…… Can NOT get canning lids off!!!!

ioujc

MARANTHA!! Even so, come LORD JESUS!!!
Hey, back several years ago, I canned a bunch of green beans.

They are DELICIOUS.

However the person helping me was a very muscular male and he insisted on tightening the rings down after the beans cooled from being in the canner.

Now, it is impossible to get the rings off......I have asked several of my guy friends and they can't budge them. I have tried using an opener; which broke and could not nudge them, tried knocking them on the floor, and tried soaking the caps in hot water.

Any ideas???
 

Salal Sue

Senior Member
I am having the same problem accessing peaches canned in the German Weck glass jars with glass lids with a rubber ring between the glass bottle and glass top. I have been able to open other products by pulling on the rubber lid tab to break the seal but this doesn’t work with the peaches...maybe because of the sugar in the syrup. The jars with peaches do make beautiful kitchen decorations but not my planned use!
 

Digger

Veteran Member
It is possible that if the rings still had moisture underneath them, they maybe rusted to the jar. I have occasionally had this happen. When it does, I use a pair of pointed nosed wire cutters to cut and peel the ring off. Be careful. The cut metal can be sharp.

I usually remove my rings after 18-24 hours. Wash jars and rings. When they are fully dry, I replace the ring on the jar.
 

ioujc

MARANTHA!! Even so, come LORD JESUS!!!
Raven.....you may be right. Trying to save the jars.....so I may have to do this and EXTREMELY CARFUL not to nick the glass. But maybe I could just do the top??????
 

WalknTrot

Veteran Member
Yep..remove the rings after 24 hours.

And keep that muscular male the hell out of the canning kitchen. Tightening down the rings after taking the jars out of the canner is notorious for breaking the seal. To top it all off, he may have ruined your work, and your beans may be no good.
Check all those lids to make darned sure they're still sealed before you open them.
 

drafter

Veteran Member
Did you try wacking to edge all the way around the lid with a butter knife. The dents seem to break the vacuum and allow the lid to budge.
 

summerthyme

Administrator
_______________
Raven.....you may be right. Trying to save the jars.....so I may have to do this and EXTREMELY CARFUL not to nick the glass. But maybe I could just do the top??????
Try using a pair of side cutters and snip into the ring starting on the top of the jar. Or try a hacksaw, again, cutting from the top.

Summerthyme
 

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Take a drill and a tiny bit and drill through the center of the lid to break the seal. Then take an oil filter wrench and ratchet that sucker off of the jar. Also this is why we don't leave rings on the jars, they will rust to the jar over time.
 

ioujc

MARANTHA!! Even so, come LORD JESUS!!!
Um....the "muscular male" is GONE!!

YO-HO, OFF TO THE EVIL PLACE HE GOES!!

He is the one who knocked me out THREE times!! Only time have EVER been hit by ANYONE since I was about 8 years old!! And for NO reason or fault of mine.

Sometimes I think he knew better and did it to ruin things......

Anyway, my purpose is to SAVE the jars as I anticipate "lotsa cannin' goin' on this summer and fall!!"
 

JasmineAndLace

Senior Member
It is possible that if the rings still had moisture underneath them, they maybe rusted to the jar. I have occasionally had this happen. When it does, I use a pair of pointed nosed wire cutters to cut and peel the ring off. Be careful. The cut metal can be sharp.

I usually remove my rings after 18-24 hours. Wash jars and rings. When they are fully dry, I replace the ring on the jar.
I have had to do this on several occasions. While I hate losing the rings this way, it is better than losing the jar, too. As mentioned, just be careful when peeling the ring off, the freshly torn metal is really sharp.
 

anna43

Veteran Member
All canning instructions I've ever read tell you to remove the rings and wash the jars before storing.

No idea how to fix your problem beyond what's already been mentioned so I'll only say good luck!
 

Millwright

Knuckle Dragger
_______________
Dykes and a small screwdriver.

Snip and peel open, repeat.

The rings are fairly thin and soft. They should tear along the cut line once you get it started.



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ginnie6

Veteran Member
I was given a bunch of jars once that had been in a shed. No lids but the rings were rusted on.....I took the little cutters like listed above and was able to easily take them off. Good luck and please take the rings off after 24 hours. If a seal isn't good and the ring is on it may cause it to reseal but the food is spoiled.
 

Quiet Man

Nothing unreal exists
You wrote that you 'tried soaking the caps in hot water'. Did you try inverting the jars in a pan of water and soaking for a few hours or a day? If the oil wrench idea doesn't work, I would do the soak and try the oil wrench again. Be careful when using the oil filter wrench that you don't use enough force to break the glass as that could be dangerous -- Be sure to protect your hands with gloves or towel.

Here are some other approaches that look promising -- Sometimes a combination of ideas may be needed.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o1CXSjG4zY


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyTfv4UPJ6w


 
Last edited:

Kathy in FL

Administrator
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Not really something you want to do on a regular basis, but ....

Use a little Liquid Wrench or WD40 around the top of the ring and the base of the ring. I said a little bit. LOL Use an old butter knife to work you way around the lid. It will break the rust loose.

Now after you get the groady ring off, carefully wipe/clean the seal off before you open the jar.
 
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