Solutions & Problems
Home canning requires close attention to detail. Failure to follow directions can result in less
than desirable products. Causes and remedies for problems which can occur in home canning are
outlined here. If your question is not answered, please contact us directly via our Mailbox. [link to mailbox]
NOTE: Some problems can indicate food spoilage. Spoiled food must never be eaten. Signs of
spoilage include spurting liquid and gas bubbles; soft, mushy, slimy or moldy food; cloudy liquid; sediment
in the liquid; leaking jars; bulging caps; and an unnatural odor or color. Do not eat. If in doubt, throw
it out!
Seal Failure
CAUSE
REMEDY
Jar - Seals, then unseals
CAUSE
REMEDY
Jar - Broken or Cracked
CAUSE
REMEDY
Lid - Buckling
CAUSE
REMEDY
Lid - Rust
CAUSE
REMEDY
Lid - Black Deposits on Underside
CAUSE
REMEDY
Liquid Lost During Processing
CAUSE
REMEDY
Liquid - Cloudy
CAUSE
REMEDY
Discolored Fruit; Fruit at Top of Jar
CAUSE
REMEDY
Discolored Fruit - Pink or Blue Tinted
CAUSE
REMEDY
Discolored Vegetables - Blue Garlic, Pink Cauliflower
CAUSE
REMEDY
Sediment - White Sediment in Jar of Fruit
CAUSE
REMEDY
Sediment - White Crystals in Grape Juice
CAUSE
REMEDY
Discolored Fruit - Faded Color, i.e. berries
CAUSE
REMEDY
Discolored - Foods Become Black, Brown or Gray
CAUSE
REMEDY
Floating Fruit, Vegetables
CAUSE
REMEDY
Fermentation
CAUSE
REMEDY
Separation in Canned Tomato Juice
CAUSE
REMEDY
Discolored - Color Change in Tomatoes
CAUSE
REMEDY
Mold - Jam / Jelly
CAUSE
REMEDY
Jam/Jelly - Soft Set in Freezer Preserves
CAUSE
REMEDY
Jam/Jelly Too Stiff, Tough
CAUSE
REMEDY
Discolored - Dark Color Jam
CAUSE
REMEDY
Jam - Runny
CAUSE
REMEDY
Jelly - Cloudiness
CAUSE
REMEDY
Jelly - Too Soft (jelly shifts in jar when tilted)
CAUSE
REMEDY
Jelly - Air Bubbles in Jelly
CAUSE
REMEDY
Jelly - Formation of Crystals
CAUSE
REMEDY
Jelly - Weeping (partial separation of liquid)
CAUSE
REMEDY
Pickles - Color, Dark or Undesirable
CAUSE
REMEDY
Pickles - Color, Dull, Faded or Spotted
CAUSE
REMEDY
Pickles - Cloudy Brine
CAUSE
REMEDY
Pickles - Hollow
CAUSE
REMEDY
Pickles - Sediment in Jar
CAUSE
REMEDY
Pickles - Scum on Brine
CAUSE
REMEDY
Pickles - Shriveled
CAUSE
REMEDY
Pickles - Slippery / Soft (fermented pickles)
CAUSE
REMEDY
Pickles - Slippery / Soft (quick process pickles)
CAUSE
REMEDY
Pickles - Taste Strong or Bitter
CAUSE
REMEDY