I just pulled these out of the water bath and set them on the towel. Some liquid immediately started coming out of the top and running down the side – and that liquid contains some tomato product, based on the look of the towel.

This happened on my last canning attempt, based on the gunk on the outsides of the jars. Those seals were fine; I won't know about these until tomorrow.

What am I doing wrong here?

I used new lids. I put the rings on finger tight plus an eighth of a turn. I am following a safe recipe (Ball crushed tomatoes). I used the hot pack method. I wiped the rims down with vinegar before putting on the lids. I tried to be thorough about getting all the air bubbles out and using the correct headspace. When boiling, there was over an inch of water on top of the jars. The jars were elevated off the bottom of the pot (I am using a big stock pot because I have it). I boiled for 45 minutes (I am about 100 feet above sea level).

I am trying to follow all the rules but am apparently not following some of them well enough.

Please point out where I am messing up.

Thank you very much.

by ObsessiveAboutCats

5 Comments

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  2. Deppfan16

    did you let them sit in the pot after you turn the heat off and took off the lid? are they in a draft? This looks like they are cooling down on the outside too quickly while the inside is still really hot.

  3. Hey.

    Cruising through and read your post.

    Thought the rings may be a little tight, but I don’t think this is the cause.

    Also, I tend to use a gas flame when hot water bath canning, and once the processing time is up, I turn off the heat and let sit in the water for another 5 minutes or so before removing. I don’t know what magic this does, but it has helped a number of batches I’ve done and I forget where I picked this up at, but it’s been working for me.

    Heat management may be a culprit. It’s difficult because a simmer isn’t enough and a medium rolling boil can be too much. Consistent temperature is best.

    Hope these tips help. I think just a slight change here and there will help and others will chime in with much helpful tips surely.

  4. MysteriousTooth2450

    It is siphoning, you are correct. Leave them in the water longer until it cools off more. I’ve read just 5 min is enough time. I usually wait 10-15 min. It’s the quick temp changes when you pull it out. As long as they still seal it should be fine. You may also have too much in the jar.

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