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Why Do Canning Jars Break in My Canner?

Canning Jar Breakage 

It's bad enough when a filled canning jar breaks in the canner, making a mess and ruining a jar of good food. But when it happens more than once in a great while, that indicates a problem we can correct! What causes a canning jar to break is not quite the mystery that it appears to be.

Breakage can occur for many reasons. Here's my

Top 10 List of Why Canning Jars Break:

1. Using lower quality commercial food jars rather than jars manufactured for home canning
   Miracle Whip and mayonnaise jars  are the perfect size and the threads fit, but they break so easily in the canner they just aren't worth.  Some spaghetti sauce jars (those whose tops fit a standard canning lid and ring) do seem to be more robust, and I don't recall ever having a "Classico" brand spaghetti sauce jar break.
2. Using jars that have hairline cracks
   Admittedly, hairline cracks can be difficult to see and few of us carefully inspect every jar for a thin crack before using them.
3. The lids were overtightened
   As the contents of the jar heat and expand, the air in the headspace is pushed out of a tiny gap between the lid and the jar, while the ring keeps the lid from lifting up too much and allowing water in!  It works like a one-way valve, letting the expanding air out.  This is necessary to create the vacuum, when you remove the jars from the canner, the contents cool, contract and suck the lids down. So, don't make the lids as tight as you can; just snug.  Follow the lid manufacturer's directions.
4. Putting hot food in cold jars
   I leave my jars in the dishwasher on "heated dry", after running the "sanitize cycle".  Some people fill their jars with the hottest water from their facet until the are ready to fill them.  And of course, sterilizing them by submersing the empty jars in the canner or in a large pot of boiling water works well.  If a jar is going to break, it would most likely do it then, while it is still empty!
5. Putting cold food in cold jars and then immersing into the canner
   Food and jars should be hot when placed in the canner. Sudden change in temperature create too wide a margin between temperature of filled jars and water in canner before processing.  That leads to "thermal shock" in the glass jar. Pre-warm canning jars with very warm water, before you fill them.
6. Food was packed too solidly or jars were overfilled.
   Then as the jars heat in the canner, their contents expand and the jar breaks! Follow the recommendations for headspace, which are specific to each type of food.  Some expand more than others, too!
7. Putting jars directly on bottom of canner instead of on a rack.
   This is easy to correct!  Use a rack! I like the better quality stainless steel racks best, but in a pinch a wash cloth on the bottom of the canner (inside, of course) will work.
8. Pressure canners have their own specific issues causing jar breakage:
   - Canner became dry during the processing period. This is caused by either a steam leakage in your canner, which means you need a new part, or by using insufficient water for the processing period.
   - Jars were placed directly on canner bottom. A canning rack should always be placed on the canner bottom. It is not necessary to place a rack between a layer of pint or half-pint jars. Stagger the jars by placing a top jar on two bottom jars.
   - Pressure was reduced quickly after processing. Always let pressure drop of its own accord.
   - Air was exhausted from canner at too high a temperature. Adjust heat so a steady gentle flow of steam emerges from the vent pipe.
   - Pressure had fluctuated during the processing period. This can be caused by an unsteady heat source or steam leaking from the canner.
9. Jars were placed in a cold, drafty place to cool.
   Always allow the jars to cool jars on a towel or rack at room temperature, away from windows, vents and drafts.
10. And finally, the jars themselves may be the cause of difficulty.
    Jars eventually weaken with age and repeated use.  Repeated heating and cooling cycles take a toll.

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Canning Jars

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• Quart canning jars (excellent for apple sauce):
  Regular quart (32 oz) jars -
  Ball Regular Mason Canning Jars Case of 12
  Wide mouth quart jars:
  Ball Wide-Mouth Mason Canning Jar 1 Qt., Case of 12
• Pint canning jars (great for salsa, pickles, apple butter):
  Find this item (B00JI31388) on Amazon Regular pint (16 oz) jars :
  Canning Jars, regular 1 Pint
  Wide mouth pint (16 oz) jars:
  Ball Wide Mouth Can-or-Freeze Canning Jar 1 Pt., Case of 12
  Wide mouth Canning Jars with a Handle - make good mugs:
  Libbey Country Jar 16-Ounce Mason Jar Glasses, Set of 12
• 8 oz canning jars: perfect for jams and jellies, chutneys: 
  Standard 8 ounce jars:
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  Decorative oval 8 ounce jars:
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  ALLTRISTA (BALL CANNING) 1440080400 JELLY JARS 4 OZ BOX OF 12
  Short 4 ounce canning jars:
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Canning Hand Tools

Buy quality canning helpers. These provide the home canner with the essential tools needed for safe and efficient home canning.

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Canning Rack

Features:
See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon

• Stainless steel, this rack won't rust
• Accommodates non-standard jar sizes, smaller jars can't fall through
• Holds 14 jelly jars, 14 half-pint, 9 pint or 7 quart jars at one time
• Small jelly jars won't fall through
• 12-1/4 in diameter and 3-3/4 deep (not including handles). Made in USA.
• Manufacturer: Kitchen Krafts

  This Water Bath Canner Rack fits most boiling waterbath canners.

Blake's rating : Excellent replacement rack (sooner or later your rack will fall apart from the boiling water (and no, this one is not made of silicone...)

More Canning Supplies
See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon Decorative Canning Lids:   See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on AmazonSee here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon	Lids and Rings (jars are above) click here for jars Need lids, rings and replacement jars?  Or pectin to make jam, spaghetti sauce or salsa mix or pickle mixes?  Get them all here, and usually at lower prices than your local store! Click on the images at left for current prices and/or ordering!   \
See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon	Cleaning supplies to remove rust from rings and jars A visitor wrote in to tell how she uses Copper Glo (order at ledt) to remove rust from rings and jars: Comments from a visitor on September 15, 2010: "You mention not using jars that have rust on them. One way to remove rust from jars is with Copper Glo. I get Copper Glo at our local Giant Eagle. I had a jar with rust on it and was getting ready to pitch it when my mom told me about Copper Glo. I was afraid to use it at first because I was afraid it would scratch the jar, but decided it was worth a try. Amazingly, the rust came off and the jar wasn't scratched!"
See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon	Rubber seals for the older zinc caps -   Know first that home canning experts do not recommend that you use the rubber ring system. The modern flat lid and metal ring system (above) is superior in reliability and safety. If you insist in using the rubber ring system, do not use old rubber rings: they have aged and will probably not seal effectively, especially on an older jar.  You can get new rubber canning rings quite inexpensively here.:
Books
See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon	Canning books Canning & Preserving for Dummies by Karen Ward click here for more information, reviews, prices for Canning and Preserving For Dummies
The Ball Blue Book of Home Canning	The All New Ball Book Of Canning And Preserving: Over 350 of the Best Canned, Jammed, Pickled, and Preserved Recipes Paperback This is THE book on canning!  My grandmother used this book when I was a child.  It tells you in simple instructions how to can almost anything; complete with recipes for jam, jellies, pickles, sauces, canning vegetables, meats, etc.  If it can be canned, this book likely tells you how! Click on the link below for more information and / or to buy (no obligation to buy).
See this page for pressure canners . Also see Canners for glass top stoves , if you have a glass or ceramic stove  For other supplies: Books on canning, freezing, drying, preserving and jam making Pectin for making Jams, jellies and preserves Strainers, pit removers, seed-skin-stem removers, jelly strainers , etc. All types, makes and prices (from $19 to $350) Vacuum Foodsealers for freezing, dried foods, and refrigerated foods - the FoodSaver line Food dehydrators - easy and fast to dry your own fruits, veggies, sun-dried tomatoes, etc. Canning accessories: jar tongs, jar lifters, lid lifters, funnels, racks, etc. Canning Lids and Rings, Canning jars, Canning mixes, pectin, etc . Pickling supplies, equipment, crocks and additives Home Canning Miscellaneous Parts and Supplies -  jar lifters, funnels, jar tongs, replacement parts for canners, canning racks, strawberry hullers, cherry pitters and more? Great prices, wide selection, fast delivery, reliable service And just for fun, the history of the canning jar You can read a discussion about why foods should be processed in a canner on this page" " Why do I need a canner? "   Pectin, Pickle Mixes and Sauce/Salsa Mixes
	Making Jam?  Need Pectin, but the local store is out? Is your jam too runny? Pectin enables you to turn out perfectly set jam every time.  Made from natural apples, there are also low-sugar pectins that allow you  to reduce the sugar you add by almost half! Get canning jars, rings, lids and pectin deliverd :
Pickling Mixes and Pickling Supplies
	Pickles Whether you want dills or sweet pickles; canning them or straight into the refrigerator; there is a mix for every taste and need here! Get them all here, delivered direct to your home,  at the best prices on the internet! Get everything you need to make pickles: mixes, salt, brine, etc. here!
	Sauce and Salsa Mixes Get ready season mixes for tomato sauces and salsas here.  They make it simple to get it right every time! (Shown is Ball brand - actual is Mrs. Wages brand)