM on February 2

I have washed the lids, but something about boiling water really brings out the smell in the lids...
posted by bumper314 at 10:56 PM on February 2

I don't know if you're using Ball lids, but if you are this site has detailed information on how to prepare the lids for processing. In short, you are supposed to wash the lid components in hot soapy water, and then place the flat part of the lid (the one with the gummy stuff) in simmering water. This both sterilizes the lid and softens the gummy stuff so that you get a good seal when processing.

I'm not sure what the gasket on the lid is made of, but I suspect that it is inert at the temperatures that you are subjecting the jars to. The link above has an email tab to send Ball questions. You can also try the Harvest Forum on GardenWeb for asking the question - folks there are extremely knowledgable about all aspects of home canning.
posted by Flakypastry at 4:30 AM on February 3

Those rings are just rubber. The smell fades over time, and the ring itself is inert.
posted by headspace at 7:17 AM on February 3

You should not boil the entire lid component, just the flat part. I find it is a lot easier if you use a large, flat pan rather than a taller one, so you can lay the lids out without them overlapping. When they overlap they tend to be difficult to separate which is only more aggravating when dealing with hot lids. You can use a magnet to lift the lids out a bit easier.
posted by odinsdream at 7:44 AM on February 3

Thanks everyone.
posted by bumper314 at 11:41 AM on February 3