Canning - Reasons for Liquid Loss from Jars

As strange as it may seem, there are many reasons for liquid loss from jars during processing. 

The following are possible reasons: 

• The jar is packed too full, that is, you did not leave recommended headspace. 
•  The food is packed so tightly that liquid did not fill the spaces between food pieces. 
•  Starchy foods may absorb some of the liquid. 
•  The liquid you added to cover cold, raw food was not hot enough when you put it in the canner. 
•  You did not remove air bubbles when you packed the food. (You can do this by running a rubber spatula between the food and the jar.) 
•  You did not cover jars of acid foods with one or two inches of water in the boiling water bath canner.
•  The pressure canner was not sufficiently exhausted. 
•  Pressure fluctuated, or the temperature lowered suddenly during processing, due to uncontrolled heat source. 
•  The temperatures changed suddenly when processing was over. If the pressure canner cools too quickly while the contents of the jar remain at a much higher temperature, the liquid will boil over. The "coming down" period has to be gradual and even. 
•  The petcock was opened before the pressure had returned to zero. When the pressure gets to zero, open the petcock cautiously; if steam escapes, close and wait a few minutes. 
•  The canner stood too long after pressure returned to zero. Open the canner within several minutes after it returns to zero pressure. 
•  You removed the jars too quickly after removing the cover. Let the jars stay in the canner for a few minutes after removing the cover, or until the boiling in the jars goes down. 
•  The gauge's pointer does not rest at zero when not under pressure.