# speaking of canning fail...



## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

I tried to cut this image size down, but I'm not sure if it worked, I apologize if this clobbers anyone's bandwidth.

I'm not sure what caused this:
A. I over-packed the bottom row of jars
B. I had a jar with an imperfection from the factory
C. I over-cooked the batch of cheese

I know C happened for a fact, I was busy with production issues at work and on the phone and logged in getting things sorted out...

A is a possibility, I have the AA 921 and I think I had 13 jars on the bottom rack. That is workable right??

Interesting to note, that I completely lost track of time after my alarm went off and didnt get up to go turn off the heat, I boiled off a LOT more water than I normally use canning a batch. I'm sure glad I didn't run it dry.








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## Hooch (Jul 22, 2011)

thats happened to me before twice doing jam... only one jar each in the batch so I figured it just happens sometimes? makes a mess tho...bummer


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Yea, bummer!

That usually happens when the lids are on too tight, you forget to put the spacer in the bottom of the canner, you cool the canner down too fast(run water on it) or the pressure was too high.

OR... just could have been a bad jar.


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## MetalPrepper (Nov 25, 2012)

I put 4 jars of eggs with sausage in the top of a batch of stuff and I fergot to read the directions Hillbilly wrote, filled the jars w/ 2 eggs and thought it looked skimpy....added an egg to each jar....as it was cooking we heard POP! After cooling down....3 of the four jars had busted their tops....duh....eggs expand....and canning eggs isn't "recomended" anyway....no big loss, we ate the other one , yum.....


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Yep. Sometimes it just happens. I've pulled a few bottomless jars out of the canner over the years


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Yup, that'll happen fer all the above reasons. I've found I don't put a jar in the middle a my canner. Fer some reason it seems ta happen there. I got a wire basket fer mine an I thin the jar sits to close ta the bottom a the canner. I need ta order one a the plate style instead a that basket.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

It happens ... (From time to time)

So no worries and Happy canning!


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

So how tight should the lids be on? I have been reading and some places say 'as hard as you can get them using your hands'. Seems to me that would be too tight to let out any steam. I would think that just hand tight would do the trick. So how tight do you make them?


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## recoilless_57mm (Oct 15, 2012)

Woody said:


> So how tight should the lids be on? I have been reading and some places say 'as hard as you can get them using your hands'. Seems to me that would be too tight to let out any steam. I would think that just hand tight would do the trick. So how tight do you make them?


Like everyone has stated, it happens from time to time. That being said, I tighten my lids as follows.

Center the lid on the clean jar rim. Screw band onto jar until you contact the lid. Give the lid an extra 1/8 of a turn. I never exceed 1/4 of a turn. Let the canner cool down naturally. Always use a false bottom in the canner to avoid the jars from direct contact with the canner bottom.

I would add that I make sure my bands are in good shape, that is, smooth and clean before I use them. I go over my lids to make sure the same is true there with one additional thing. I inspect the rubber sealing compound to see that it is basically uniform and smooth. I have never found a lid that was not useable. I just do this because I get some peace of mind from it.

With all the things I do for prep I still have failures from time to time.


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

Thank you, that is exactly what I was looking for!


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## recoilless_57mm (Oct 15, 2012)

Woody said:


> Thank you, that is exactly what I was looking for!


You are welcome. The other thing I forgot to mention was; leave about an inch of space in the jar. The contents expands a fair amount under pressure. Good luck and good canning. Charlie


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