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Forgot to exhaust canner will it be OK?

17 years ago

I canned 7 qts of green beans and forgot to let the canner exhaust for 10 minutes. I processed the jars the required 25 minutes and they have all sealed. Will they be OK or the exhaust time vital to safety? what should I do? Thanks!

VG

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Comments (11)

Linda_Lou
17 years ago
Recan them. They are underprocessed. Sorry, but the pressure doesn't register properly unless vented.
readinglady
17 years ago
These things happen, especially when if you're new to pressure canning. Don't beat yourself up over it; you've done the right thing by asking.

The exhaust time is vital to safety. Sealing does not guarantee safety with something like green beans. You need to assure the temperature inside the canner was sufficient to kill botulism spores. Without adequate venting you can't be sure you achieved that.

You'll be out some time and some lids, but you can salvage the beans by re-processing.

Do the following:

1. Prep fresh jars and lids just as if you were canning a new batch. (Rings can be re-used but not the lids.) Or you can wash and warm the jars you canned the beans in and use those.

2. Open all the jars, put the beans and liquid in a kettle and get the contents back to boiling just as they were when you packed the jars in the first place.

3. Pack beans, clean rims, apply lids.

4. Add water to bottom of canner, place jars in, close lid, turn heat to high, wait till you have a steady, clear plume of steam and count 10 minutes.

5. Add the weight and don't start counting the processing time until you've reached the appropriate pressure. Once you're about halfway there, begin to moderate the heat on the burner. Remember to monitor the canner to maintain a steady pressure.

The beans might be a bit softer, but they'll be fine.

Carol
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I am not qualified to answer that question for you. Basically, you have two issue. 1) failure to vent and 2) more weight than you need. I do know this for sure, you can't just automatically reduce the time you process if you use more pressure, because you don't know how much time to reduce the processing. If you did it would be an easier answer. I can only tell you what I would do, and to do so would be to assume some risk. I would process the full 85 minutes. That still leaves the failure to vent issue. When I first started pressure canning, I didn't even KNOW you had to vent. The food was OK, but that is just anecdotal. I have no clue if the excess pressure will help to compensate for your failure to vent or not. That's the problem and I don't think any experienced canner will absolve you and say "sure" it's ok. It's your risk and your call to make. Should you process the whole time and decide to consider it useable, I'd certainly mark those jars and cook them the recommended time to kill toxins if you use them before you consume them.
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vegangirl
Original Author
17 years ago
Linda Lou and Carol, These things happen even when you're not new to canning:-) I've been canning for 35 years and this is the first time I've ever forgotton and I didn't know what effect it would have. Well, shucks. I was afraid I would have to re-do them:-) But it's not worth the risk so I will definitly re-do them tomorrow. thanks for the good advice.
VG
readinglady
17 years ago
Well, that's true. I've certainly been known to "space" myself.

Carol
gardenlad
17 years ago
>Once you're about halfway there, begin to moderate the heat on the burnerCarol, I can understand this statement with a gauge. But how do you know, with a jiggler, when you are half-way there? It's either doing it's thing or it's not.
readinglady
17 years ago
You're right, gardenlad. Both my pressure canners have gauges. I was being too "brand-specific."

Carol
vegangirl
Original Author
17 years ago
I got them re-canned. I can report that when you can 7 qts of green beans and then recook them to can again, the volume is reduced by 1 quart. I only had 6 the second time.

If you recanned them 6 times would they totally disappear? Just kidding...I've been in the hot kitchen too long:-)
VG
readinglady
17 years ago
How funny. I'm glad you got them re-processed and all went well.

Carol
vegangirl
Original Author
17 years ago
Thank you! Me too!
gardenlad
17 years ago
VG: If a hen and a half laid an egg and a half in a.....

Nah. Let's not go there.

Glad everything worked out for you.
vegangirl
Original Author
17 years ago
gardenlad, lol! Thanks!

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