Hi everyone. I made a first attempt at a garden this year and just tried canning tomatoes for the first time. I made a couple mistakes that I didn’t realize until after the fact
I put the lids in the dishwasher
I didn’t wipe off the rim of the jars after putting the tomatoes in
I didn’t have a pot that was quite big enough for the boiling so the jars didn’t have an inch of water over the top
My questions would be if those mistakes mean the process was a failure and is there a good way to tell if the contents go bad before using them?
by bigkeys11
7 Comments
Hi u/bigkeys11,
For accessibility, please reply to this comment with a transcription of the screenshot or alt text describing the image you’ve posted. We thank you for ensuring that the visually impaired can fully participate in our discussions!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Canning) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yeah those don’t sound safe. Did you follow a tested recipe from trusted site like Ball or a government extension office?
These are not safe. If it’s been less than 24 hours refrigerate and use this week
Canning is a science and not at all like cooking where you can just “wing it”. You need a tested recipe and process to make something that is shelf stable or you risk making yourself and others sick. Lids no longer need more than a quick rinse with water (and soap if you prefer). Wiping rims helps ensure that you get a good seal since residue can interfere with it, especially greasy or sticky foods.
The most important reason why your tomatoes cannot be kept for long term storage is due to the water level when you water bath processed it. You need at least 1″ over top the jars for the entire processing time and for tomatoes, I would give it closer to 3″ since the processing time is much longer than say, jam which is 10-15 minutes depending on elevation. You need to account for evaporation. If it is not fully covered by at least an inch, the food at the top is under-processed, making the entire jar unsafe.
We have an extensive wiki with recipes and resources on safe canning. If you find a recipe online or somewhere else, you should compare it to one from the safe sites.
National Center for Home Food Preservation is a free website that walks through the basic of canning, freezing, drying etc. It has been very helpful as I’ve branched out into pressure canning.
https://nchfp.uga.edu/
In addition to the other (very good) advice you’ve gotten here: when you try again, pay attention to the headspace the recipe calls for.
Headspace refers to the amount of room that’s left in the jar after you’ve filled it, or to put another way the amount of space between the surface of the substance in the jar and the very top of the jar. Any safe canning recipe will be very specific about this and you want to make sure it’s exact (grab a ruler!) and consistent among all the jars. The one on the left in your photo, for example, has a lot more headspace than the other two.
When you try again, if you end up with an odd amount at the end that won’t completely fill the final jar with the prescribed amount of headspace, then just put that jar in the fridge without processing it and use it within a couple of days like you would anything else that’s opened or in a tupperware or whatever.
Good luck!
I see that you sanitized the lids. Did you sanitize the jars? I personally always sanitize my jars. I believe it’s necessary with water bathing and not with pressure canning nut I do both. Heats my jars as well to reduce breaking.