# Dark spots after pressure canning



## CottageLife (Jul 20, 2009)

Immediately upon removing my pint jars from my pressure canner I noticed there were some dark spots/stains on the outside of the jars, I could see some spots on the underside of the lids, and when I wiped the edges of the lids/jars off with a 50/50 vinegar/water spray a LOT of black came off of the lids. What is it? Is the food still safe? 

Here's what I did - used my water bath canner (speckled enamel covered pot) with the insert that lifts jars out - 3/4 filled with water and 2 splashes of vinegar. Heated the jars, lids, and rings in this. Lids and rings for just 2 minutes. The insert was COMPLETELY rusted when I pulled it out of the water bath canner a little later. The water had turned all rust colored. 

I canned the raw packed chicken in ball jars with ball lids, in an All American canner with a splash of vinegar and 2-3 inches of water. I canned outside in 40 degree weather in the front of the garage with the big door open. I did have to keep the heat up higher than when I've canned in the summer (on an outdoor propane stove). 

What caused these dark water spots? The rust? Is the chicken going to be safe? We did eat some tonight - sealed well, looked and tasted fine. 

Thank you for any help, I've never run into this before. And obviously I need to replace the jar holder thing for in my water bath canner. Any recommendations?


----------



## Jan in CO (May 10, 2002)

I'm guessing here, but my insert/jar lifter got cruddy after a while, too. I think maybe the vinegar reacted to the metal. Anyway, you can get those individual jar lifters which are coated with a non slip material for pretty reasonable, and use a flat insert for the bottom of the canner instead. Your chicken should be fine, if the spots are only on the outside, I wouldn't worry about it.


----------



## CottageLife (Jul 20, 2009)

Thanks Jan - there are spots on the inside of the lid also? I'm still guessing it is from the rust/vinegar?


----------



## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Dark material on the underside of your lids is of no consequence. It's enzymes from the food. This is covered in the Q/A section of your canning guide.

From the National Center for Home Food Preservation:

*Why do the undersides of metal lids sometimes discolor?*

_Natural compounds in some foods, particularly acids, corrode metal and make a dark deposit on the underside of jar lids. This deposit on lids of sealed, properly processed canned foods is harmless._

I get this on all types of foods - greens, dried beans, tomato products. You're good to go.


----------



## CottageLife (Jul 20, 2009)

Thank you suitcase_sally!


----------



## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

Sounds like the vinegar in the water reacting to either the metal of the utensils or with something in your water. We have really high iron in our well water and I often get dark deposits on the outside of my jars from it. It's even worse for pickles and stuff with vinegar in it, so I can imagine adding vinegar to my boil water would make the spots even worse because acetic acid reacts with the iron easily (especially with heat).


----------



## CottageLife (Jul 20, 2009)

Thank you PlicketyCat. Sounds like that's what happened here.


----------



## TnHomesteaders (Jun 30, 2017)

suitcase_sally said:


> Dark material on the underside of your lids is of no consequence. It's enzymes from the food. This is covered in the Q/A section of your canning guide.
> 
> From the National Center for Home Food Preservation:
> 
> ...


Hello!
I am new here... I'm so glad I found other members of my flock!!
I just canned some raw-pack chicken and there were dark spots INSIDE the jar when I removed it from the canner. I did it the same way I always do and have never trouble, except with this batch I used a wooden spoon to get the air bubbles out before pressure canning, and the water got REALLY low in the presses canner on this batch. (It was 2am...what can I say).
After opening the offending jar, I did notice the dark patch was not deep, it only seemed to be on the surface of the chicken, and it wasn't on every jar in that batch.
Has anyone had this happen before? Is it dangerous or just ugly?


----------

