# Ball jars cracking



## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

I am having an issue with cracking/breaking jars for the first time. I know it happens from time to time and I've only been canning a little over a year so maybe it's just my time! But I'm wondering if I didn't get a bad batch of jars and if anyone else is having the same problem. 

It's been 5 jars overall over the past few months. All Ball pint jars. New and old mixed in the same canning session, but the one today was definitely new. Once in the canner with ham, the others I saw or caught. Today I inspected all the jars carefully, hot jars, hot ham, boiling water, I heard a pop in the canner as I was filing the last 4 jars and inspected the ones in there, sure enough a big crack near the bottom on one. Breakage is always near the bottom. 

And I just heard a pop in the canner 1/2 way through canning ham. Uh oh.


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

Most likely due to thermal shock. You do not want the water in the canner boiling. Have it simmering-180Â°


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Thanks oneokie, the water in the canner was boiling, as my prep took longer than usual. Although the jars were heated up in the canner with water in them and so were boiling as well. But then they sat a bit as I filled them etc.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Yeah, that thermal shock is surprising the first time it happens!

Sorry you lost the jars - and the ham!


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

The good news is the pop I heard in the canner wasn't a jar, they came out great! I'm going to keep a closer eye on my canner water and jars in the future, there are so many details in canning well!


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Oh, good! Glad that all is well!

Canning is a life-long process of learning, and I just love doing it. Like a lot of people, I learned from books and then from folks online.


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## Cajun Arkie (Jun 11, 2012)

Thermal shock is always a possibility but...I have noticed several flaws in some new pint jars that I bought on sale - they are mason but still flaws. I always look my jars over good as I am about to wash them. One had a weird seam in the middle of the jar and the other had a bubble. Not saying that they would crack but don't won't to waste product so I just set them aside to use for herbs or dry ingredients. Also one had a dip in the neck.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

Cajun Arkie said:


> Thermal shock is always a possibility but...I have noticed several flaws in some new pint jars that I bought on sale - they are mason but still flaws. I always look my jars over good as I am about to wash them. One had a weird seam in the middle of the jar and the other had a bubble. Not saying that they would crack but don't won't to waste product so I just set them aside to use for herbs or dry ingredients. Also one had a dip in the neck.


I have a pint jar with a defect in the seam. If you run your finger along the inside of it there is a.... Pocket? I guess.


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## netskyblue (Jul 25, 2012)

I've only been canning a couple of years now, but I lost my first jar to breakage a couple weeks ago. I was running a full canner, 19 pints of beans. I don't know if it had anything to do with the fullness of the canner or the density of the beans, but I'll probably limit myself to about 16 pints in the future.

It was only when I lifted the jar that I saw it was in two pieces.


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