# 1st time canning chicken, whats going wrong?



## DENALI (Mar 25, 2008)

Followed the directions exactly and have gotten some jars that have puked some out into the canner. I dont know how much or which jars as they all seemed to have sealed. I am guessing this is more of an annoyance than anything but still i would like to try to avoid it in the future.
My canner is an all american 915 and i kept it at 15 pounds by the guage as well as the jiggler. The jiggler jiggled more than it didnt if that makes sense but it did stop jiggling often regardless the pressure guage never went over 15 pounds. I canned in pints only 1 layer deep. I put 1 3/4" water in it before i added the jars. I raw packed the chicken with no liquid and left at least 1 1/4 inch head space. I let the canner vent for 10 minutes before i added the jiggle and let it cool down to zero pressure before removing the jiggler and lid. So i am not sure what else i could have done. Thanks


----------



## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

If the pressure fluctuates to fast, either up or down, the jars can siphon out.
The 1 3/4 inch water should be increased by a bit, at least 2 to 3 inches total. 
Sounds like your headspace was right. 
Also, it could be that you did not let the jars sit in the canner the required extra 10 min. after you remove the weight, before you open the lid to take out the jars. 
That will also cause siphoning.


----------



## fffarmergirl (Oct 9, 2008)

We used to have that problem before we started making sure to vent the canner for 10 min. Before turning the heat down to medium & then putting the weight on & bringing it slowly up to pressure, cookinc for the required time & letting the pressure slowly drop on its own to zero before removing the weight.


----------



## Sherry in Iowa (Jan 10, 2010)

It sounds like it had to be the pressure change when you went from high (bringing it up to vent) to turning it down after it vented. fffarmer girl gave you some great advice.

Since chicken is greasy, I use a little vinegar on a paper towel to wipe my rims down so that I am sure not to have a film of grease mess up my seal. LOL...like I said in another thread..I am pretty paranoid about stuff so I try to prevent anything unsavory happening.

Seriously..is there anything more versatile or delicious than canned chicken or beef?


----------



## DENALI (Mar 25, 2008)

I vented the canner for 10 minutes after the steam coming out of the hole was constant. So venting was probably more like 20 minutes total but i only counted the 10 minutes after it was making continous steam then i put the weight on. I also did wipe the rims with vinegar water.


----------



## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

Denali, so you didn't wait the extra 10 min. after processing and removing the weight, before you open the canner ? That can make them siphon out as you said.

"After the canner is depressurized, remove the weight from the vent port or open the petcock. Wait 10 minutes, unfasten the lid, and remove it carefully. "

Sorry, I can't seem to get the link to copy and paste. It is from the Univ. of Georgia, the NCHFP on how to use a canner.


----------



## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

From experience, I can tell you Lucy is right on this one. If you take off the weight or cause any venting before the pressure releases on it's own, the contents actually get 'sucked out' of the jars from the pressure because a good seal has not formed on those jars yet because the seal is still hot and hasn't fixed to the jar yet. 

I'm always making this mistake when I have more food to can than I have time for that day. I start rushing the cooling down process to get the next batch in the canner and blow the contents right out of the jars doing that! Not only do I end up with half a jar of something (without the correct headspace to eliminate air), the jars frequently don't seal because the lip of the jar ends up with food or liquid on them. 

Don't ask me why I keep trying to do it at least once a year! I know what's doing to happen! I'll inevitably end up with an entire canner full of jars I have to put in the fridge to use up quickly because they won't seal properly or I'm afraid to try to trust the seal. :smack


----------



## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

DENALI said:


> some jars that have *puked *some out into the canner.


I wouldn't eat any of that, it sounds nasty! I would also take my canner outside and wash it with disinfectant! :yuck: :teehee:


----------



## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Sometimes it helps if you simply leave the jars in the canner and allow them to cool thouroughly for a few hours before you open the canner. Even if there is some leakage, the seals are usually good. I like to process at night, just turn off the stove and go to bed leaving the whole thing to cool overnight. By morning, it is cool enough to take off the weight and open the canner. By then, the jars are sealed, so you just tighten the rims and wash the outside of the jars.


----------



## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

mekasmom, please don't leave the jars in that long. They can start growing a heat loving bacteria. Then that food is not safe to eat. You need to take the jars out as soon as the processing is over, plus that extra 10 min. That is all a person should be leaving them in the canner. 
Plus, if you do that with a pressure canner, you can get a "reverse vacuum". It really does happen. I know people personally it happened to.
No matter what, you cannot get the lid off. So, the whole filled canner goes into the trash.


----------



## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

Are you taking the weight off quickly after the gauge reads zero?
I lift the weight very slowly...painfully slow...to allow the trapped air to whisper out.

If it's cold out on the porch where I can, I'll remove the lid, leave the jars and take out when the jars have cooled enough not to react to the cold porch. So afr no syphoning or cracked jars.


----------



## Sherry in Iowa (Jan 10, 2010)

Lucy said:


> mekasmom, please don't leave the jars in that long. They can start growing a heat loving bacteria. Then that food is not safe to eat. You need to take the jars out as soon as the processing is over, plus that extra 10 min. That is all a person should be leaving them in the canner.
> Plus, if you do that with a pressure canner, you can get a "reverse vacuum". It really does happen. I know people personally it happened to.
> No matter what, you cannot get the lid off. So, the whole filled canner goes into the trash.


Wow Lucy! I'd never heard of this..what a terrible waste that would be! Soon as the pressure is off..I take mine out. I do let mine set for several hours on the table before I take the bands off and wipe my lids down.

Again..that was a great tidbit that I didn't know and am glad I haven't experienced it!:goodjob:


----------



## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I just take off the weight after the safety plug is down then leave it set to cool overnight. It's not worth getting burned to open it before it is completely cool to me. That's why I prefer to do it at night before bed. I don't worry that it will get some exotic bacteria by cooling slowly. If it was killed in the processing, then where is it going to come from? I guess I just don't believe in spontaneous generation.


----------



## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

DENALI said:


> Followed the directions exactly and have gotten some jars that have puked some out into the canner. I dont know how much or which jars as they all seemed to have sealed. I am guessing this is more of an annoyance than anything but still i would like to try to avoid it in the future.
> My canner is an all american 915 and i kept it at 15 pounds by the guage as well as the jiggler. The jiggler jiggled more than it didnt if that makes sense but it did stop jiggling often regardless the pressure guage never went over 15 pounds. I canned in pints only 1 layer deep. I put 1 3/4" water in it before i added the jars. I raw packed the chicken with no liquid and left at least 1 1/4 inch head space. I let the canner vent for 10 minutes before i added the jiggle and let it cool down to zero pressure before removing the jiggler and lid. So i am not sure what else i could have done. Thanks


I don't see anything wrong here and don't see any reason to change your method. "Some" jars lost "some" of their contents? Never canned chicken but have done plenty of venison and rabbit but also at only 11# of pressure. Have yet to see any reasonable explanation as to why a jar may end up with 2" of headspace when properly packed with meat but it does. So, you're not the Lone Ranger with this. Answer won't be found until there is a Visions pressure canner so that what happens inside can actually be observed. Main things are that the jars seal, remain so during storage, and properly cooked before serving. 

Martin


----------



## margoC (Jul 26, 2007)

mekasmom said:


> I just take off the weight after the safety plug is down then leave it set to cool overnight. It's not worth getting burned to open it before it is completely cool to me. That's why I prefer to do it at night before bed. I don't worry that it will get some exotic bacteria by cooling slowly. If it was killed in the processing, then where is it going to come from? I guess I just don't believe in spontaneous generation.




The bacteria won't spontaneously grow. Anyway, the pressure is to kill spores, not bacteria. As long as the proper contents are processed for the proper time, then the spores are dead and are not going to come back to life because the jars cooled more slowly. I don't understand the logic behind the hysteria behind leaving jars in a canner. 

I've let mine set as well, after waiting the appropriate time to remove the weight, then a few more moments to loosen the lid. Sometimes I am finishing up very late and it's better to do this than to risk taking them out while they are still bubbling. 


When I first started canning I had some syphoning a few times but I wait longer to remove the wt and lid and don't get that anymore.


----------



## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

margoC said:


> The bacteria won't spontaneously grow. Anyway, the pressure is to kill spores, not bacteria. As long as the proper contents are processed for the proper time, then the spores are dead and are not going to come back to life because the jars cooled more slowly. I don't understand the logic behind the hysteria behind leaving jars in a canner.
> 
> I've let mine set as well, after waiting the appropriate time to remove the weight, then a few more moments to loosen the lid. Sometimes I am finishing up very late and it's better to do this than to risk taking them out while they are still bubbling.


I completely agree with you.


----------



## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

Here you go.... from the Utah State University. I would send the link, but it is a PDF and will not let me copy the link. You can do a search for yourself if you want to see it. 

.....remove jars from canner and place on cooling racks. When jars have sealed and are cool, remove rings and store in a cool, dark place. Never leave processed jars in pressure canner overnight. &#8220;Flat sour&#8221; spoilage can occur and ruin the flavor of the food. As canned venison is used from the food storage shelf, boil meat for 10 to 15 minutes before using as an extra safety precaution if desired. (Check jars for signs of spoilage such as bulging lids, spurting or bad odor and discard contents. Realize that botulinum toxin does not always have an odor.)


----------



## margoC (Jul 26, 2007)

What is flat sour spoilage? Not argueing, just curious. 

When I leave mine in a canner it's cause it's late and I am going to bed. I leave it at the point where the lid is cracked and when my roommate gets up at 4am she takes the lid all the way off and takes the jars out if she has time. 

I only mention this to clarify my procedure. In the past I had syphoning trying to rush things.


----------



## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

Flat sour is just that, it stinks soured and your food has to be thrown out. No way could you stand to eat it. 
Remove the weight once the pressure is down to zero. Then you wait another 10 min. to help prevent siphoning. Take the lid off then and remove the jars. 
Also, you can get a reverse vacuum if you did not take the lid off and just leave it all night. Then, the whole canner and all goes in the trash. Yes, it does happen. I know people it has happened to, so I am not making this up.


----------



## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

Okay, now I'm really confused- what is this flat/sour thing? Is it because people aren't washing the (full) jars before putting them on the shelf? I routinely leave the last batch in a pressure canner overnight which usually equals about 5 hours before taking them out, washing them, letting them dry and tossing on a shelf. The person I'm learning canning from said it's fine as long as you always wash jars.

I don't see how letting jars cool in the pressure canner is any different than letting them cool on a rack (except it happens a tad bit slower). Isn't the pressure lock prevented by taking the pressure gauge/bobble off before going to bed?

The way I do it- canner full done processing gets put on the floor/outside (depending on where I'm canning) on a wooden board and left alone for the next hour or so. While that's cooling more canners are being filled and processed. When the next canner is almost ready to go on the board, the first canner(s) are opened and jars put on towels to dry/finish cooling and then the cycle continues till everything is done.


----------



## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Lucy said:


> Here you go.... from the Utah State University. I would send the link, but it is a PDF and will not let me copy the link. You can do a search for yourself if you want to see it.


I know you aren't making things up. I just don't always think that the people who put the information out there for you to pass on are always correct. But you do your educational job well and with great conscience. I know that. 

for future reference about pdf files--
You can open a PDF, copy the link and post it that way after it's opened. Also google will let you "View" pdf pages without completely opening them as a pdf file, and you can copy and post from there. Google is good about those types of things. Acrobat doesn't always work cooperatively for me, so I have to rely on google for viewing a lot of those pages.


----------



## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

Flat sour is because you leave the jars in the heat too long, before you remove from the canner. It is a heat loving bacteria that grows before the jars cool and seal. You want them to cool and seal as soon as it is time to take from the canners. 
It really can grow in the sealed up canner. It loves heat to grow in. 

Thanks for the note about copying the link for the PDF file. I did try to copy from the top, once it was opened. I will try it differently next time. I have new Windows 7, and it doesn't seem to work like my old system all the time.


----------

