I never canned before and tried to make that cowboy candy with the vinegar and sugar and jalapeños and spices. I followed a recipe I found on line, I put the cans in water brought it to a boil and then put a timer on for 5 minutes and then put the lids in the water and set the timer for 5 more minutes and then took the cans and lids out of the water and put them on the counter. Then I filled them with the cowboy candy mixture wiped the mouth of the can off and put the lids on hand right and put it back in the water brought it to a boil and set the timer for 10 minutes. Then I pulled the cans out and sat them on my counter and about 10 minutes later the one lid popped up like it would when it’s opened. What did I do wrong? I’m just starting to get into canning to try and save my vegetables and fruits for the winter so we don’t waste anything from the garden. Any tips are welcomed just trying to save my garden and save money.
https://www.foodiewithfamily.com/candied-jalapenos/
by Confident-Key-4729
4 Comments
Hi new canner, welcome to a very enjoyable hobby! A few things I notice in your post.
First, your recipe was from a recipe you found online. While there are safe recipes online from reputable sources (eg. this one that is delicious: https://www.ballmasonjars.com/blog?cid=candied-jalapenos) there are also many recipes online that are not safe. Maybe share the one you used so people here can take a look at it?
Second, you water bathed the jars for 10 minutes which may not have been long enough. Although without seeing the source of your recipe, it’s possible it is from a tested place that determined that 10 minutes is sufficient. (The recipe I used calls for 15 minutes and I then have to add time due to my higher altitude.)
Third, the lids popping is totally irrelevant 10 minutes after you take it out of the canner. If you know you used an appropriate recipe, you leave them without touching them for at least 12 hours and THEN test if the seal is good. Some may seal faster than others as they cool.
If it turns out that your recipe was not proper, you can still put your jars in the fridge and they will likely last a long time. Cowboy candy is so good!
https://www.foodiewithfamily.com/candied-jalapenos/
This is the recipe I followed!
Are you saying the lid popped off or you heard the lid make a popping sound?
Hey there, welcome! Sometimes lids don’t seal well for a wide variety of reasons, most of which come down to fine-tuning your process, but sometimes just plain bad luck. Just so you know, this sub only approves certain sources for recipes. There’s a list in the files here somewhere of sources you can look at.
That doesn’t necessarily mean your recipe is unsafe, it just means that it’s considered “untested” i.e. not from an official, trusted website.
All that said, don’t worry if your first recipe isn’t quite turning out. If you’re concerned about the seals or the recipe, just pop those jars in the fridge and they’ll keep for months. With that amount of vinegar and sugar, you shouldn’t have an issue.
Something similar happened to my pickled jalapeños this year and I’ve been canning for 15 years 😅