Canning jars seal then go bad

I have canned a lot in the past with with aa jar here and there. But the last year I have lost so much food to crowning of lids after they have sealed. I again lost 22 quarts of beautiful red beets. All sealed two days later the lids are swelling and crowned lost all 22 jars. We do have lime in our water and it seems to be stronger since the dry weather.

Best Answer

Since you don't describe your process in detail it`s impossible to figure out the exact cause of the spoilig. Most common mistakes while canning are:

Improper sterilization of the glasses and lids.
Too short or cold pasteurization of the canned vegetables. Time and temperature required are highly dependent on the type of canned good. For raw red beets it should be 45 min at 100°C, for pre-cooked 20 min at 100°C.
Too much air remaing under the lid.
Failing to create a vacuum for sealing, allowing micro-organisms to enter the glass.

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How can you tell if something in the canning process has gone bad?

Jarden states that if correct canning procedures are followed, preserved foods with sealed lids should last indefinitely. A lid corroded on the top is OK as long as the vacuum seal between the lid and jar is retained. Freezing can cause the seal to break.

Do canning seals go bad?

If the products are not processed for the entire recommended time, air can be trapped in the jar. In a warm storage space that trapped air can expand and pop the lid off the jar. Under-processing may also allow some microorganisms to survive.

Why are my jars unsealing?

A false seal can occur when jar rims are not wiped clean before processing, if a jar is not filled correctly, or if products are not processed correctly. Jars may appear to be sealed, but may come unsealed later. (If a jar does not seal at all, place it in the refrigerator and re-process it within 24 hours.)

My Jar didn't Seal! Canning Jar FAILURE Post Mortem

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