Stored in an area with too much moisture.
Spoilage - gas forming in jar will pop lids.
Corrections: Follow recommended directions on recipes,
especially processing times and pressures. Follow directions for
removing air from jars. Hot Pack, use knife, use proper head
space.
Low acid foods will not have any means of
detecting. Other foods: Swollen lids, popped lids, dried
streaks of food at top of jar, rising air bubbles, unnatural colors or
odors, spurting liquid, cottonlike mold or food at top or under lid.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Why didn't my jars seal?
Be sure to wipe rims of jars.
Use new seals each time.
Leave the proper head space.
Be sure to remove air bubbles in the jar.
Water in the water bath should be 1-2 inches above the jar. Most
water baths will not cover quarts this much - Ball Canning Co.
sells a taller canner.
Do not re-tighten lids after processing.
Why do my fruit or vegetables float?
Be sure to use recommended varieties for
canning.
Use fruits and vegetables at the peak of maturity.
Remove air bubbles in the jar.
Use a hot pack instead of cold pack (Removes air from foods -
10-30% air in foods)
Do not over process.
Fruit should be heavier than the sugar syrup.
Why is my jelly soft?
Use only recommended fruits.
Don't double the batch.
Follow measurements and instructions exactly.
Too little acid (commercial pectins contain acid).
Overcooking
Runny jelly can be remade. Follow directions on packages of pectin
or use Extension Publications.
Why are my pickles cloudy?
Soft water used to make brine, but hard water
can also cause cloudiness. You may want to try distilled water for
pickles.
Table salt was used. Use a coarser canning or pickling salt.
Powdered spices - use whole spices.
Why are my pickles soft?
Select suggested varieties for pickling.
Prepare at peak quality.
Remove blossom ends of pickles and garlic.
Use soft water.
If good quality ingredients are used in pickling and up-to-date methods
and recipes are followed, lime and alum are not needed for crisp
pickles.
Alum - Safely used to firm but unnecessary. Alum may be
used to firm fermented cucumbers. (It does not improve the
firmness of quick-process pickles.)
Lime - The calcium in lime does improve pickle firmness. (Calcium
Oxide can also be used). Purchase food-grade lime from your
grocer. Do not use agricultural or burnt lime. Food-grade
lime may be used as a lime-water solution for soaking fresh cucumbers
12-24 hours before pickling them.
However, excess lime absorbed by the cucumbers must be removed to
make safe pickles. To remove excess lime, drain 1 hour.
Repeat the rinsing and soaking steps two more times. Failure to
remove lime adequately may increase the risk of botulism. To
further improve pickle firmness, you may process cucumber pickles for 30
minutes in water at 180 degrees F. This process also prevents
spoilage, but the water temperature should not fall below 180
degrees. Use a candy or jelly thermometer to check the water
temperature.
