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Clean Rusty Canning Rings With A Pantry Staple You Already Have
By KATE NICHOLSON
When you’re ready to haul out your old glass jars and start canning food again, you’ll need to clean the rust off their metal rings with vinegar before you can reuse them.
Rust can prevent jars from sealing properly, which allows germs to get into the jar, contaminate the contents, and make your carefully prepared and stored food unfit to eat.
Luckily, you can easily get rid of surface rust with some white distilled vinegar, table salt, a rag or scouring pad, a metal brush, and a 1-gallon container to soak the rings in.
Place your rusty canning lids in the container, pour 1 gallon of vinegar and 1 cup of table salt into the container to fully submerge the lids, and soak them for up to three days.
The acetic acid in the vinegar will dissolve the rust on the metal. Then, just scrub the rust off the rings, rinse them with clean water, and dry them thoroughly before using them.