Help! I have spent the morning doing peaches and have a few huge mason jars which I sterilized, filled with peaches and light syrup, leaving about 1/2 inch head room. I then boiled the jars for about ten minutes. A couple of the lids seems to buckle so I took them out. Am now waiting for them to "pop". Jars are still very hot. Will they pop as they cool, or will I be making a lot of peach pies tomorrow? Never again!

-- citygirl (citygirl@idirect.com), September 06, 1999

Answers

The lids will seal as the jars cool. Put them aside to cool and do not adjust the rings. The lids will seal later. Tomorrow you can take the rings off and test the lids. If a lid does not seal you can redo the batch.io/aiffDxp+

-- smfdoc (smfdoc@aol.com), September 06, 1999.

CityGirl:

I presume that you are using a water bath method. I use a pressure canner and for peaches I use 8 min at 5 psi [with a 10 min exhaust]. If you are using a water bath 10 min doesn't sound long enough. I could be wrong since I never use this method. As a rule, larger jars take longer to seal than smaller ones. Wide mouth jars seal very rapidly while narrow mouthed ones take longer. Hope this helps....

Best wishes,,,

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), September 06, 1999.

I have never canned, but did make "Ghee" acouple of weeks ago in pint jars, and sterilized jars by putting in 2200 oven for 15 minutes. Almost sounds like you boiled your lids. ??? I think that's a no-no, but again - I have never done this stuff before. My lids had built in gasket, which heat would have destroyed, I think. Anyway, everything popped, and seems okay. Next, going to store margerine in salt water.

-- A. Hambley (a.hambley@usa.net), September 06, 1999.

City Girl, They are correct. The Ball Blue book refers to a 20 minute process time for the water bath and one should not boil the lids and rings. It makes the seal material too soft and this can mess up the seal. So, let us know what happened/

-- smfdoc (smfdoc@aol.com), September 06, 1999.

Hi everyone

Thank you for your advice. Well I messed up. I did boil the lids and rings and didn't boil the jars long enough. Only one jar didn't seal in the end, although two have slight buckling of the lid. The jar that didn't seal is in my fridge to be eaten up. Not sure if I can trust the other jars. The flat lid seems to be quite tight, although they did not make a pop sound when I touched them, they sort of "sealed down".

Not a promising start to canning, but thank you for your help. Canned peaches look better and better to me......!

-- citygirl (citygirl@idirect.com), September 06, 1999.

When sealing a jar does not have to make a pop sound. If you do not have a good book on canning, get the Ball book mentioned or a book by Rodale Publishing called "Stocking Up". This the book I learned to can from and have had excellent results over the years.

Oh, I do boil the lids and rings by getting the water boiling and then slipping the lids and rings into the water and turning the heat off. I had problems one year with jelly growing stuff when I didn't boil the lids and rings, but have boiled every since with no problems.

-- Beckie (sunshine_horses@yahoo.com), September 06, 1999.

Beckie:

You could be on to something. Let the stuff grow and see what it produces. When you pressure can, you soak the lids in hot tap water. When you can in a hot water bath you do; I don't know what? I've been canning for more than 25 years but I've never done it that way; so I don't know...

Best wishes,,,,

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), September 06, 1999.

Regarding boiling the lids, it depends on the brand of lids. We always use Kerr lids, and they recommend (on the box the lids come in) that they be put in boiling water-- we pour boiling water over the lids we are going to use for the batch we are canning, in a small pan, and let them sit on the counter as we use them. They were boiiling hot, but the lids themselves weren't boiled over the stove. As recommended by others, get the Ball "Blue Book", Putting Foods By", or "Stocking Up" for the info you need for canning. We like "Putting Foods By", because it and "Stocking Up" also cover other methods of preservation other than canning. Good luck.

-- Jim (jiminwis@yahoo.com), September 06, 1999.

City girl, Do not give up on the canning. I have found it really satisfying in an odd sort of way. Some things are just easier to buy in the store. Other things are far cheaper if you can. An example was the chicken I put up recently. Canned chicken in the store was nearly $3 for a pound, but the stuff I do at home was less than $1 per pound. This makes a big difference when you set out to can 50 pounds of chicken. Buy the Ball Blue book as they have really reliable information. It must be good as I managed to follow the directions.

-- smfdoc (smfdoc@aol.com), September 06, 1999.

well,

I am an oldie goldie and have canned for quite a few years, I find that with canning fruit, just before you put on the lid and ring, wipe with a clean damp cloth to remove any sugar water and small fruit fibers, I usually do this to all jars I can -- I feel the freshly cleaned glass rim makes the difference in the success of the seal.

-- ALURKER (nobody@nowhere.com), September 07, 1999.

City Girl.... Learn these important lessons now. Get a good canning book and follow the directions to the letter.

-- kevin (innxxs@yahoo.com), September 07, 1999.

Thank you all so much! I won't give up! Regards to you all.

-- citygirl (citygirl@idirect.com), September 07, 1999.