Question about pressure canning...help!!!

When you end the 25 min pressure time turn the heat off and walk away. It could take 30 minutes or longer for the pot to cool and the pressure to release. Don't do anything to make the cooling go along faster. This functuating temp is breaking your seal and forcing the liquids out. It has to cool on its own. It is cooling too fast and forcing the liquid from your jars making a bad seal.

 

Quote:Anne and some of her nieces and friends are going to be canning soon, Friday I think. How can you tell for sure that it has cooled enough?

 

After waiting about 30 min., as MP said, I tap the pressure valve, if it makes a noise, I leave it longer. I had this problem with my first batch too. Also, make sure you leave enough head room in those jars, you'll need a little extra if you live 1000 ft. or more over sea level.

 

When you can easily open the canner. Do not force it open or help the steam escape or cool the canner down by running water over it!

 

Guess I'd better not have DH help when I start actual canning. He's not the most patient person.
He threw my freezer jelly in the freezer before it gelled. So now we almost have freezer syrup instead

 

We wait until the gauge reads 0, then tap the gauge and if it doesn't hiss, and the lid is easy to remove, then they are cool enough to be removed. THEY ARE STILL SCALDING HOT, please remember that. I'd hate for someone to get burned because I said "cool enough...." They still bubble for a little while when we move them around. Also, please be careful as they can still explode (we had that happen about 2 yrs ago). My kids are not allowed around when we can.

Good luck with canning everyone! We've got about 1/2 our beans finished for the year .

 

This is Joe's wife, Anne.

Some friends and I had our first run at canning green beans with the All-American yesterday. Now I have lots of questions.

If some the liquid leaked out (even though we let the canner cool as you all advised), but the jars seem sealed, do we need to reprocess them?

When you reprocess, do you put on new lids? I'm guessing you should.

Is it OK if some jars seem browner than others? Is that from the shell-outs? The Romas aren't brown, only the Top Crop. But they're not all the same color.

Has anyone else had trouble turning the canner lid after processing? After Joe got it turned, with the help of a hammer, it came right off, so I don't think it was stuck from a vacuum.

On the second batch, we forgot to allow the seven minutes for exhausting (steam? air?). The canner got hotter than it should have, steam was escaping through the seal, and the weight never did jiggle. This morning, all but three quarts seem to be sealed. What do you think?

Thanks in advance. Sure wish my mother were still around to ask all these questions. I watched her can many times; just didn't pay attention.