When canning, sometimes it happens. You open the top of the lid and BAM ….there are pickles all over your other jars and floating in the water.
This happens for a few reasons:
Thermal shock-a cold jar going into hot water, or a hot jar being set on a cold counter are some examples. Always try to keep tools, and ingredients around the same temperature. Most times it’s hot jars from the oven (this isn’t to sterilize them -if you are processing for over 10 min sterilization isn’t necessary), being filled with hot ingredients going into hot water. Or room temp jars being filled with cold items, going into cool water to be brought to processing temp. And always when done processing, when safe to do so take the top off the canner and let the contents sit for five minutes before lifting them out.
Faulty Jars- a manufacturing default, or a hairline crack you can’t see. I check mine over well before using and try to store them in their boxes upside down to keep them in good condition. Also only using jars meant for canning can help , as they are tempered glass.
No Rack- if there is no rack in the bottom of the canner, the jars can rumble around and have too much direct heat causing breakage. You can use a silicone pot rack or the rack from your insta pot, canning rings wired together or a simple round metal rack -anything to keep them off the bottom of your canner.
I believe this was just a faulty jar courtesy of the canning gods just so I could dole out a little bit of canning education.
I caught this as soon as it happened hearing a giant POP! so I was able to clean everything up and reheat the water again. I kept my jars of pickles warm in the oven at 250 degrees until I could get it all cleaned up.
I will wash the jars well after they have sat for 24 hours and recheck all the seals. But all 16 jars seem to have sealed.
Have you had this happen to you ? Although it is terribly inconvenient anytime, I think the worst is when it happens with salsa ….all that work and ingredients !
Love Jenn xx
