I made 12 (250 ml) jars and 6 (500) ml jars of picked beets yesterday. One jar ( a 500) did not seal and seems to have more liquid in it than when. I started. Or maybe I just overfilled, but I don't think so.
I this a "Toss the contents? situation or could I keep that jar in the fridge and eat it over the next week or so?
I' am not an experienced canner but I have made pickles beets and jams for the last 10 years.(not the last two) I've never had pickle fail before.
by MoaningLisaSimpson
8 Comments
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If you get it in the fridge quickly, it should be fine.
Since it’s pickled, I’d just put it in the fridge.
Totally okay for the fridge. You can always put an unsealed jar in the fridge and eat it if it’s been less than 24 hours since you processed it.
For some reason I can’t edit my post to add the additional information the AutoMod Requested:
Recipe: Beets hot packed in vinegar water spice liquid. water bath process for 40 minutes )
I live about 200 feet above sea level. Made yesterday. (November 4/2025) I removed them all removed from heat, put on another counter in a cooler part of my kitchen.
The seal is affixed but not concave.
Thank You
100% fine for the fridge. It sounds like it probably siphoned (jar sucked water in from the canning pot) but assuming the water you canned in was safe, it will still be safe. Just maybe slightly less acidic than the other stuff you canned.
Hey just my two cents- it looks like you’re using off-brand lids. Lids that don’t come from Kerr/Ball/Bernardin (in North America, at least) are spotty at best when it comes to sealing. You can definitely use off-brand jars that are the correct dimensions, but I find those lids are more trouble than they’re worth.
Likely totally fine to stick in the fridge still 🙂
We accidentally found out that pickled beets freeze quite well. And they were in a zip lock bag. They somehow got bundled into a care package that was supposed to be frozen.