Posted: 3/1/2014 5:36:24 AM EDT
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It seems like every time I pressure can something at least one jar lid kinks and leaks the contents during the canning process. I fill all the jars the same, clean the jar rim before I put on the lids (all new) and tighten the rings down with a tool sold by Ball that supposedly tightens to the correct torque. I can't figure out what is going wrong or if perhaps this is a common occurrence.
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Do you occasionally get kinked lids that have leaked the contents? Quoted:
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I just do finger tight on the lids. It has worked well for me. Do you occasionally get kinked lids that have leaked the contents? Yes and ghey still usually seal. The trick is just enough heat or they will boil out. |
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It seems like every time I pressure can something at least one jar lid kinks and leaks the contents during the canning process. I fill all the jars the same, clean the jar rim before I put on the lids (all new) and tighten the rings down with a tool sold by Ball that supposedly tightens to the correct torque. I can't figure out what is going wrong or if perhaps this is a common occurrence. Do you get ALL the air bubbles out? I started canning with meat and had a bugger of a time getting ALL jars to consistently seal. What I ultimately figured out was happening was there were air bubbles, they would expand/pop, then the fats and solids would clog the lid and keep it from sealing. After I started getting the bubbles out my failure to seal rate went from probably 10-20 percent down to around 5 percent. I also just finger tighten the lids, and now when I take them out of the canner I will also go ahead and tighten the rings the rest of the way. The point of finger tight when canning is that if you tighten TOO much you may not expel the air in the jar and may not get a good seal or seal at all. The reason you get such a good seal in canning is that you have exhausted ALL of the air out of the jar leaving just water vapor. When that water vapor condenses it forms an extreme vacuum. Want to see this in action? Take a soda can, hold it with metal tongs. Put a bit of water in it and hold it over your stove until it has been steaming a while. Then QUICKLY flip it upside down into a pan of water. |
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Do you get ALL the air bubbles out? I started canning with meat and had a bugger of a time getting ALL jars to consistently seal. What I ultimately figured out was happening was there were air bubbles, they would expand/pop, then the fats and solids would clog the lid and keep it from sealing. After I started getting the bubbles out my failure to seal rate went from probably 10-20 percent down to around 5 percent. I also just finger tighten the lids, and now when I take them out of the canner I will also go ahead and tighten the rings the rest of the way. The point of finger tight when canning is that if you tighten TOO much you may not expel the air in the jar and may not get a good seal or seal at all. The reason you get such a good seal in canning is that you have exhausted ALL of the air out of the jar leaving just water vapor. When that water vapor condenses it forms an extreme vacuum. Want to see this in action? Take a soda can, hold it with metal tongs. Put a bit of water in it and hold it over your stove until it has been steaming a while. Then QUICKLY flip it upside down into a pan of water. Quoted:
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It seems like every time I pressure can something at least one jar lid kinks and leaks the contents during the canning process. I fill all the jars the same, clean the jar rim before I put on the lids (all new) and tighten the rings down with a tool sold by Ball that supposedly tightens to the correct torque. I can't figure out what is going wrong or if perhaps this is a common occurrence. Do you get ALL the air bubbles out? I started canning with meat and had a bugger of a time getting ALL jars to consistently seal. What I ultimately figured out was happening was there were air bubbles, they would expand/pop, then the fats and solids would clog the lid and keep it from sealing. After I started getting the bubbles out my failure to seal rate went from probably 10-20 percent down to around 5 percent. I also just finger tighten the lids, and now when I take them out of the canner I will also go ahead and tighten the rings the rest of the way. The point of finger tight when canning is that if you tighten TOO much you may not expel the air in the jar and may not get a good seal or seal at all. The reason you get such a good seal in canning is that you have exhausted ALL of the air out of the jar leaving just water vapor. When that water vapor condenses it forms an extreme vacuum. Want to see this in action? Take a soda can, hold it with metal tongs. Put a bit of water in it and hold it over your stove until it has been steaming a while. Then QUICKLY flip it upside down into a pan of water. I use that little plastic tool for removing air bubbles but maybe I'm not being diligent enough. That sounds like the most logical explanation. Also, explain 'finger tight'. Is that just barely snug? Or snug and then a quarter turn? |
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Barely snug. http://youtu.be/Ar_6lmH3W1s?t=8m5s This video is a bit long (it was one of my first ones and it is completely step by step) and was before I got my better quality video rig. But I linked RIGHT to where I put them on finger tight so you'll only need to watch a couple seconds. DEFINITELY don't go snug plus a quarter turn! I would say at most snug plus 1/16 of a turn. When I take them back out I then re-snug to make sure they seal. At that point you can just about go as tight as you want (I still wouldn't go snug plus 1/4 turn), you just may not get the ring back off if you go TOO tight. Once sealed and cooled you can take the rings off, they are no longer needed at that point.
Edit: I'm by no means an expert. I've done a couple dozen batches at least, but it is still a learning experience! I recently ran into a flash boil, my canner came down to 0 psi, I took the lid off, and the jars flash boiled. I put the lid back on real quick with the weight and the pressure shot up to 10psi! After it came back down I tightened the rings pretty tight and the lids sealed still, but most of the liquid had boiled over/out of the jars. I'm glad it was only 4 jars. |
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Barely snug. http://youtu.be/Ar_6lmH3W1s?t=8m5s This video is a bit long (it was one of my first ones and it is completely step by step) and was before I got my better quality video rig. But I linked RIGHT to where I put them on finger tight so you'll only need to watch a couple seconds. DEFINITELY don't go snug plus a quarter turn! I would say at most snug plus 1/16 of a turn. When I take them back out I then re-snug to make sure they seal. At that point you can just about go as tight as you want (I still wouldn't go snug plus 1/4 turn), you just may not get the ring back off if you go TOO tight. Once sealed and cooled you can take the rings off, they are no longer needed at that point. Edit: I'm by no means an expert. I've done a couple dozen batches at least, but it is still a learning experience! I recently ran into a flash boil, my canner came down to 0 psi, I took the lid off, and the jars flash boiled. I put the lid back on real quick with the weight and the pressure shot up to 10psi! After it came back down I tightened the rings pretty tight and the lids sealed still, but most of the liquid had boiled over/out of the jars. I'm glad it was only 4 jars. I've been tightening the rings a lot more than shown in your video. Next batch I do I'm going to go finger tight and see if I get better results. Thanks. |
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As others have already stated, don't over tighten the rings. Same goes for putting too much heat into the canner. Use no more than it takes to keep the PSI up to spec. You barely want the weight to wobble every now and then. Are you following the correct head space for what you are canning? When time is up, just shut off the heat and let the pressure drop on it's own. Rapid pressure drop can cause the contents to siphon. Fat... soups, stews, chilli, meat sauce, stuff like that. Sometimes fat will creep under the seals. It happens to me once in a while. |
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As others have already stated, don't over tighten the rings. Same goes for putting too much heat into the canner. Use no more than it takes to keep the PSI up to spec. You barely want the weight to wobble every now and then. Are you following the correct head space for what you are canning? When time is up, just shut off the heat and let the pressure drop on it's own. Rapid pressure drop can cause the contents to siphon. Fat... soups, stews, chilli, meat sauce, stuff like that. Sometimes fat will creep under the seals. It happens to me once in a while. I've got an All American 921 and have been following the enclosed instructions for heat/pressure and adjusting the heat where the weight wobbles intermittently. Does head space differ based on what is being canned and, if so, what are the rules for that? I've been been shutting the heat off and letting it cool/depressurize on it's own. Lessons learned so far: 1) headspace 2) remove all bubbles 3) finger tighten rings I'm anxious to try another batch and see how it turns out. Is spaghetti sauce too ambitious for a rank amateur? |
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I'm anxious to try another batch and see how it turns out. Is spaghetti sauce too ambitious for a rank amateur? No, just pay attention to what information everyone else has already offered up to you. Don't dismiss it. We all started from scratch and learned from the mistakes we've made. |
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Quoted: Does head space differ based on what is being canned and, if so, what are the rules for that? Quoted: Does head space differ based on what is being canned and, if so, what are the rules for that? Yes, the headspace differs. The recipes you find should list a headspace in the processing directions. Jam, for instance, is supposed to be 1/4-inch. Chicken is supposed to be 1-1/4-inch . |
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I canned 7 quarts of homemade spaghetti sauce and all the lids seem to have sealed perfectly; none crimped.
I removed all bubbles, used the recommended head space for spaghetti sauce and finger tightened the rings. The only question remaining is how much water to put into the canner. I use an All American 921 and I've been filling to the bottom of the jar necks but I can't seem to find any direct information on the proper fill. Once this last mystery has been cleared up I believe that my future cannings will be much more pleasant. |
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Quoted: I canned 7 quarts of homemade spaghetti sauce and all the lids seem to have sealed perfectly; none crimped. I removed all bubbles, used the recommended head space for spaghetti sauce and finger tightened the rings. The only question remaining is how much water to put into the canner. I use an All American 921 and I've been filling to the bottom of the jar necks but I can't seem to find any direct information on the proper fill. Once this last mystery has been cleared up I believe that my future cannings will be much more pleasant. If you are using a pressure canner, the instruction manual should tell you. My pressure canner also has 3 different water level markings cast into the inside wall of the canner. For pressure-canning in mine, the water level is really low, like an inch or so (I'm not at home so I can't go check specifically). ETA: According to the manual for your canner that I found online (link), you should use 1.5 inches of water (page 8 and 18). |