The most common canning mistakes that can destroy the entire process

Summer is in full swing and canning is one of the activities that many of us do in summer. No wonder. Canned cucumbers, plums, strawberries, raspberries and other fruits are absolutely delicious and better than the store-bought stuff. Most of us follow our own, time-proven recipes that we trust. Nevertheless, anyone can make small or even “fatal” mistakes that may destroy our efforts… What mistakes we talk about?

Failure to monitor the temperature

You should definitely check the temperature in the canning pot as well as the time. The temperature should start at 85 °C. Everything depends on the type of fruit or vegetable and on the conditions of the fruit too. Soft foods can also be preserved or canned insteam.but for harder fruit you need to hot water.

Correct glass filling

You should fill up glasses or glass jars properly. Stop when the water reaches 0.5 to 2 cm below the edge.Take into account that the volume of fruit or vegetables will increase in volume, and if the glass is overfilled, the contents will leak out . On the other hand, if there is not enough water, there will be a lot of oxygen which may cause pour seal and the canned fruit may go bad.

Photo: Radek Štěpán

Tasting prohibited

Children love sweet fruit and naturally they want to taste it. Well, they may do so but only with a clean spoon. If they reuse the spoon, you will have a problem. Saliva will contaminate the content immediately and your fruits or veggie will start to ferment sooner or later, destroying a large part of your work ….

Old lids can cause problems

Canning lids are often used repeatedly. Yes it is ok, but you should always check the condition of your lids.Especially rubber bands will degrade over time. You should always check for deformation too. A deformed lid cannot seal the glass properly.

You should sterilize everything

Sure, we all sterilize the glasses but, it is necessary to sterilize spoons, bowls, ladles and other utensils you may use during the canning process too.

Photo: Pixabay

Do not forget to turn glasses upside down

If you are filling glass jars with hot marmalade, jams etc. do not forget to turn them upside down. Wait until they cooled down and only then put them right side up again. When the contents cool a negative pressure is created inside the glass and you want that. You can tell if the lids bulge inwards when you turn them back up.

Preview photo: Radek Štěpán