Rings, like lids, come in 2 sizes: regular and wide mouth. It doesn't matter what size the jar is, 4 oz or quart, if it uses a regular lid, then it uses a regular sized ring.
Rings are used to hold the lid on tight during the food process. After your jars have cooled it is recommended to store your jars without the rings, because if moisture gets trapped between the ring and the jar, rust can form. You grow rust, and it can cause seal issues where the lid meets the jar. Broken seals that aren't caught in the back of your cupboard can lead to food rot and STINK. So be nice, and store those rings separate from your sealed jars.
How do you store all those rings then? There are several ways, to include but not limited to, large Ziploc, kitchen drawers, Rubbermaid tubs, and on wire hangers that have been untwisted and reshaped to thread the rings onto. For the record, I keep some in a drawer, and the rest in old Ziploc.
Rings should be placed on any jars you are going to transport, and it goes with out saying, rings over a piece of pretty fabric make canned gift pretty.
I use the same set of rings over and over when processing, so that I have "pretty" rings on standby for gifts and transport. Hot water tends to wear the finish of them.
Rings, like lids, come with new jars, but if you bought your jars used, be sure to look for the boxes that have both lids & rings. You only need 2-3 dozen rings, so save your money, and buy the rest of your needed lids without rings.
If you need more rings, you can probably find them later in the season. The grandmas have a surplus of rings already.
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