I got a question tonight from a reader of this blog about seal quality and as I was writing her back, I realized that there may be more of you out there who could benefit from a brief seal-testing tutorial.
When it comes to canning, sometimes you miss the pinging sound that gives you auditory confirmation that your jars have sealed. Just because you didn’t hear it doesn’t mean that the jars didn’t seal. Here are some ways to test….
- Press down on the center of the lid. Does it move up and down or does it feel solid and concave? Solid and concave means a good seal, movement means no seal.
- Tap on the lid. Does it sound tinny or hollow? Tinny means sealed, hollow means poor or no seal.
- Unscrew the band you used to hold the lid in place during processing. Now attempt to pick your jar up holding onto nothing but the lid. If you have a good seal, you should be able to do this easily. You’ll know pretty much right away when you remove the band whether your seal is good.
How else do you guys check your seals? And, while I’m answering questions, who else has got one?
Hello, i have made several jars of pickled beans and they all sealed until yesterday now i cannot get a seal? i haven’t changed anything and the pickled carrots seal it is just the beans that refuse to seal now.
Could it be that you’re using a different batch of lids? Are you doing the boiling water bath process properly? There’s no reason that I can think of why your beans wouldn’t seal while everything else does.
I made cran-blueberry jam recently and all four lids popped, so I felt sure they were all sealed. Days later, not sure how many, but under a week we discovered one lid unsealed. We immediately put it in the fridge, but are unsure now if it’s safe to eat. What do you think?
I think it’s fine. The worst that can happen with that jam is a little mold. If the surface looks entirely normal, it is safe to eat.
hi new to canning , I didn’t hear my jars ping and mistakenly touched them, they didn’t seal , right away I used a tea towel to help me push the centre down for a minute and the lids of now sealed and pass the lift test the next day . Are they going to be OK?
thx
ry
I can’t judge the safety of your seal. You’re not supposed to touch the lids in any way, and holding down the lids is a sure way to give yourself a false seal. They can sometimes take as long as half an hour to seal.
thx for the quick response, I am definitely going to be hands off next time. I panicked because every book I had said I should hear the ping right away . So even though with the bands off, when I lift the jar by the lid and it doesn’t come off its possible I have a false seal ?
thx
ryan
thx for the quick response, I am definitely going to be hands off next time. I panicked because every book I had said I should hear the ping right away . So even though with the bands off, when I lift the jar by the lid and it doesn’t come off its possible I have a false seal ?
thx
ryan
I just tried canning for the first time ever tonight. I made up a big batch of strawberry jam. I followed my recipe to the letter but I don’t think I got a good seal. I didn’t hear any kind of popping sounds when they came out and the button on my lid is still popped up. I pushed the button in on a couple of the jars before I decided to turn to google and came across your blog. Help please!!
Did you process the jars in a boiling water bath canner for the proper amount of time? Was the water at a full rolling boil the whole time? Were the lids relatively new? Jars sometimes take 15-60 minutes to fully seal.
If the answer is yes, you can always try reprocessing with new lids.
I wonder if you’ll see this….if not, no big. I just canned a few jars of dilly beans this morning. I thought I laid out enough lids before jarring the beans and spices, so I was surprised that I didn’t have enough when I got to the last jar.
I realized, seeing that one of the jars’ centers hadn’t popped, that I had maybe doubled up on the lids – two for one jar. I unscrewed the lid, and sure enough….there were two flats. I carefully removed the top flat lid, and the other lid was sealed.
So, two questions: can I reused the lid that wasn’t really used as a lid in the first place, and do I trust the seal on the jar?
You can reuse the second lid, and as long as the seal is strong, you can trust it.
I made sand plum jelly yesterday. Upon removing them from the water bath, the lids popped down almost instantly. I’ve never had that happen so quickly before. Any thoughts on that?
Sometimes that happens. The jars sealed. Why question it?
I canned relish today. It was hot when it went in to the jars. Processed for 15 minutes. Some jars appear sealed when coming out of the bath. Can they seal during processing?
It’s unusual for the jars to seal while in the canner, but if the tops were at all exposed, it is possible.
I canned chokecherry syrup the other day. After about 12 hours only maybe half the jars had popped down. I just barely touched the tops of the ones that didn’t and they did pop down and have stayed down. I removed the rings and one lid popped up the rest stayed down. Do you think they are safe? Too much head space?
If the lids have stayed down, they are ok. If they popped up, they should be refrigerated. Not knowing how much headspace you left, I can’t say whether that was the issue.
I just canned pickles for the first time today – but didn’t use a hot water bath. I received the recipe off of you tube (maybe a mistake!) which had you heat the glass jars in the oven for 20 minutes at 250 bring the mixture to a boil, add the garlic and dill then pack the pickles without any touching the top, fill with the boiling mixture (water, vinegar, pickling salt) to the very top, close and then turn over on the top of the lid. I haven’t heard any popping sounds in the past about 3 hours, turned the jars back on the bottom and checked the lids most are down. A couple have very slight movement (which I probably checked too soon before cooling?). What would you recommend that I do? Next batch I will use a hot water bath to make sure it is a really strong seal.
That is not a safe canning practice. Acidic foods (like pickles) need to be water bath canned to kill any botulism spores. Botulism can kill a person in a couple of days and is not to be messed around with. Please toss that batch and follow an approved canning recipe next time.
Does the loudness of the ping when lids seal determine how well they sealed? I made salsa and normally the ping is quite noticeable. Tonight with this batch I did hear it but was slight. Thought maybe lids were not good.
The loudness of the ping has nothing to do with the quality of the seal. Some lids seal loudly and some seal quietly.
I canned peaches yesterday ,and after quite a while maybe 2 hrs they still hadn’t popped down so I helped them and they stayed down on half, really did the 7 that didn’t. Also had to help.was. it because I did the cold pack method.? Cool peaches in sterilized jars going into a hot canner for 30 mins. Also tested them all this morning and they are all down don’t sound the same with spoon method but could be some are fuller than others.I have them upside down I figured if they leak they r no good.what r your thoughts? I’m a seasoned canner I should have done the hot pack method , I just didn’t want soggy peaches
If they aren’t strongly sealed, they aren’t safe for pantry storage.
Hi I have canned bread and butter pickles the last ones to come off hot water bath was late checked them 3 did not seal barely touched them and sealed should I put them in frig are they safe to eat. Thank you!
Remove the rings and check to make sure that the lids are firmly sealed in place. If they are good, the seals are fine.
Hi, I tried canning pickles for the first time ever on Friday. I didn’t realize I didn’t have a tall enough pot to water bath can them so after filling them all, I stuck them in the fridge. I got a bigger pot but is it now too late to water bath them? Also, they sealed in the fridge so are they safe to leave out of the fridge or do they need to stay in?
To can them at this point would mean taking a major hit in quality and crunch. And even though the jars sealed, it will be a relatively weak seal that may not hold up on the shelf. At this point, it would be best to keep those jars in the fridge.
Hi , my first time canning , I forgot to take the air bubble out on my green ketchup , look like they are properly seal , would it be ok?
As long as the jars sealed, they are fine.
Hi, I made some salsa for the first time. My jars seemed a little sticky after resting 24 hours. Lids are all sealed tight. Do I have a faulty seal somewhere? If so what should I do, since I can’t tell which jar it came from? Thank you.
Sometimes jars leak a little during the cooling process. As long as the lids seems securely sealed, it isn’t an issue. Just wash the jars and store them in a cool, dark place.
I don’t have much experience canning however, I do have recipes from experienced canners. Yesterday I did cold packed peaches and tomatoes. After 12 hours I pushed all the lids down and they stayed down. Why do you suppose none of my lids went down on their own? Is it safe to keep them? I’m so frustrated!
Tiffany, I’m really sorry you had this experience. Without being in the kitchen with you, I can’t begin to know why your jars didn’t seal.
My in-laws canned spaghetti sauce a few weeks ago. When I went to open one I could take it off with my fingers. Is this a good seal? The ones I can I can’t open with my fingers. I always use a can opener.
The ability to remove the lid without much effort is the sign of a mediocre seal.
I’m new to canning. I canned pickles and when pressing on the lid it is firm, but only some of the lids are concave. Does this mean that the jars that are not concave didn’t seal even though the lid is firm?
Take the rings off and check to see if the lids stay in place. That’s the best, truest test.
I made canned salsa in July but I went to open a jar and it had a light seal. It had some pressure and sound but I was able to open it with fingers.Should I just throw them all away
What your describing sounds like a reasonable seal to me. I wouldn’t throw that salsa out.
Hello. A quick question…
I’ve canned off and on for many years so I’m not completely new to the process. However, while placing quart size jars filled with apple pie filling into the canner earlier today I thought I heard one of the seals pop at that time. I still processed the jar, and all seems well although it’s still too early for me to investigate the jars too directly. Does that ever happen? A seal can pop when it first enters the boiling water bath?
It could have formed a weak seal if it was filled and sitting outside the canning pot for awhile. It’s not a big deal though. You can still process it at that juncture and thus ensure yourself a strong, reliable seal (rather than the weak one you’d have gotten otherwise).
I canned pickled beets two days ago. I went to put then in the pantry and found one had not sealed. From what I have seen in your responses I should be able to put them in the refrigerator and they will be fine is that correct?
Yes, you are still within the window where it’s safe to put them into the fridge.
After making zucchini relish, I water-bathed following timeline from Ball Home Preserving Book. My seals all pinged lightly and the centers went down. However, I can remove the lids with my fingers with little effort. Are the seals good? Can I reheat and reseal this batch? It has been a week since I made it. Thank You!
I can’t really give you more information about how to test your seals beyond what this post details. But lids should not come off easily. If you reprocess, you will compromise the texture of the finished product. You are better off refrigerating and using/sharing promptly.
I have a general question as I have some chicken and pork in the freezer that I would like to get canned up. I usually can around 40 half-pints of trout each year, and it has always turned out fabulous and never a failed seal. I recently had to purchase new lids and they were the Ball Sure Tight lids. I had never used them before because I had so many of the older ones left. Recently I canned some spaghetti sauce using the new lids, as well as pickling some Chileno peppers. Doing the seal test that I have done in the past, picking the jars up by the edges of the lid, and then just pushing up a bit against the lid, they were actually very easy to just pop off. I have never had that happen with anything I have canned before. The lids were all popped down/concave as usual. Now I am really concerned about canning the pork and chicken and having seals that are not actually as strong as they seem to have been in the past, and wasting an immense amount of meat. As I said, I can pry these lids of easily by just pulling them up with my fingers – I do get the de-vacuuming sound. How easily should this be able to be done? Is it the new Sure Tight lids. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
I’m not sure what to tell you. I don’t think they should be that loose, but I haven’t had that experience with the newer lids. Perhaps do a test run with something less precious in the pressure canner and see how they perform there?
I made pomegranate jalapeno jelly. 3 pints didn’t seal. I put those 3 in the fridge to reprocess. It has been over 24 hours but right at 48 hours since I made the jelly. Is it ok to reprocess if it was in the fridge for 24 hours?
It’s fine to reprocess. You need to reheat the jelly, refill the jars, and reprocess with new lids.
During the pandemic, the 2 piece lid/rings have been hard to find. My local Ace is carrying a brand called “Pur,” which is reportedly affiliated with Purrell according to an Ace employee. Any thoughts on canning with this brand or any other “off brands”? Are they supposed to be FDA approved? Thanks!
I pressure canned a few jars of green beans. It appears the one lid sealed but has a kink nonetheless. Should I be concerned? It “popped” indicating it sealed. Took the ring off and cap is tight. Just don’t want botchalism or something bad.
The kink is typically an indication that the ring was applied too tightly and that the air wasn’t able to escape. The lids are designed to buckle in this situation to prevent the jars from breaking. I might put the jar with the kinked lid in the refrigerator rather than risk it on the shelf.
Today I made wild blackberry jam for the first time. I made sure the jars were hot and the jam had reached 220 degrees F when I poured the mixture into the jars. I heard the jars pop later, even though I didn’t hot water bathe them. Is this seal still safe? Thank you!
Were the jars sterilized? While this is not the current recommendation for how to seal mason jars, as long as they were sterilized and the seal has formed, there aren’t any major risks. There is a small chance that the seals will fail over time, or that they jam could become moldy, but those are slim risks. If you are at all worried, you can always refrigerate the jars
Best way to re-can tomatoes that didn’t seal?
This blog post should help: https://foodinjars.com/blog/my-jars-didnt-seal-what-happened/
I pressured cooked hatch chilis, 4 point and 3 quarts. I later read not to use can chilis in quarts and dedicated not at same time. I processed them for 35 min. At between 12-15 PSI but I noticed a couple of the lids had small dimples but the lids are on tight and concaved. What do you recommend?
Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience canning chilis, so I can’t really advise you here.
I made peach salsa and then canned some peaches using Denali lids since Ball have been hard to come by. Five of the salsa jars didn’t seal and two of the peaches didn’t seal. I put them in the refrigerator and now they’ve sealed. Can I trust these or should I reprocess them?
I wouldn’t trust those seals.
Hi, came across this and Ive already learned a ton. I canned for the first time yesterday by canning some cowboy candy. I heard one pop and the other not. I didnt want to mess with them so I put them in my pantry under the stairs. I came back 24 hours later. The bottun was concabe and didnt pop on either of them. When I went for the lift test one did fine. The other did not, in fact, the lid shot off after taking the band off. Even eith the button rock solid. I put it in the fridge? Is it ok? Can it be reprocezsed?
You don’t really want to reprocess a product like cowboy candy, because the added heat will soften the jalapeños and make them unpleasantly soft. The best choice is to keep that jar in the fridge and use it first.
I canned tomato juice 3-4 weeks ago. I had to use an off brand lid due to not being able to find the kind I usually use. Everything sealed but I just now realized it doesn’t seem to be a strong seal, I can pull the lid off with my fingers. It does pop tho. Is this juice good or should it be thrown out since it’s not a strong seal?
Since it’s been a few weeks, I would discard any juice that doesn’t stay sealed.
Made old fashioned “Catsup” (ketchup). Button on the lid of some jars, was not down. When I removed the rings, the lids were all secure when I picked up each jar by the lid and jiggled. Pressed the middle button on each of those lids and it went down and stayed down. It doesn’t pop back up when pressed again. Can I trust the seal? Do lids sometimes seal without the middle concaving?
From your description, it sounds like false seal. I’d refrigerate or reprocess.
I thought my blackberry jam was sealed properly, two weeks ago. It’s been out of the fridge since then. Today I turned one upside down and it moves and slides to the jar’s top. Is it any good? Thanks a milllion
The movement of the jam in the jar has nothing to do with the quality of the seal. As long as the lids are on tightly, the jam is fine.
I seen on YouTube were a lady took a pen and tapped on the lids of her stored jars she said if it makes a pinging sould it’s good but, if it makes a dull thud then it has a false seal. Is this accurate
I don’t think I’d rely on that as a seal check technique. I much prefer removing the rings, grasping the edges of the lid, and lifting the jar up an inch or so. That’s a much more reliable test.
In Preserving by the Pint you make a lot of use of 4oz jars, and I’ve tried to use them many times (with jam mostly), and I have never had a single jar “ping” as it cools off after the water bath. The seal seems ok around the edge when I check the next day, but the top does collapse after even a tiny big of pressure from my finger tip (just barely touching), but then seems set and doesn’t move. Would you think this is sealed? I haven’t tried the tapping test, but will in the future.
Those jars don’t typically give that ping or snap sound because of their size. To test the seal, remove the ring, grasp the edge of the lid and lift the jar an inch or two. That’s the best way to test the seal.
hi!
I bought a few jars+lids. And well, because i’m new to this world (usually i use jars i have at home) so i didn’t know that you can have lids without a button. So thats what i have! 100 jars and 100 buttonless lids……
So, how can i be sure that my pumpkin jam is going to last a few months? I’ve done the boiling my jars, putting the jam, and then boiling again!
thank you!
Pumpkin isn’t safe for water bath canning, so the style of jars you used doesn’t really matter. I’d discard that product immediately.
If the seal did not pop on its own, but i tapped it lightly, and it stayed down, do i have a safe product?
If i pushed down center of lid after a couple hrs, it stayed down, is that sealed?
The only way to really check is to remove the ring and lift the jar holding the edges of the lid. That’s the best way to determine whether the seal is good.
Hello! If I have a jar tilt or tip onto its side as I’m putting them in the water bath, can I just put it upright and process it? If it seals is it safe or do I need to replace the lids and reprocess? Thanks!
Yes, just fix the jar and continue.
I recently tried canning apricot halves with vanilla (one of your recipes, yum). When I tested the seal the next day by holding them from the rim and lifting off the counter about 2 inches, they held, but I noticed the outer edge of the jar under the band was sticky with grape juice. I put them in the fridge, but would they be safe to leave out in my pantry (after wiping the edges)? I don’t know if I didn’t tighten the lids enough to begin with and some juice was forced out during the water-bath process, of it that is apt to happen. I’ve never canned fruit in a liquid before, mostly I make jam, so I’m looking for advice before I try again. Thanks!
It is totally normal to have whole fruit lose a little bit of liquid during processing and cooling. As long as the seals keep holding, just wash the jars and pop them in the pantry.
I used to can a lot. Didn’t for many years. My lids used to ping loudly. Don’t always do that now. Hear barely the sound that it is sealed. But not like it used to. I’m paranoid about “finger tight “. Don’t remember this from previous canning.
The manufacturers have altered the thickness of the lids and that has impacted the sound that they make when sealing. As long as the lids hold fast when you remove the ring, they are safely sealed.
My mason jar lid of processed pickles was not indented in the middle. I pressed down on it and it made a pop bit after that the center did not move up or down but stayed indented. Is the jar safely sealed or not?
When the jar is completely cool, follow the testing steps in this blog post. If it holds fast, it is good. Sometimes, you happen to touch a jar when it was about to seal.
Hello this is my first time canning I picked up a couple of desserts and looked at them I’m making peaches and water and I was supposed to wait 12 hours is this going to be a problem and then I boil the lids but it didn’t keep the water cooking I didn’t know I was supposed to I hope that’s okay too please advise thank you bless you
I’m so sorry, but I don’t really understand the question. Were you following a recipe?
my jars all seamed to have sealed well, but several days later when i went to move them 2 centers were up–are they ok
Have you removed the rings and checked the seals that way? If the centers are up, I don’t see how you could have a good seal, since there is no vacuum.
Can you reboil lids that were previously boiled in preparation to be used but were not?For example, I thought I had enough tomato sauce to fill 4 quarts, so I boiled 4 quart jars and 4 lids. However I only had enough sauce for 3 quarts. Can I reused the unused but boiled lid?
Yes, though you don’t actually have to boil lids anymore. Just make sure they’re clean.
After removing from pressure cooker some of the lids nickeled but then sealed there still is a small bump around the lid on the jars that buckeled
Good or bad ??thank you
When lids buckle, it typically means that the rings are on too tightly. However, as long as the seals are good, it’s all fine.
Recently my MIL came over to show my husband and I how to do some canning. We made diced tomatoes, salsa and pasta sauce. We cooked the diced tomatoes, placed in jars and put in water bath. We did the same with the salsa. We realized though, that the water in the water bath was only going to 190 degrees and not boiling, so we left the jars in for 45 minutes. We did have to press down on some lids, but they all stayed down. Is this safe?
My MIL had us wet the jars, place in oven at 250 degrees and place boiling pasta sauce in jars. Same thing, we had to push down the lids eventually but all stayed down. Is this safe?
Lastly, we weren’t aware that you should take the rings off the jar for storage, and we didn’t for a couple weeks. Is this a problem?
I’m new to canning, and also very weird about food not being stored correctly.
Thanks so much!
This process isn’t safe. They need to process at a rolling boil. Otherwise, you’re not getting sufficient sterilization of the product.
Hi, I can slot and have alot of older canned goods.
My issue is should I be able to open any home canned goods by use of fingernail pressure?
Some is easy some I hear a swoosh when opening!
I usually just dump it if i can open with my fingernail pressure?
I am not typically able to open my sealed jars with my fingers. If you are able, it strikes me as a rather light seal. However, if you followed proper processing procedure, they’re still probably okay. However, the best rule to follow, “when in doubt, throw it out.”
I have five pints of corn that were seal when I put them in storage lost their seal three weeks later what happened
Faulty lids, perhaps?
Hi! I made a large batch of sweet relish and had two lids with the centers popped up, not concave. After removing the rings and lifting the jars by the lids, one of the lids came off so definitely not a good seal on that one. It is in the refrigerator now. The other jar, however, passed the test when I lifted it by the lid, several times. It’s been well over 12 hours since the water bath but under 24 hours. Can I trust the jar that passed the lift test, even though the center is popped up and not concave? Thank you.
If the lid isn’t concave, it doesn’t have a reliable seal.
I canned tomato juice using lids that were not name brand like in the past. There were no popping sounds but when I checked there was no movement in the lid. I took ring off and pulled up really hard with my fingernails….it didn’t come off easy but did come off. Now I am worried if there is enough of a seal on the pint jars….I had to really pull hard to get lid off, but is it normal for it to come off without a hand opener?
The lids really shouldn’t come off like that. How long did you let them rest before checking the seals?
If the jars have not sealed what can you do.
Reprocess. Or refrigerate and use promptly.
My lid pinged when I was processing the tomatoes in the water bath. The lid was on firmly & didn’t push down when the jar was cool. Is it properly sealed & safe from contamination?
If you properly processed the jars, they should be sealed and reliable.
I removed my applesauce from the canner and didn’t hear any popping and after they sat on table I didn’t hear any popping
After an hour or two I noticed the center of the lid was raised up. I touched the center and it pushed down and didn’t pop back up
The lids are tight and not moving up or down when I push on it
Am I ok
Do the seals hold if you remove the lids? If so, you should be okay.
My cap is slightly up looking on one jar of sweet pickle relish. It does not go down when touched but appears like a slight button. Should I trust it’s good and because it’s sweet with vinegar, how could I tell if it is spoiled. It’s been about 3 weeks since I made them.
Nothing dangerous can happen in a preserve like that. I’d move it to the fridge and use it first.
Just checked sealed jars down stairs I tap each top of them. There’s one that makes tinny sound . I don’t keep the rings on them .
I turned it up side down and nothing happened just the sound is off?
This is chutney
The sound is not an accurate test of the quality of the seal. Does the lid wiggle at all when pushed? Does it stay sealed when you lift the jar holding on to the edges of the lid? If the answer is yes, it is fine.
Hello
I appreciate your content! I have a question about sealed lids. I did all the tests, listened for the noise, picked the jars up by the lid, did a visual test, etc. After doing all of these, I have a habit of trying to remove the lids with my finger nails. If it doesn’t budge at all, I feel really good about the seal. Well tonight, I did this same test on my pork chunks and a jar of navy beans. With a lil force from my finger nails, the lids came off. Still noticed the suction noise as the lids were removed and neither smelled or looked off. Do you think they are safe to consume?
Thank you in advance for your help 😊
Without experiencing the seals first-hand, I really can’t advise you. I do find that things processed in a pressure canner typically have a VERY strong seal. I might question a pressure canner product in which the seal came off with a just a small tug with your fingertips.
How do you check for a seal if using lug lids with a button? Are you still listening for a higher pitched noise when tapping on the lid with a spoon? What if the lid is firmly concave but the sound is slightly duller? I ask because I just processed 10 jars of blood orange preserves and three of the jars tops are firmly concave but the sound is a bit duller than the others. I use between 1/8-1/4” head space. Ones with the duller sound are filled a bit more?
Thank you for your help.
The tapping method is not one that has ever really clicked with me. I just press hard and feel for any movement. A sealed lid should have little to no give.
I made jalapeño jelly and it is thick and I noticed after a couple of days the lid did not seal. Is it safe too eat or should it away.
Since it’s only been a couple days, you should be okay to just move it to the fridge.
I use the lids the second time if they are not damaged, we were unable to get lids during covid and even yet so I decided then to reuse,I remove the bands wipe the bottle and lid clean and Never had a problem with anything,if they don,t seal I freeze it
I understand your reasoning, but it’s still not a great idea.
there is a small dent in the lid of my freshly made tomato sauce. is it ok or should I reseal? its on tight
As long as the metal isn’t broken, a small dent isn’t an issue. No need to reseal.
Hello.
I water bath my cucumbers for the first time today. If the jars sealed and passed the lifting test then they are 100% safe for the pantry? Nervous beginner
They should be just fine!
I canned 7 jars of salsa, none of these popped, but all of them are firm when I press on the center of lid. I don’t understand why none of them popped. I usually hear popping sounds very quickly after putting on the lids. Just wondering if they are sealed? Thank you for your help
Some of the newer lids don’t make the same popping sound that they once did (Ball changed the thickness of their lids slightly, which typically accounts for the change in sound). As long as the lids are solid, seem well sealed to the jars and don’t wiggle at all when pushed, they are fine.
I canned 24 pints of tomatos. They all sealed but sound like a gun went off when they popped. All lids bulked. I checked the seals and could not prove off the the lids with my hand. Are the safe?
Lids can make a range of noises when sealing, and even no noise at all. As long as the lids are somewhat concave and don’t wiggle when pressed, they should be fine.
After the cans have cooled, I have one lead where the ball is not indented. After I pressed it down, it stayed indented and does not pop back up. Does this mean that my jar is sealed?
Keep an eye on it and check the seal after a week or so. If the seal remains down, you should be alright.
canned some plum sauce and a few jars came out sticky around the mouth, but totally sealed…good to go?
Entirely good to go. Sometimes jars leak a little during the canning process, but as long as the seal is good, it is inconsequential.
I am wondering about:
I made peach jam this morning , (without pectin) When I place the mixture in the jars the pinged about 15 minutes later. Are they safe to store on the shelf or do the go in the fridge?
You put hot jam into jars and let them cool on the counter without doing any kind of boiling water bath process? Those jars need to go in the fridge.
I made pepper relish and today there is a lot of bubbles in the jar does this mean its working and no good
The bubbles are only an issue if they are moving as if carbonated.
I canned some pasta sauce after 12hrs I checked and they were all sealed but on 2 ofy jars there eas some leakage. I unscrewed the bands and jeld jars by the lid amd checked to see if they had a good seal. They did.y wusetiin is with leakage after letting them seal are they still good for self or do I need to use put in frig and use them within 7 days. Thank you for your help!!🙂
Jars sometimes siphon a little bit of product during the canning and cooling process. As long as the seals are good, they jars are fine.
If they didn’t seal is my batch no good
Do I have to start over
It depends on what the product is that you made. You can reprocess things like jams and jellies, but I don’t recommend it for pickles, as they will become oversoftened.
Hello, I made cowboy candy and it says to cover peppers with the liquid. After processing in a water bath, some jars peppers aren’t covered with liquid, but the lids popped. Are they still shelf stable or should I refrigerate them?
As long as the seals are good, you are all set. The peppers that are exposed might soften and fade more quickly than the rest of the jar, but there’s no safety concern.
I used some Kanaware seals last week, but didn’t notice until I was ready to put them on the jars that they were flat – no button. How do I know if they sealed properly?
They should still feel firm and solid to the touch, no wiggle or movement after processing.
I processed and refrigerated 12 jars OF Blackberry jam a few months ago. Now it seems a few of them slide to the bottom when turned upside down. Are they safe to eat? They are still in the fridge. Thanks
That’s pretty normal. The jam set firmly and so it moves around as a solid block when you turn the jar.
Hi Marisa,
I have one jar of canned chicken for which the seal did not hold after storing on my shelf. I know I must dispose of the lid and contents, but do I need to dispose of the jar as well, or can it safely be washed and boiled and used again? (jars have gotten so expensive!🥴)
Thank you in advance… your site is great!
Diane
You don’t need to throw the jar away. Just wash and sanitize before using.
I canned green beans last night and one canner got low on water so i boiled some in an extra pan and added to it..let finish canning time..turned off and left in canner maybe half hour before taking out and setting on towel lined counter to finish sealing and to cool..
This morning I checked them ..one looks like the button is down however the lid looks like it “warped “..
Can i reprocess by adding new lids ? And for how long do i process them
Were they pickled? Or were you pressure canning them? If you need to reprocess them, you have to start the entire process over again.
Can I refrigerate jars of dill
Pickles that haven’t sealed properly and still eat tgen
Yes.
What if they didn’t suck down, but when I pushed to test them they pushed down and stayed down?
Sometimes that little touch is all they need. As long as they stay sealed, they are fine.
Hi. I canned stewed tomatoes 3 days ago using a pressure cooker method. The jars appear to have sealed fine – press test checks out and they pick up easily using the lid (without the ring). But the tomatoes slosh around inside the bottle, and there’s a gap of about an inch between the top of the liquid and the top of the bottle. From the outside, it appears as if there’s no suction inside. I’m not sure whether this is to be expected, or if it indicates that I didn’t do the seal properly. Again, the seal appears to be fine from all of the checks that seem appropriate. Any insight?
The product should always be able to move around the jar. That’s totally normal.
When I first jarred my tomatoes, the lid didn’t move it was sealed. I checked on it a week later, and I was able to move the top and I don’t know what I did wrong.
Is it actively clicking up and down? Or do you only sense a very small amount of movement? If the seals did fail, it’s hard for me to determine why since I’m not there.
When I tap my applesauce jars with a spoon they sound hollow, but I can lift the jars from nothing but the rim of the lid, is this because there was air in my apples causing the sauce to “float to the top? I left headspace in the jars before sealing, there appears to be no headspace now. Thanks for any feedback
Applesauce often expands in the jars during the canning process. As long as the seals seem firmly adhered and the lids are concave, you should be good.
I been canning like crazy then realized the stuff that’s was canned they all sealed but I can pop the lids off with my finger tips. I’m lost so much work for nothing 😩
That is very frustrating. I am so sorry!
16 hours after my salsa processed I touched a lid with a slight bubble. It popped down and stayed. Now I can’t tell which bottle it was! What do I do??
It’s okay. That happens sometimes.
Hi last season I canned (water bath) lots of tomatoes. I found one with some sort of mold or something growing in it so I dumped it. The rest look good and tops are all concave in center. It doesn’t seem to take much effort though to pop the lids off. Should I be concerned about there safety?
As long as they still appear sealed, they should be fine. When you open a jar, listen carefully. Does it sound like a seal is being released? It’s okay if it’s not a huge challenge to remove the lids, but if they pop right off without any sort of suction release, it might be time to dump those tomatoes.
I have been canning for a few months……. Did 4 quarts of a heavy bisque-there was some siponining maybe about 1/2”- was able to pick up all 4 cans by the lids and it seems tight- but when i tap with a spoon i don’t hear a ping…..
I am wondering if the ping is due to the clean connection between the lit and glass and if you have any fat from siphoning on the rim- you may get a seal….. but it will fail over time…..
I’m thinking these jars i will just refridgeration and try again…..
Thoughts..
I don’t believe that there are any safe for canning bisque recipes out there. I would discard immediately.