The rim is off, the lid is secure, but the button can move up and down, is it safe?
I have a jar that the lid is secured to the glass BUT the button still moves up and down. Is it safe or not?
Best Answer
The button on a metal lid- whether purchased or home canned- is an indicator of a vacuum in the bottle.
During canning, a vacuum is formed that sucks the lid on tight and pulls in the button so it can't be depressed.
If the button can be "popped" then there is no vacuum and the bottle is not sealed. If the lid doesn't move that just means it's stuck not that it is sealed.
This means that the safety of the food is compromised. If you just canned the bottle then you can either try to can it again with a new lid or put it in the fridge to consume immediately. If it has been in your pantry then consider it spoiled and throw it out.
Incidentally- having a button not pop does not guarantee that the bottle is sealed. Rarely, the button will be sucked in and the seal will fail but the button does not pop back out. If the lid is stuck in place you would discover this when opening the bottle as there would be no resistance from a vacuum. After bottling, I gently check the seals on my lids even if the button is in.
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What does the safety button on jars do?
A "safety pop-up button" on a glass jar with a metal lid is 'safe' if it won't press/click when you buy it. Once you've opened it there's no way to make it not click when pressed. That's why it's a safety button. If it clicks before you open it... then someone else has already opened it & it is no longer 'safe'.How can you tell if a canning lid is sealed?
Tap the lid with the bottom of a teaspoon. If it makes a dull sound, the lid is not sealed. If food is in contact with the underside of the lid, it will also cause a dull sound. If the jar is sealed correctly, it will make a ringing, high-pitched sound.Can you push down canning lids?
A properly sealed jar lid will not spring up when you press down in the center. Use a finger to press down on the middle of the lid. Sealed: There is no give when you press down in the center. This jar is good for storage.What is a false seal in canning?
A false seal is a weak seal that can happen for a number of reasons. False seals occur when the products are not canned correctly, when jar rims are not wiped clean before processing, or if jars are not filled correctly.Watch How Long It Takes For A Thief To Snatch A Locked Bicycle
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Answer 2
A "safety pop-up button" on a glass jar with a metal lid is 'safe' if it won't press/click when you buy it.
Once you've opened it there's no way to make it not click when pressed.
That's why it's a safety button.
If it clicks before you open it... then someone else has already opened it & it is no longer 'safe'.
If you opened it yourself, then it's 'safe' as regards interference & subject to the usual rules of how long you can keep it in the fridge, etc.
The safety pop-up button is not an indicator of freshness, it is a tamper-proof lid. Once opened/tampered, it becomes 'just a lid'.
Late note: I hadn't spotted the 'canning' tag, of which I have zero experience. I was assuming consumer store purchase.
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