Lids Buckled During Canning... Problem?

[Aszerigan]

Was processing some beets last night and had about half the lids buckle. Either they were filled too full or the bands were too tight. Lids did seal, but I'm kinda new to this so I'm looking for thoughts. Still good?

 

[mrjarrell]

I've never had that happen to me. As long as the seal is good, you should be OK. Just keep an eye on them, in case.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Dumb question:

Were these all brand new lids?

It almost looks like they're failure spots where they (if they are used lids) were pried up on their previous use.

Like mrjarrell said - keep an eye on them. If the seals stay sealed then all is well. (Though I may put them at the front of the rotation to consume first...just in case)

-J-

 

[horsehaulin]

Never seen that before.

 

[eldirector]

I had one or two crinkle a bit in the past. I assumed they drew a REALLY good vacuum when they cooled. The sealed fine for me.

Side note: I see a lot of folks remove the bands. I never have. Some of the books say to remove the bands. My mom and grandma taught me how to can, and they never removed them. I guess that is just a difference of opinion?

 

[GhostofWinter]

If you leave the bands on you MAY have a failure in the seal, but it reseal itself because the band is on. The conventional wisdom now is to remove the band after it has sealed and cooled to store. This way if the seal fails you will spot it right away when you go to use it and the lid comes off too easily. This is the same reason they don't suggest that you stack the jars either. The weight of the jar on top may allow the jar to reseal even after the seal has been broken. Personally I MIGHT stack jars, but I would do so knowing the risk...

As for the lids buckling. Sounds like you either processed too long, or got the bands way too tight.

 

[Expat]

Did you:
1. leave some headspace between the lid and the liquid?
2. let the canner cool down on its own and pressure go to normal before opening the lid?
3. maintain the correct pressure during processing?
4. can them for the correct time period?

We always leave the rings on as well.
I am afraid you are going to lose your seal over time with them crinkled like that.

 

[indyjohn]

All the jars with buckled lids are BAD. DO NOT CONSUME. They are extremely volitile in their current state! I will be over this evening to remove them and have them properly destroyed...

 

[bwframe]

I'll give you a quarter a piece for the potentially "bad" jars of beets.

 

[Aszerigan]

Yeah, they all sealed. I was using a boiling pot, not a pressure canner. I have both. The headspace may have been too little, I'll know for next time.

I was told to take the rims off during storage, as any potentially spoiled jars would work their own lids off due to off-gassing of bacteria.

 

[hooky]

Not related to the buckled lids, but we always use a pressure canner for beets, beans and other foods that have low acidity. You can't get the temps in the can up high enough to kill all the bacteria and without a high acid environment they could grow and the can will go bad.

ETA: I googled up that chart above. Here's the link. Table of the pH of Foods and Food Products - to Help in Home Canning and Food Preservation

 

[Expat]

I hope they are pickled beets. They have enough vinegar to get the acidity up for water bath canning.

I would send a pic of the lids to Ball and see what they say. It may be a bad batch of lids. I don't see how water bath canning could do that.

 

[grunt soldier]

I had this happen just the other day when canning my sauerkraut. It's not super uncommon if you hand tightened them past finger tip tight. You really just want the thumb and index finger spinning until it's tight. then stop. for the can to vacuum seal properly the lid actually has to vent steam some. then when it's done and cooling it actually seals.

The general consensus is that you should re-can them with in 24 hours. if not most people advise to keep them in the fridge.

 

[hooky]

I had this happen just the other day when canning my sauerkraut. It's not super uncommon if you hand tightened them past finger tip tight. You really just want the thumb and index finger spinning until it's tight. then stop. for the can to vacuum seal properly the lid actually has to vent steam some. then when it's done and cooling it actually seals.

The general consensus is that you should re-can them with in 24 hours. if not most people advise to keep them in the fridge.

I'm suprised I haven't had this happen to me. I always tighten just a little further than what you describe.

 

[sdh]

I had a few lids do this that I tightened the ring on too tight. They just did it on the lids that I bought this year. I think that they may be a little thinner than the older lids.

 

[billybob44]

Chlo says....That probably you did not release the 'Bubbles' (scrape the inside of the jar with a butter knife) enough to get all of the air out of the jars.

Other than that, She says they look GREAT+if sealed they are good to go...Bill.

 

[smokingman]

Your bands where on to tight,forcing the jars to vent in spurts of high pressure.Try around half as tight as you did,just finger tip tight.

Did you have any jars that the bottoms blew out of,that would be another hint the bands where to tight?

 

[grunt soldier]

I'm suprised I haven't had this happen to me. I always tighten just a little further than what you describe.

Yeah when I first started canning I always thought the tighter the better but I was having the lid issues and several where I picked the jars out of the water and the bottom just fell out. I did a lot of reading and asking old canners and the consensus is just finger tip tight. index and thumb screw it on till its tight for those fingers to turn it and your done.

 

[bwframe]

... I picked the jars out of the water and the bottom just fell out...

Like this?

 

[Electronrider]

Like this?

Exactly like that.