Canning and Home preserving

[MustLoveHens]

Thanks guys! I don't want to rerpos

Are you wiping the top of the jar with and the inside of the lid with vinegar before putting together and processing? Sometimes washing used lids leaves a little something (grease or whatever) on the rubber on the lid and it won't seal. I always wipe the top of the jars with vinegar and have recently taken to wiping the lid also, just for a little insurance.

And using a vacuum sealer will work if you plan to store in the fridge and use it fairly quickly, or longterm storage in the freezer, but I don't think I would trust it for longterm storage of a food item. I have had most of my vacuum seals fail within a year for craft items that I had sealed in canning jars for storage in my closet. The paint tubes did dry out also.

Maybe put a layer of parafin wax on top, them seal it? My mom always did jam with wax seals.

Thanks for the reply! I wiped my rims with hot water. I've never heard of using vinegar. I'll try that the next round to see if that helps. I've had really good luck with my vacuum sealer seal my dry goods like flour but was unsure of sealing jam with it. I think I'll try it and then freeze the jars. I've never used wax...I remember my Mom using wax when she made jam. I think I might pick up a box when it's back in stock to have on hand for the future.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Just so you know, the Wax Seal is not recommended as safe practice.
We did have a few jars that would get mold on the edges - if it was just a spot of mold, we just spooned out the moldy stuff and ate the rest, lol. Waste not, want not. None of us ever got sick from eating homemade jam.

 

[R2elk]

Just so you know, the Wax Seal is not recommended as safe practice.
We did have a few jars that would get mold on the edges - if it was just a spot of mold, we just spooned out the moldy stuff and ate the rest, lol. Waste not, want not. None of us ever got sick from eating homemade jam.

Same here.

 

[Folly's place]

Those good old days! I remember the paraffin too, and wouldn't do it again.
Mold, yuck!
Mary

 

[MustLoveHens]

Hi gang! I just wanted to give y'all an update. I canned some Raspberry Jam again today. I used brand new jars with lids...the last of my "new" supply and every lid sealed. I even had a 4 oz jar that had to much head space because I wanted use all the jam and didn't have enough to fill it. I figured that one would not seal but I wanted to process it anyway with the others. Well, it sealed! lol
I even went out and got a new steam canner incase it was my canner. ( The cat knocked my current one off the counter when it was in its box as I was getting ready to can). Grrrr.....
Well.... all nine jar sealed so I honestly think it's the lids. I ordered some new ones off Amazon so hopefully those with work. I'll keep the other ones and can water with them so I don't waste them. I had no idea you could can water but now I want to try it to add to my emergency stock. This pandemic sure showed me I need to up my game in the emergency preparedness department!
Anyway, I went ahead and placed the jars that didn't seal in the freezer.... and realized I just may need another freezer! lol
Anyway, thanks again for all your help! Cheers!
MLH

 

[CindyinSD]

Hi all! I have a question....this is a little long but I wanted to give y'all a little background. I made some raspberry jam yesterday as well as some Apple Butter this morning. All high acid foods...I did all the prep for jars, lids, food, etc and processed in my steam canner per the instructions as well as the UW Extension guidelines for steam canning. I've steam canned for a few years so I'm familiar with it.
The issue I'm having is with the lids sealing. I used reused jars but I used some Ball lids that I've had in my lid stock pile that I've added to over the years. I processed the jam like I always do but the lids didn't seal. I checked the jars and the head space and that looks good, and I reprocessed the raspberry with new lids- again from an unopened box of lids from my stock pile. Again no seal. When I did the Apple Butter this morning, I used reused jars and my lids from my stockpile and one jar from a new box of Ball jars with lids bought a week ago. The "new" lid sealed just fine but the other lids from my stock pile did not.
I believe that the lids from my stock pile didn't seal for whatever reason. I'm thinking due to age? or where I kept them in my pantry(?), not from the actual canning process. I've never had a problem with lids sealing until this year as I normally use new jars and lids but had to go the reuse route due to scarcity of canning supplies this year. I've stream canned tons of jars but have never had this problem until this year with sealing.

Now here is my question. I have a vacuum sealer with a mason jar attachment for when I seal dry foods. Is there any reason why I can't use that to seal my jam jars? The jam has been processed twice and the Apple Butter once so they have gone through the sterilization process.
I have more jam to make but don't have access to getting newer lids because there is no canning supplies in my area.
Thanks for your help and your time!

Reusable canning lids: It looks like these folks have them in stock. I watched several youtube reviews/tutorials on these. Everyone seemed pleased. I got mine pretty quickly but haven't tried them yet. I only got the wide-mouth ones and haven't used any wide-mouth jars yet.
https://canninglids.com/information/

 

[pennyJo1960]

We called those tattlers and did nbot have good reviews .. This look like a great product they have

 

[lovesfarms]

4

Hi gang! I just wanted to give y'all an update. I canned some Raspberry Jam again today. I used brand new jars with lids...the last of my "new" supply and every lid sealed. I even had a 4 oz jar that had to much head space because I wanted use all the jam and didn't have enough to fill it. I figured that one would not seal but I wanted to process it anyway with the others. Well, it sealed! lol
I even went out and got a new steam canner incase it was my canner. ( The cat knocked my current one off the counter when it was in its box as I was getting ready to can). Grrrr.....
Well.... all nine jar sealed so I honestly think it's the lids. I ordered some new ones off Amazon so hopefully those with work. I'll keep the other ones and can water with them so I don't waste them. I had no idea you could can water but now I want to try it to add to my emergency stock. This pandemic sure showed me I need to up my game in the emergency preparedness department!
Anyway, I went ahead and placed the jars that didn't seal in the freezer.... and realized I just may need another freezer! lol
Anyway, thanks again for all your help! Cheers!
MLH

Be careful about placing glass jars in the freezer- there's a big chance of them breaking! They don't always break but it's a disappointment to have to throw them away if they do break!

 

[BullChick]

Yes, it’s important to use the round shouldered freezer safe ones.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I canned 4 quarts of beef stew last night. My first time trying to can stew. We will have to wait until we try it next week to see if I am willing to do that again, lol. I stayed up until 11:30 to turn off the stove and when I got up this morning I pulled the hot jars out of the canner. While it was hissing away last night, I could smell that there was a leak inside the canner, and I was praying that none of the jars had broken. This morning, all the jars were sealed and only one has some gunk under the ring that I will need to clean off.