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Q. Is it safe to eat discolored
canned foods?
A. The color changes noted above do
not mean the food is unsafe to eat.
H
owever, spoilage may also cause
color changes. Any canned food that
has an unusual color should be
examined carefully before use.
Q. Why does the underside of
metal lids sometimes discolor?
A. Natural compounds in some foods
corrode the metal and make a brown
or black deposit on the underside of
the lid. This deposit is harmless and
doesn’t mean that the food in the jar
is unsafe to eat.
Q. Why do jars not seal properly?
A. Jars that do not seal may be due to
a number of things:
1) Incomplete sterilization; failure to
follow exact timetables and
recipes.
2) Failure to wipe sealing edge of jar
clean before placing lid on jar.
3) Food, seeds or grease lodged
between lid and jar.
4) Clamps not properly adjusted on
lightening or bail-type jars.
5) Jars which are nicked or
cracked or have sharp sealing
edges.
6) Band screwed down too loosely
before processing on Mason jar
and two-piece metal lid.
7) Turning jars upside down while
jars are cooling and sealing.
Q. When canned or frozen fruits
are bought in large containers, is
it possible to can them in smaller
containers?
A
. Any canned or frozen fruit may be
heated through, packed, and
processed the same length of time as
recommended for freshly prepared
food. This canned food may be of
lower quality than if it had been
canned when fresh.
Q. Is it safe to leave food in tin
cans after opening?
A. Yes, but like fresh cooked food,
food in tin cans needs to be covered
and kept in a refrigerator or other
cold place.
Q. When processing food, is it
necessary to have the pressure
cooker filled with jars?
A. It is economical to process at one
time as many jars as the cooker will
hold, for it saves time and fuel. But if
you do not have enough jars to fill
the cooker, a smaller number may be
successfully processed.
Q. What causes the lids to
buckle?
A. Buckling lids may be due to a
number of things:
1) This problem may be caused by
tightening the jar rings too tightly
before processing the jars. During
processing, the flexible metal lid
permits the jar to exhaust air, and
rings that are too tight will not
allow the air to escape during
processing.
2) Not following the correct preheat-
ing process for the brand of lids
used.
3) Filling the jars too full.
4) Using the raw-pack method for
starchy vegetables.
5) A steam leak from the pressure
canner lid.
6) Cooling the pressure canner with
water or cool air.
7) Using a jar with a mouth that is
too large for the lid (such as a
mayonnaise jar).
Q. What causes the jars to break?
A. Breakage of jars may be due to a
number of things:
1) Jars are too tight in pressure
c
ooker.
2) Not using standard jars.
3) Jars improperly tightened.
4) Not placing jars on rack (jars
touching the bottom of canner).
5) Over filling jars or packed too
solidly.
6) Sudden temperature change
between jars and water in unit.
7) Jars have invisible hairline cracks.
8) Fluctuation of pressure during
processing; be sure to maintain a
steady pressure.
Q. If a jar does not seal and must
be reprocessed, does it have to be
processed the full length of time?
A. Just what should be done with the
unsealed jar will depend upon the
cause. If the cap or lid is at fault and
the product is a fruit, simply replace
the cap or lid with new one and
process until product reaches boiling
point. If it is a vegetable or meat, it
should be reprocessed approximately
one-fourth to one-third the regular
processing period. If the jar is defec-
tive, any product would require
repacking. It is doubtful if this will be
profitable since the reprocessing
would need to be of approximately the
same length as a normal period for
that particular food. Few foods will
stand up under such treatment.
Q. Is it possible to process two
layers of jars in cooker at one time?
A. Yes, providing the model you
have has sufficient room for two
layers of jars. Use the rack between
layers of jars.
Q. Is it necessary to precook any
meats before canning?
A. Most authorities recommend
precooking meats. Meats may be
packed raw, but if packed raw, add
no liquid.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON HOME CANNING
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