# Canning........What is Finger Tip Tight



## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

I have canned thousands of jars of veggies with close to 98% seal rate. But, I have a fair amount of liquid from the jars in the canner water after canning. Am I not tightening enough or is this normal?


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## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

Sounds like more of a temperature/pressure fluctuation issue. Are you adjusting the heat up and down during your processing?


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

I bring the canner to desired pressure on high and back off to maintain pressure. Do make occasional small adjustments.

Should I bring it up slow?


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## Dead Rabbit (Oct 30, 2010)

i had that problem one time. first time actually i canned. now i tighten little more than finger tight, ive heard its from temp. fluctuation....but i havent had any more problems after tightening a little more. and i still havent mastered getting the temp where we want it and leaving it there. anotherwords still alot of adjustment. but no more problems loosing liquid.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

One thing about temp adjustment - the canner will not react with swift results to an adjustment, especially if you have an electric stove. Put the canner on "high" and when the regulator, or weight, starts to sputter, turn the burner down in _very small _increments. The sputtering of the weight will slow down and maybe even stop. Don't turn the heat back up, just wait, the canner will catch up to the lower heat setting. When it does, turn back the heat a little more and repeat the above process until you have the weight sputtering about 4-5 times a minute. On my stove, this takes about 5-8 minutes, depending on whether I have a full load (20 pints) or just a partial, until I get the canner where I want it, which is a medium setting. By turning the heat down in small increments you don't lose the sputtering all together, which requires you to start the timing all over again. If I have the time, I sometimes just start out on the medium setting. It takes quiet awhile for the canner to get to pressure, but it will, eventually, and I don't have to fiddle with it.

BTW, my canner doesn't say to tighten the jars "finger tight", it says "firmly tight", which to me is like you would tighten a jar to put in the refridgerator - tight enough to keep the jar from leaking, but not so tight that I have to get a "manly-man (Kraut-Boy) to loosen it.


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## Canning Girl (Jan 13, 2010)

The main way to avoid siphoning (losing liquid from the jars) is to allow the jars to sit in the canner for at least 10 minutes after you take the regulator off. Don't open the canner and take jars out as soon as the pressure is at zero. A little patience will pay off.


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

Canning Girl said:


> The main way to avoid siphoning (losing liquid from the jars) is to allow the jars to sit in the canner for at least 10 minutes after you take the regulator off. Don't open the canner and take jars out as soon as the pressure is at zero. A little patience will pay off.


I do believe a lack of patience is my problem!


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

po boy said:


> I do believe a lack of patience is my problem!


well you won't have to worry so much about that when you get more than one canner going! I'm famous for getting my canning too hot, I cann mostly outside, between the wind and going back inside to prepair more food, it's really not the thightening that makes the jars "puke".


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

7thswan said:


> well you won't have to worry so much about that when you get more than one canner going! I'm famous for getting my canning too hot, I cann mostly outside, between the wind and going back inside to prepair more food, it's really not the thightening that makes the jars "puke".


LOL, have two going most of the time


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