Hello. This has never happened to me and I’m freaking out a bit.
I’m mostly a water bath canner but last December I got my pressure canner down after 8 years in storage. The pressure dial guage was tested at the annex office and I replaced the seal. Then I canned 2 batches of sweet potatoes, pints first, then quarts.
For the last few months – I can’t say for sure when it started – I’ve been hearing a popping sound, like canning lids sealing probably 2-3 times a month. Every time, I check my cantry and check all the lids which are still sealed. I store un-stacked, no rings on.
Yesterday, I noticed that 2 quarts of sweet potatoes have leaked. The jars are a little sticky and the smell is sweet. I’m 99% positive it’s a leak and not an unrelated spill. The lids are sealed though!
I’m obviously throwing the contents of these 2 jars out (should I toss the jars too?). What about the rest? Should I assume nothing is safe – including my water bath canned foods?
I’ve never had this happen and can’t find anything on the internet about it. The jars were wiped after processing and I know the leak is after the labels were applied, you can see (especially the left one) that the dissolvable label got wet. I’ll also add that we’ve eaten some of the pints with no issue.
by Far_Future1930
3 Comments
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If the fluid level in a jar reduces after canning, even if it looks sealed it is bad. I have had apple sauce that looked sealed but I noticed several jars were losing water. The lids looked sealed but when I tried to open the jar to see what was up it opened weird and didn’t sound right. I always feel like I have these kind of problems with sweet things. Sugar residue can be hard to see and can be sticky enough to make the lid feel sealed. I wipe the rims twice with a wet then dry rag even if it looks clean for sweet items.
You need to track down the bad jars and throw out the contents. Afterwards check the jars for signs of cracking. If the jars are in good shape use them again. I have never seen a jar leak without visible damage (usually a crack on the rim). Try using the spoon method to see if any of your other jar lids don’t sound right. When in doubt throw it out. Being out a couple jars of sweet potatoes is a lot better than a $1000 hospital bill.
Thank you for taking the time to ask this question. I’ve pressured canned for about 50 years and have had several jars, maybe a dozen, that went haywire in the pantry. In most cases the flats released by running hot water over them. They looked sealed and in fact were not.
Never have seen this particular subject brought up and I think it’s wonderful that it was because there is always something to learn.
For Sweet Potatoes — I can about 300 lbs a year and there are always little surprises every year. These surprises are not earth shattering at all and of everything I put in jars they sometime to appear to have a mind all of there own! I can in water and not syrup because I like to use them for savory or sweet dishes.
The picture is last years and I’m growing pie pumpkins instead of the sweets this year.
Good Luck on your journey — you’ve got this!!!!!!!!!!!!
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