Bottle, Can and Jar Cap Packaging Materials Key Terms

Learn about bottling and canning terms before you can or bottle

A lot of people do their own canning or bottling, whether for personal use or for resale. If you're interested in canning or bottling, it pays to learn something about the terminology before you start looking for materials; granted, the terms are simple and straightforward, but there are many variations and close compatibility is crucial to successful bottling and canning. Start with the following bottle, can and jar cap packaging materials:

 

Screw caps and lids

Screw caps and lids are popular for almost all applications except home canning, which uses a different method of sealing designed to minimize the chance of contamination. The ubiquitous threaded screw caps and lids seal and reseal easily.
Try: Midwest Bottles illustrates dozens of different types of screw caps and lids.

Mason or canning lids

Unlike screw lids, Mason lids, also known as canning lids, aren't threaded - rather they're typically used in home canning where the cooling of the Mason jar's contents creates a vacuum seal that keeps the lid tight.
Try: Mason lids are discussed at MissVickie.com.

Metal screw bands

Metal screw bands, also called jar bands, are used in canning to keep the canning lid tight against the jar mouth while the contents of the jar cool. After cooling, the metal screw bands can be removed and reused.
Try: DoItYourself.com has an excellent description of how metal screw bands are used in canning.

Wide mouth

Wide mouth jars and lids, which have openings nearly as large as the diameter of the jar, are designed for large objects or for ease in removing contents. They're particularly popular in canning fruits and vegetables and for arts and crafts applications.
Try: Freund Container & Supply illustrates a number of different types of wide-mouth jars.

Jar rubbers

Some old-fashioned-style jars and bottles use a clamping system that requires a rubber ring, called a jar rubber, which fits between the lid and the neck of the jar for sealing.
Try: Pick Your Own provides a history of canning, including the old-fashioned clamping jar.

Dispensing caps

Dispensing caps typically screw onto bottles or jars and are used to dispense the contents of the bottle or jar. Dispensing caps include flip-top caps, twist-top caps, brush tops, droppers, tamper-evident caps, snap-top caps, and flip-spout caps.
Try: SKS Bottle & Packaging has a great page that shows many different types of dispensing caps.

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