# canning amateur question



## casusbelli (Jan 6, 2009)

I was canning tomato sauce (oven cook-blender-hot pack-salt and vinegar on top-half inch headspace in quarts - 30 min water bath) yesterday, but when i took them out each one spilt tomato liquid from under the lids. I was using the standard can picker-upper under the glass rims. My question is: altho the lids all popped/sucked down and sealed like they're supposed to, does the leakage mean i shouldn't trust them? Will micro tomato fragments between rubber and glass weaken longterm storage? Until i have a reply, i have them in the fridge


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

If they sealed properly, they'll be fine. My only concern would be whether or not your pH was high enough to ensure safety with water bath canning.


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## casusbelli (Jan 6, 2009)

You mean pH LOW enough...
Yes, heirloom 'maters, 1.5 tbspn vinegar per quart.
thanks


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## Soupmaker (Apr 28, 2012)

If they seal they are fine. Long term you may have a seal go bad. But I doubt it. Next time don't put themin the fridge unless you know one didn't seal. Now when you take them out of the fridge it may be just enough of a warm up to mess up the seals.


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

I've never heard of putting the vinegar on top - where did you find this one?


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## casusbelli (Jan 6, 2009)

In the classic- Putting Food By.


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## Soupmaker (Apr 28, 2012)

casusbelli said:


> In the classic- Putting Food By.


I guess if that works for you it's fine.

By "classic" that means to me that it isn't current guidelines.


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Did a bit of lookabout, this is a UK publication - Bookfinder.com has a Penguin 2011 updated version. Looks like it's been continually updated since it was first published in the 70's. "this essential volume has been updated to reflect the latest information on equipment, ingredients, health and safety issues, and resources."

So a classic can also be current. I'm definitely going to check it out!


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

casusbelli said:


> You mean pH LOW enough...
> Yes, heirloom 'maters, 1.5 tbspn vinegar per quart.
> thanks


LOL, yes, I did... and I'm glad you knew what I meant!! I saw you had added vinegar and figured you had it covered. The venting will not affect the contents of the jars so long as they have sealed.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Make sure you clean the jars well before storing them. I use a brush around the threads.


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## Soupmaker (Apr 28, 2012)

suitcase_sally said:


> Make sure you clean the jars well before storing them. I use a brush around the threads.


Why??


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

I imagine it would be hard to use rings on the jars if the threads were gunky. I didn't realize I had some oozing out once until I went to take the rings off - they were practically welded on. Plus, fresh gunk is a lot easier to clean off than old hardened gunk, and it's a medium for bacteria and fungal growth.


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## Feisty Farm (Apr 10, 2012)

I always put vinegar or citric acid powder in my tomatoes. I will can heirloom and yellow tomatoes as well with the vinegar.

Like most said, if they sealed, they should be fine. I had one of my tomatoes bubble over a bit after I took it out of the canner yesterday. Sealed fine.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Canned goods, especially tomatoes need to have the tops and threads cleaned to prevent mold from forming on the rims (gross) and to prevent the salt from eating up the lids (causing loss of seal, even more gross).


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## Soupmaker (Apr 28, 2012)

I understand why to clean them but it's not a food safety issue.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

It is if the salt on the lid causes the lid to rust through.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

I'd use them up first. Several times I've had ones with junk under the lid end up unsealing while in storage. My theory is over time, the junk dries out and shrinks up a bit, and then the seal gets breached. Not fun to find a foaming, stinking jar way in the back of the closet.

Check them when you go to use them, if they are still sealed, you are OK. Also check the backs of the lid when you open them, I've found mold a time or two only on the back side of the lid - I figure those ones hadn't been unsealed long enough to get real nasty - but they normally also smell a bit off. I expect if they had sat on the shelf much longer, they would get down right nasty!


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## Soupmaker (Apr 28, 2012)

Danaus29 said:


> It is if the salt on the lid causes the lid to rust through.


Is it really though?

You going to eat it if it is unsealed?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Yes it was really through. And no, I'm not that stupid.


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## Soupmaker (Apr 28, 2012)

OK. ound:


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2012)

My concern would be the dirty jars may draw in rodents/insects.


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Yes, I think that's a big one. And if the outside of a jar is funky, especially near the top, extracting the contents ----eww, I can't go on. Plus the icky smell. We could all eat like bears and probably not suffer too much, but I like sparkling clean jars on the shelf. My first batch of jam stash seemed good enough, but the jars were dull looking and just not nice. Next year I wiped them down with vinegar and dried them with a cloth, it's well worth it to me.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I would just wipe them down and store them. If they are sealed when you go to use them, they are fine. 
I haven't lost any from this issue. Next time, I would just fill them less. I know I have the problem with milk at times, but I haven't lost any.


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## Catalpa (Dec 18, 2011)

I add lemon juice to each jar when canning tomatoes; had never heard of using vinegar before, seems like it would affect the taste.

I also add two 'glugs' of vinegar to the water in the hot water bath or pressure canner, it prevents the whitish, milky deposits from forming on the jars. My well water has just enough lime in it that if I forget the vinegar my jars look really bad. I add a half a glug to the water I use for heating the lids, too.

ETA: a 'glug' is how I describe adding without measuring to my teenager, for things like adding milk to scrambled eggs or bleach to the pool or something. Turn the jug up and let it go 'glug, glug' and you've added just enough!


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