Posted: 12/4/2008 4:40:50 PM EDT
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I'm not completely new to canning, but am still having one single issue I cannot figure out. Last night I made a big batch of chili, pulling out 4 quarts to hot pack and can, and then slow cooking the rest to eat.
Out of the 4, only 1 jar sealed. This happens occasionally, but 3 of 4? Something is wrong. What I did do right - All jars were in great shape. I used all new lids. I tightened the bands down hand tight before placing the jars in the canner. What I might have done wrong - not left enough head space. Does not leaving enough head space cause the lids to not seal. Also, there seemed to be more oil/food in the canner's water than usual. Any help is appreciated! 
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Quoted:
What I might have done wrong - not left enough head space. Does not leaving enough head space cause the lids to not seal. Also, there seemed to be more oil/food in the canner's water than usual. Any help is appreciated! The jars have to breathe during the canning process.....it's just the way it works. I think you've pretty much diagnosed your problem here. If you don't have enough headspace you blow food particles out between the jar and the lid while the jars are in the canner. This leads to seal failures as the food between the lid and the jar prevents sealing. While not a substitute for proper headspace, you can wipe the jar rims with a clean cloth soaked in a vinegar solution prior to placing the lid. This can help prevent seal failures somewhat if you're canning a fatty product. But headspace is still key. |
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Additionally, let the pressure canner cool slowly thus allowing pressures to come down slowly. Never release the pressure using the quick release valves. As soon as you hit that button the quick change in pressure also forces food particles to escape with air inside the jars and thereby causing the seal failure.
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I have done major canning for my mom a few times in my life––in summers when she was away caring for my ailing grandmother.
She STRESSED jar top cleanliness––after filling the jars, she taught me to do the wipe that feral suggests––with a damp, clean cotton dishtowel (the flour sack kind, not the terry cloth kind, which leaves behind too much lint), then last, with a sanitized finger, just around the rim of the jar before I placed the lid on. I had amazing success rates––only ever had a couple of jars not seal when either pressure cooking or cold packing––-which I understand is unusual for newbies at canning. I attribute my canning successes to my mom's and grandmothers' teachings that a clean rim equals a good seal if the other stuff is done correctly. |
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Something else to think about - the various books/manuals say to boil the lids, then take
them out of the hot water as you need them. This is supposed to both make sure they're clean, plus soften the rubber/sealing compound around the edge of the lid. (Though I will admit that to my line of thinking, if the rubber doesn't soften up at the temps it's subjected to during the 90 minutes or so that it's under pressure for chili, a few minutes of boiling water isn't going to do shit to it.  )
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