Only two lids sealed...! Re-process pickles?

[NightingaleJen]

Right off the bat, it seems important to note I've been canning since I was a teenager (let's just say I'm experienced here), and while one or two jars not sealing is no big deal and even expected, yesterday only two out of EIGHT lids on some zucchini pickles sealed! This *is* a first.

I've thrown the unsealed jars into the fridge for now, but if I re-heat the pickle (original recipe was cooked for ten minutes) and re-process with new lids in newly sterilized jars (another ten minutes), will we be safe? Or should I just start handing out jars of pickles to the neighbors?

At any rate, I'm glad they're just manageable half-pints.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Sounds like time for refrigerator pickles to me, especially if they're sliced cucumbers. Carrot and bean pickles aren't too bad if cooked twice, and you might be able to do it with gherkins, but my cukes always get mushy. Safe, I'm sure, but not palatable.

Are you using those fancy reusable lids? Those are the worst for sealing.

EDT: Substitute "squash" for cucumbers, please. I have no idea what my fingers were thinking.

EDT2: And the worst disaster was when I bought cheap pectin, and eight batches (64 pints) of blackberry jelly did not set up. I mean, the occasional exploding jar is nasty, but it doesn't invalidate twenty-odd hours of berry picking and standing over a hot stove.

 

[NightingaleJen]

Yes, @sylviethecochin, I'm not too excited about the mush factor either.

These are brand new (purchased Friday night...my exciting life! ;D), plain old Ball canning lids. Thanks for the alert on the resealables...I've eyeballed them more than once.

What a shame about your jelly! Oh, jelly is such a labour of love and to not have it gel...I suppose you could always call it blackberry sauce, but when one is expecting a beautiful jelly, that's a sad day. And...SIXTY-FOUR pints?! Oh my goodness. I might have cried a little.

 

[noregerts]

They'll be perfectly fine if you reheat them, use new lids and newly sterilized jars.