It's your choice Jimmy, something done at your own risk but not recommended.

Just as the guidelines don't approve using those jars they don't approve of reusing the original lids either. The odds of getting a good vacuum seal that will hold during shelf storage are slim.

Personally I wouldn't use either. Not so much because of safety issues but because of the time and effort wasted if the jar breaks or the seal gives way and I lose all the pickles to mold and fungus.

Dave

I never had a problem with the wide mouth 1/2 gallon jars for pickles only, maybe because of the vinegar, Seems like a waste of good jars but I have been looking for several hours for lids and can't find them, Guess it's only available to the company.

Yeah finding the lids is only one of the issues with them. The increased processing time required for them has never been tested either. They obviously would need longer than quart jars need but no one how much longer is needed for adequate heat penetration. And of course you don't want to guess wrong and have them go mushy.

I use some of the Vlasic jars and lids for fridge pickles and for doing some fermenting in but neither of those require any processing.

Dave

You can try Freund Container but the problem is that you really have to know the size of the lid to order anything from them. My guess is that they are lug lids (twist and lock) as opposed to threaded (screw on like a Mason type jar). You might call them and ask if they can help you, but they'd rather sell you 1000 than 3 or 4. Shipping might be cost prohibitive as well. i bought 1000 spice jar lids from them a few years ago when I cabbaged onto a load of jars cheap that had a few lids with them. Luckily, the lids were in a box that had the size and applicable codes on it so I could order more. Kind of neat. They're larger than standard spice jars, but they're perfect for that purpose. And heavy glass, too. i think they're really lab glass.

You might actually consider contacting Vlasic and describe the jar/lid to them and explain that you do NOT want to can anything in the jars, but use them for storage only. Tell them how the old lids have rusted, etc... and see if they bite. I've done that with a couple of companies and they were generous after I explained some things. It's embarrassing now, but I do like the lids. I wanted to replace those plastic/metal combo lids that fit the older Planter's Peanuts glass jars. Couldn't find them online anywhere for sale. So i contacted Planter's and they either told me no or ignored me. I forgot which. I can't blame them. But I also found that Bama and Welch's also fit and talked someone at Welch's into sending me a handful. I offered to pay for them and everything, but they wouldn't hear of it and actually sent coupons for me to use to buy their products with. You just never know what's possible if you ask the right person in the right way on the right day, I guess. The stars do align once in a while. :-)

Thanks guys, I don't process anything in them, I just fill the jars with pickles then fill with boiling brine and never had an issue with them to seal except for 1 jar, The pickles are usually gone by the following year as everyone seems to love them except for people who don't like hot food, They don't get mushy for I put pickle crisp in them an it seems to work, I also contacted Vlasic but haven't heard anything yet, Hate not to be able to use just good heavy jars.

So so you aren't processing them at all? And shelf storing them? Then you are already well out there on your own as far as the safety guidelines are concerned. All the approved recipes for pickles call for at least a minimal 10 mins BWB processing to create a vacuum in the jar. That's unless they are fully fermented first or fridge stored and even then listeria is an issue after 3-4 months since the pH doesn't remain stable. So using unapproved the lids and jars wouldn't make any more difference safety wise.

Hope you are at least using a minimum 50/50 vinegar brine, preferably stronger.

Dave

Learn along time ago not to believe everything you read, Some jobs are just created for people with no plans what so ever, Take consumer reports for an example, one time they recommend a product then 6 month down the road they recommend a different brand, Also you have a lot of trolls on the net that recommend a product just so it sells, I'm sure your parents an mine did things totally different then what they recommend today and we are still alive from eating it, But if we all knew what we were doing then there would be thousands or millions of people out of a job and I'm sure they wouldn't like that, As for the jars I see dill pickles being sold in 1/2 gallon jars so don't know why they wouldn't be safe, I wasn't worried about safety as much as reusing lids to get them to seal, As I stated earlier I don't have a problem with the mason 1/2 gallon jars sealing which are gone within a year, For the brine I use 2 cups vinegar for every 1 cup water so it is a little strong.

Your choice of course as we all have to determine out own level of comfortable risk. But anecdotal experience aside, there is ample published research to support the safety guidelines.

Dave

Dave your right about the 10 minutes of BWB, I called a friend of mine who gave me the recipe and he told me about the BWB, Well I either forgot to write it down or he forgot to tell me, So I have been making these about 5 years now without the BWB, So I guess I have been lucky, All though he said his parents didn't do the BWB, Just make sure brine is really boiling and the lids or in hot water.

Glad to hear it. It is the only way to get all of the air out and an actual vacuum in the jar. Even though the canning books back in the 1930's and 40's called for BWB processing for pickles, Grandma could get away with things in the past because she had much stronger vinegar to use than we do. More importantly and they didn't have listeria to contend with. Still, as long as we are talking about acidic or highly acidfied foods the risks are much less of a threat than with low-acid foods.

Dave

How much stronger was the vinegar in Grandma's day?

I know today's vinegar says it is diluted with water to 5% acidity. Since today's vinegar is already diluted with water does pickling brine even need any water added to it?

<How much stronger was the vinegar in Grandma's day?

I know today's vinegar says it is diluted with water to 5% acidity. Since today's vinegar is already diluted with water does pickling brine even need any water added to it?>

10-15% vinegar was quite common in both commercially available and home-made vinegars as recently as the 1960's and can still be found in some places.

Does pickling brine even need water added? Need? No. But more diluted flavor is preferred by many and many approved recipes exist that use some further dilution. The minimum recommended by the guidelines is at least 50% vinegar or a 1:1 ratio of vinegar to water especially when using an untested recipe. There are lots of old family pickle recipes still out there that wouldn't be considered safe today because of the difference in vinegar, the increased pH of municipal treated water (that Grandma didn't have), the USDA testing of the 60s and 70s that proves that pH does not remain stable during shelf storage, and the now-known existence of listeria.

Plus there are many niche vinegars on the market today that are NOT 5% but only 3-4% or less.

Dave

Good point about the acidity of vinegar, My pickles seem strong to me but I'm getting older, So I couldn't imagine using all vinegar but maybe it all depends how you make your brine.

I can things using jars with the lug type lids sometimes, as long as they have the "button" in the middle you can tell if they seal or not. I use the usual BWB on them, haven't had any issues. Make sure the lids are clean and not scratched up in any way or rusty. I know, not recommended, but have been using them for years. Important thing to note is only can vinegary things like pickles or salsa in old pickle jars with original lids, because the pickle smell never totally leaves the lid!

I just tried using my Vlasic Farms 80oz jar on Wednesday since I had some pickles and didn't want them to go to waste, Thought what do I have to lose, Well the jar did seal an checking it today it still seems fine but only time will tell, If it does come unsealed I will just put it in the fridge and eat.