Jar Breakage During Hot Water Bath

[Fueling Around]

Sorry catching up.

I may be off on this, but my understanding of cold pack would be slicing up a bunch of peppers, cukes, or what have you, packing them into pre-heated jars, and topping the jars off with hot brine.

On the other hand, hot pack would be along the lines of making a batch of marinara and filing the pre-heated jars with the hot sauce.

"Cold Pack" doesn't mean you're filling the jars with refrigerated contents and putting the cold jars into the bath. It's more like the main ingredients are packed raw after slicing and topped with hot liquid.

You are correct and I didn't finish my post.
When I cold pack, I keep the filled jars in the shallow water bath used to heat the jars until the contents catch up in temperature. Then the jars go in the boiling water submersion bath.
If the jars cool off to much before the big plunge the thermal shock will cause the breakage.

 

[DougE]

Sorry catching up.



You are correct and I didn't finish my post.
When I cold pack, I keep the filled jars in the shallow water bath used to heat the jars until the contents catch up in temperature. Then the jars go in the boiling water submersion bath.
If the jars cool off to much before the big plunge the thermal shock will cause the breakage.

Makes more sense now that you added to the original post.

 

[DougE]

When I do cold, or more often called raw pack, I keep the canner at a simmer and add the jars as I fill them. Once I have a canner load, I crank the heat to bring it to a boil. Then just keep things at a slow boil for the processing time.

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

How I've always done it. Hot jars, hot brine, veggies at room temp. Also, just use your fingertips to screw the bands down, back it off and do the same. The jars have to be able to vent so if you screw them down too tight, the jars will break because they can't vent.

The headspace allows the contents of the jar to expand and the air to vent during processing, leaving you with jars full to the top when done.

Well its time for to make more Green Tomato relish. I see why mine been breaking. Putting lids on as you say I can see bubbles coming from out the lid during boil. They where building up pressure. Big thanks for this. I cut tomatoes up smaller. That food chopper a life saver. Only got 4 pints instead of 6. Have a jar of brine left to use with next batch.

 

[forktender]

That may be it. I screw lids on pretty tight. Thanks

I do the same as Doug, near boiling brine, jar to hot to touch. I boil my jars then keep them hot in a 250* oven.
I'm sure that's what causing them to break, Brian.
I know from past experiences, LOL now I just screw the lids on until the rubber ring hits the glass, then give the rings a 1/4'' sung up, the jars should be burping air bubbles when they come to temp.
Dan.

 

[forktender]

Well its time for to make more Green Tomato relish. I see why mine been breaking. Putting lids on as you say I can see bubbles coming from out the lid during boil. They where building up pressure. Big thanks for this. I cut tomatoes up smaller. That food chopper a life saver. Only got 4 pints instead of 6. Have a jar of brine left to use with next batch.

View attachment 735647

You beat me to it. LOL

 

[indaswamp]

Yep...barely hand tight so the gas pressure can vent. What you want the the steam generated to push out all the air. Then when the jars cool, the steam condenses and pulls the vacuum and sucks the lid down tight. Screwing the lid down tight is counter productive when canning.