darn it! what did I do wrong?

[mirime]

So my first time canning? Well I checked the jars today and they were cloudy...

so I threw the contents all out (safely) and am cleaning the jars with bleach and then detergent.

When I was filling everything up, I was sure I was correct w/the headspace...
But when I looked at the jars today, the liquid was BELOW some of the pickles, which were sticking out above the pickle juice line.

How could I have lost pickling juice? The seals were tight though.

Oh and I'm not totally discouraged - I'm gonna stick at this until I get it right.

Any suggestions?

And again sorry for all the questions!!!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I've never canned pickles, so I don't know if I can answer your question. When you say the contents were cloudy and that you lost some liquid content, I have to wonder if the bands around the lids were tight enough? Not sure. :/

 

[patandchickens]

The bands are never supposed to be more than finger-snug *anyhow* (all they do is hold the lid on temporarily til the hot water bath makes a vacuum and seals it), so I am sure that was not the problem.

I would betcha that what you said on another thread is right on the money, mirime -- that you had some hidden air bubbles down amongst the vegetables, and that's why the liquid level was low.

Cloudy could be the water you were using (too hard), or the kind of salt (for best results use pickling salt or kosher, nothing else). Although I can understand throwing the stuff out 'just in case'.

Better luck next time,

Pat

 

[mirime]

Thanks DM!

And Pat, I think that it was cloudy because (sob!) the stuff was molding already! Our water is hard but I'll make sure next time to use the water filter we have. Pickling salt - yes I have that, but this time I used the Ball packet.

I'll make sure that I pack them well without air pockets, and super-make sure the headroom is spot on.

See I'm rather sloppy at things in general (I do hate to admit that, but it's true), and learning to can is also learning to do things the proper (and specific) way.

You can teach an old dog new tricks........


I hope!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Yes, canning is one of those things that requires diligence. Canning should be illegal for OC people, like me.

The reason I suggested the bands not being tight enough is that it always amazes me that liquid does not seep out (or in) when you first put the cans in the bath. Molecules are certainly small enough to travel between the jar top and the lid, until the moment that it is sealed, that is why a seal is so important to begin with. The whole thing weirds me out. But I have to think Pat is right and that is not your problem here.

In any case, good luck with your next batch mirime!

 

[patandchickens]

And Pat, I think that it was cloudy because (sob!) the stuff was molding already!

But you say the seals were good? I do not see how that is at all likely if you used the right vinegar, had good seals, and processed them hot enough for long enough. (You *did* have at least an inch of water over the top of the jars in the canner, yes, and wait to start timing til the water came back to a rolling boil, and timed it correctly?)

Our water is hard but I'll make sure next time to use the water filter we have.

A filter won't take out hardness (I wish!) -- you may need/want to try buying bottled water from the store, with a relatively low dissolved solids # on it (or even reverse-osmosis or distilled water). Not for the water bath, just for what goes *in* the jars. (Hard water in your water bath will leave a rough cloudy film on the outside of the jars but you can fix that easily by wiping 'em clean once they've cooled for a couple days or by acidulating your water-bath water).

Better luck next time,

Pat

 

[mirime]

We don't get calcium deposits - maybe we have 'medium' water!

I'm so ignorant about stuff; this forum has been a VERY humbling experience for me!

When I took the seals/lids off, I needed to use the square end of an hand-held can opener to pry them open

I'm gonna try again tomorrow. Get new vinegar, the freshest possible cukes. And even though I'm getting more discouraged the more I think about it all , I'm NOT gonna give up!



Yet!

*and I cannot thank you all enough, and you Pat, for all your help!*

 

[blurose]

Battle On, Mirime. :tools We're with ya!.

 

[mirime]

thanks for the encouragement ... tried again tonight, didn't pack well enough.

Will try with jam soon.

Frustrating because as a knitter, if you mess up, you just rip it all up and don't have to throw away the yarn. With food, you have to throw it away, and it really upsets me to throw out food.

Maybe third time will be the charm!

 

[Tutter]

Mirime, maybe this is the wrong thing to suggest, but I don't think you needed to throw the 2nd batch away.....

I mean, the ingredients were all perfect, you saw to that. The canning just didn't go well. So what you might have wanted to do, was put them in the ice box and just eat them in a relatively short period of time.

They should have tasted great, and been totally safe for short term, refrigerated storage...

I know you can do this! We're rooting for you! And don't worry, the fruit will help build confidence! It's easy and yummy! Be sure to bake a loaf of bread so that you can have fresh jam on fresh, warm bread as a treat for your efforts!