What can I do with my failed tomato canning attempt?
Yesterday I canned a batch of tomatoes, chunked. This morning when I inspected the jars, they all appeared to be sealed. This evening upon inspecting the jars, I found one was no longer sealed. I believe I broke the seal while checking the jar.
So what are my options with this failed jar of tomatoes? Can I attempt to recan them or cook them up still? It has been about 24 hours since removal from the water bath.
Best Answer
Generally, when you find that you have a jar that failed to seal, you move it to the fridge, and use it up quickly.
... but by now, you've had the jar at room temperature for a really long time, especially if you didn't move it to the fridge immediately after you asked. If it had been a few hours after canning, especially with a high-acid food like tomato sauce, I'd have no problems recommending that route.
As it is now, I'd recommend composting it and recovering the jar for your next batch. You can decide for yourself how much you're willing to risk getting sick over wasting the food (how hearty your immune system is, how close you are to scraping by 'til the next pay check, etc), but if I were going to eat it, I'd bring it back up to boiling for a while (with the lid on, or a splatter screen at the very least) and only eat it myself, not serve it to others.
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Quick Answer about "What can I do with my failed tomato canning attempt?"
Can you reprocess canned tomatoes?
Reprocessing. Jars of tomatoes or tomato products that do not seal can be safely reprocessed within 24 hours of the initial processing. However, if the jar sealed at first and then unsealed a few days later, spoilage is indicated. Do not reprocess such jars; destroy the contents.Can you reprocess tomatoes that did not seal?
If a lid fails to seal on a jar, remove the lid and check the jar-sealing surface for tiny nicks. If necessary, change the jar, add a new, properly prepared lid, and reprocess within 24 hours using the same processing time.Can I Recan my tomatoes?
If you recan the food, the whole process must be repeated. Do not taste or use canned tomatoes or tomato products that show any signs of spoilage! Look closely at all jars before opening them. A bulging lid or leaking jar is a sign of spoilage.Can you can already canned tomatoes?
There are no safe tested process to do this. The way heat goes through a jar of already canned food is different than fresh food. The food will become very soft and compact more. This could lead to underprocessing and spoilage.Canning Tomatoes and WHAT WENT WRONG?
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Answer 2
If with "seal" you mean vacuum, it's something common that the jar might "unseal".
Might happen due to some problems with the cap, for filling the jar too much or to not tighten the cap hard enough.
When this happens I usually open the jar, taste for acidity or weird smell. If none of those exists, I use it within the day.
If the quantity in the jar is a lot to be finished in a day, I usually cook it all and put in the freezer the rest. Or in the fridge, if I'm going to use it the next day.
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