Canning Dangers: Lessons Learned

This is only my second serious year of canning. The first year I realized not only how accessible preserving food is but that it also an activity with more dangers than may at first be obvious. Botchalism is a common fear - the result of a person not sanitizing and properly killing all the bacteria in the food they are canning. This is why high acid foods are generally safer to can.

 

This was my only fear first year, but now I have realized there are a number of other mistakes made by beginners. Or at least me. I have had two jars explode on my in my canning career because of temperature differences between the glass and either the contents or the external water. My latest mistake is below where this jar in fact exploded out of the canning pot and sliced the top of my foot open. I am fortunate that gravity took hold of the pieces so quickly.

 

Today too, I lost a jar that cracked in half while in its water bath. A more experienced canner friend of mine has said that these hazards may be more the result of using old jars, which I am using, instead of the temperature differences. I did not think the quality of a jar would degrade over time, but apparently the use can cause weaknesses which is a good bit of information so as not to lose my most valuable canned goods. Save the brand new jars and lids for the most important products.

 

Another curiosity is that a select type of wide mouth mason jars keep having the ring unscrew while I am doing the hot water bath. At first I thought that it was the result of possibly filling the jar too full, but as you can see from the picture below (the most recent occurrence), the apricots are securely at a level well below the lid. The liquid is to the top because when the lid came off the water filled in the air cavity. It is as if the lids threading isn't grabbing these jars properly, and then is pushed off with pressure during the hot water bath. In my two previous years this has never happened, but now it has happened three times in one month. Again this could be the result of using old jars, but who can resist the joy that comes with finding a stash of mason jars in your friend's grandparents belongings only to get a great deal on them from your friend's parents.

 

Great score! A variety of sixty four mason jars for $10.00. Can't wait to fill them.