TXQFMom Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Quote: "Siphoning is the venting of liquid out the lid and ring of the canning jar. This can result in lower liquid and a poor seal. Should venting occur, do not store food, place it in the fridge and eat it within a week’s time, even if it seals." ack ok this happened with the 2 batches... 7 qts of berries that I canned to use for pie filling or fruit crisps.... jars all sealed... canned them Tues & Wed... WHY did it happen??? So these are now unsafe??? I raw packed them according to Ball's blue book... hot sugar syrup (10 1/2c water to 5c sugar) waterbath processed 20min while boiling... then 5min cool down before removing. the siphoning occurred earlier on in the processing... this did NOT happen with my jam just the berries Link to comment
Tracie Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Does this mean the lid wasn't on tight enough? Link to comment
westbrook Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 me? I turn it off... open valve or remove weight,... let pressure come down.. open lid.. check water fill as needed.. re-seat lid and start over! Link to comment
DenimDaze Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 I thought it meant the liquid in the jar was too high? Link to comment
TXQFMom Posted July 11, 2008 Author Share Posted July 11, 2008 OK this was water bath canning... the jars still look properly full... BUT I know juice got into the canner... water was tinged red/purple there is actually I think TOO MUCH liquid in now... so rather than siphoning OUT I think it siphoned out AND in... the outside of the jars are sticky. liquid seems to be in the bottom and fruit is up to the top of the lid... that is NOT how it was... the recipe called for 1/2" of headspace... ********* Does this mean the lid wasn't on tight enough? ********* confused since you are not supposed to tighten the ring on the lid... just *fingertip tight* right? Link to comment
DenimDaze Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 did you remember to have the lids all warm? I 'think' that is to help it indent a little when you first put the lids on. of course, what do I know? I'm busy learning by doing it wrong too! Link to comment
TXQFMom Posted July 11, 2008 Author Share Posted July 11, 2008 yep lids were sitting in hot water..... used my handy dandy magnet stick thing... 1st batch fruit is floating too... jars sticky but the liquid is mostly lower... I am so totally confused! Link to comment
DenimDaze Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 oh boy. Who is it keeps telling us canning is easy??? Link to comment
TXQFMom Posted July 11, 2008 Author Share Posted July 11, 2008 OK all of the first bath (7 qts) look like this... and the liquid is 1/2-3/4" below bottom of the ring the second batch 3 blackberry & 2 blueberry the black berries again have the liquid below the ring... the blueberry has water up to the bottom of the ring on one and higher than the other.... Link to comment
DenimDaze Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 I may be wrong - cause I'm good at that - but I assumed everything had to be below, not just the liquid? help? canning gurus? Link to comment
Tracie Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 I take "fingertip tight" to be as tight as I can get it with just my hands. Which is still fairly tight. Link to comment
TXQFMom Posted July 11, 2008 Author Share Posted July 11, 2008 it WAS all below when it went IN the canner... sigh from Ball's Blue Book "Place a band over the lid and screw it onto the jar just until the point of resistance is met - fingertip tight. The adjustment of the band is firm & snug, but not as tight as you can make it." And I filled according to the measuring head space picture... Link to comment
Tracie Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Hmmm. I can make it tighter if the jar wasn't hot and I could really grip the jar & lid with my hands. But using just my fingers, I make it as tight as I can, considering I can't really grasp the hot jar filled with hot liquid... Link to comment
TXQFMom Posted July 12, 2008 Author Share Posted July 12, 2008 yes I tighten as tight as I can with a hot jar... with fingers and I did the same with the jam Link to comment
Tracie Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 that's so weird. I wonder how that happens & why Link to comment
Violet Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Never overtighten as you seem to be doing. ONLY fingertip tight. They must be able to vent properly. Also, you can cut right through the sealing compound when you tighten too tight. If you raw pack, you will get more floating of the fruit. Hotpack is the best way for most fruits, not raw pack. If they float, that means they are lighter than the syrup part. They had air in the food cells due to the raw pack. A hot pack preshrinks and removes some of the air in the fruit prior to canning. They are still safe to use, though. Always use the correct headspace, too. Using more will not help the problem, but allow for excess air to stay in the jars. Link to comment
TXQFMom Posted July 12, 2008 Author Share Posted July 12, 2008 feeling so frustrated and confused now.... ok so sounds like these are safe....??? Not sure I overtightened...but I guess hard to know... I do think 1-2 jars (not of these) I might have overtightened... I guess this is where having an experienced canner there to SEE/FEEL what you do would help... my dd can report that as I put the ring on each jar I was mumbling... like an incantation... "fingertip tight fingertip tight..." I did watch the headspace in each of these.... when I put them in all were the same & correct... I was real careful with that.... I used my debubbler.... but found later I used it wrong.... I did raw pack by the directions because I wanted the berries more *intact*... so the fact that the jars are sticky from syrup/juice vented into the water during processing does not mean they are now bad?? I want to be careful... none of this is worth harming my family! I was just so excited to get fruit put up for their breakfast crisp... a nice change from daily oatmeal.... Link to comment
Violet Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 If they are sealed then the berries are safe. You processed them for the right time. Just use those jars up first. However, do inspect them to be sure they stayed sealed. Sometimes they appear to seal when there is siphoning, but the syrup on the sealing surface can allow them to come unsealed in storage. Link to comment
Violet Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 You are welcome. With berries the only thing that will happen if something goes wrong is mold or fermentation. You will see mold or smell if they are fermented. No botulism or anything scary in fruits. Relax, they are fine. Link to comment
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