Use This Ordinary Kitchen Liquid To Remove Rust From Canning Jar Rings

One of the really cool things about home canning is that, with the exception of the lids, you can reuse the jars and jar rings over and over again, making canning practical and efficient. Yet, what if, after a short hiatus, you get ready to start canning when you notice that your jar rings have developed rust? You may be tempted to toss them out, as not only is the rust unsightly, there is a chance it may impede the critical seal you need when canning. So, what can be done about it? The good news is that you have the solution, and you don't even need to leave the kitchen to find it: rust-removing vinegar.

Rust is created via a chemical reaction where oxygen and moisture convert steel or iron to iron oxide. Vinegar, on the other hand, uses another chemical reaction to break that iron oxide down to a salt that you can clean away from the treated jar ring. Once you do, the ring is ready to be used once again. So, before you gather those Mason jars for canning or use as storage, get rid of that rust.

To remove the rust, start by finding a container, bucket, or large bowl in which you can do the rust removal. Put all the rings that need rust removal into the container and cover them with the vinegar. Regular white cleaning vinegar is the best selection for this effort — there's no need to purchase more expensive, higher acid content vinegar, as it will not increase the chemical reaction. Leave the rings in the vinegar for at least 12 hours overnight, or for up to a full day. 

The vinegar alone will indeed break down the iron oxide (rust), but some recommend adding salt (1 cup of salt to one gallon of vinegar) to the solution to further energize the chemical reaction doing the work. Whether you use salt or not, after 24 hours, take each ring out of the vinegar and scrub the rust away with a synthetic abrasive pad. Then, rinse it off in tap water and set it aside to dry, and repeat the process if needed. To prevent them from rusting in the future, you can wipe them down with olive or mineral oil before storage.