With my own vintage and heavier Mirro, I find it's better to begin with higher heat, and gradually turn the stove down after pressure has been reached to maintain it. If I turn it down too far and have to turn it back up (meaning my jiggling action of my weight has become a little slower/less frequent than I would like), I may find siphoning. I try never to put myself in a position to increase the heat setting once processing has begun.

I had turned the burner from High (10) to 6.5 upon putting the lid on, so that I would not have to turn it down later as I understand THAT could cause siphoning.

Far too big a drop all at one time. We stress over and over that heat adjustments are minimal, tiny, smidges, etc. at a time and only after it has come up to pressure. Logic tells you if the water isn't boiling on high then it is going to take far longer to come to boiling at 6.5.

So you can spend the time bringing up to boiling up front at 6.5 and then leave it there OR you can bring it up to boiling on high and then once at pressure spend the time dropping it from 10 to 9.5 to 9 to 8.5 to 8 etc.

If you check the causes of siphoning chart at NCHFP you'll also find lids/rings improperly tightened as a cause

Could this extended time coming to pressure have caused siphoning? No. The excess time was because the heat was too low at 6.5.

NCHFP says 1/2" headspace for tomatoes (and sauce)

No it says 1/4" for sauce for both BWB and PC processing.

Presto weights are milled to continuously rock when at pressure. They aren't suppose to rock and roll like crazy but to do it steadily. If they pause you are below pressure.

I did see some "holes" while the jars were cooling, though they disappeared as soon as I picked the jars up and turned them a bit (1 jar had a large "hole" on one side) to wash them.

Then it was too thick and air was trapped in the jar.

Dave

I had turned the burner from High (10) to 6.5 upon putting the lid on, so that I would not have to turn it down later as I understand THAT could cause siphoning.

"Far too big a drop all at one time. We stress over and over that heat adjustments are minimal, tiny, smidges, etc. at a time and only after it has come up to pressure. Logic tells you if the water isn't boiling on high then it is going to take far longer to come to boiling at 6.5.

So you can spend the time bringing up to boiling up front at 6.5 and then leave it there OR you can bring it up to boiling on high and then once at pressure spend the time dropping it from 10 to 9.5 to 9 to 8.5 to 8 etc."

Just to clarify, I had started the burner on High when canning water, realized that was too high when I had to lower it, that's why when doing the tomatoes I started lower. I know it would take longer to boil (even when starting at a simmer) at the lower heat, but thought I would see the pressure start climbing (though more slowly) once the venting was done and I put the weight on - at the higher heat (High turned down to 8) the needle started moving immediately.

That's what I wanted to avoid - dropping it while at pressure - but it sounds like you think 6.5 is too low - so should I just start it at 7.5 and leave it no matter how hard the weight is jiggling?

"If you check the causes of siphoning chart at NCHFP you'll also find lids/rings improperly tightened as a cause"

Yep, saw that, thought of that, I'm not sure whether these were too tight or not.

Could this extended time coming to pressure have caused siphoning?

"No. The excess time was because the heat was too low at 6.5."

OK, good to know that's not it.

NCHFP says 1/2" headspace for tomatoes (and sauce)

"No it says 1/4" for sauce for both BWB and PC processing."

Oops, you're right, I was looking at tomato juice! If anything though, I would think that smaller headspace would lead to more siphoning?

"Presto weights are milled to continuously rock when at pressure. They aren't suppose to rock and roll like crazy but to do it steadily. If they pause you are below pressure."

Good, b/c this was rocking (like a bobblehead, back & forth and side to side) continuously so I couldn't time it. When I did the water it was going like crazy, that's another reason why I decided to start at a lower heat rather than keep dropping it when I did the tomatoes.

Oh, and I also left the lid on for 10 minutes after removing the weight (after pressure had gone to zero and lid lock dropped, no steam escaping when I took the weight off) so I know that didn't cause the siphoning. Though this time, having few jars in the canner, I did manage to lift it enough to move it to the other side of the stove to cool down, so it started dropping pressure immediately too, as opposed to just turning the burner off.

I did see some "holes" while the jars were cooling, though they disappeared as soon as I picked the jars up and turned them a bit (1 jar had a large "hole" on one side) to wash them.

"Then it was too thick and air was trapped in the jar."

OK, that must be it. I didn't reduce it much in the slow cooker all day, but I did drain 1/2 gal of watery stuff off before putting it through the food mill and filling the slow cooker, so it probably ended up more like the "thick" sauce (reduced by half, after milling I had 5 quarts plus 1 pint of solids plus the 1/2 gal "water" and I reduced it to 4 quarts plus still had a pint left over I stuck in the fridge along with the watery juice.).

Even that pint that's from the bottom of the pan and is cold is sloshy though - much thinner than commercial "spaghetti sauce" that's been refrigerated, I'd say about the same as room temperature commercial plain tomato sauce. Do you think the 4 quarts are under processed? OK to eat as long as I boil them for 10 minutes first? Of course 1/2tsp citric acid added to each jar (and the good news is that the siphoning cleared up the oxidation in the PC!).

Photo of (from left to right)

1. Commercial Tomato & Basil spaghetti sauce (with label)
2. BWBd sauce from this weekend (middle)
3. PC'd sauce (room temperature, far right)

Does the PC sauce look too thick for 15 min at 10psig? It looks the same as the BWBed sauce which I was careful to reduce only by half, did not drain before cooking down.

The thickness of the sauce looks fine. In fact, mine is probably a bit thicker than that.

Looking back at your comments and Dave's response, I'd go with too abrupt a change in heat setting. Personally I've found determining the burner settings on the stove the biggest (and trickiest) issue as each one is so different.

Do keep in mind also, if you're using a Presto, that cranking it all the way up to 10 may fracture the vessel. It's a thin casting and they really aren't designed for exceedingly high heats. So that's another issue. I (sadly) learned my lesson when I fractured my beloved old canner on my new stove because I wasn't allowing for the far higher BTU's.

If you're finding it takes an excessively long time to get up to pressure at a setting of 7 or 8, I'd take a look at the gasket and make sure it's seated properly.

Carol

I agree that the thickness in those jars appears to be fine. So if air remained trapped in the jars as you described above then you just didn't get it all out. Nothing says you can only release bubbles from around the outside of the jar. You can poke around in the middle too. :) You can even stir it around.

I would think that smaller headspace would lead to more siphoning?

Just the opposite. Head space isn't arbitrary or something to be 'guessed' at or eyeballed or left to individual judgment calls. It is crucial. Improper head space means air is left trapped in the jar and that means potential seal failures and risk of bacterial growth is added.

You really need to avoid making comparisons in your mind between BWB processing and pressure canning as it only causes confusion for you. They are two totally different processes, different mind sets. So if today is a pressure canning day then nothing you learned while BWB canning is relevant - and vice versa.

The best way I can think of to describe the Presto PC weight sound is to mimic the sound of a train going over rail tracks - the sound it makes as it hits the rail joints - clickety-clack, clickety-clack. Each sound is clear and distinct.

Dave

Darn, the thing I was trying to void was drastic changes in burner setting. Yes, I started on High to get the tap water up to a simmer to warm the jars, but once the lid was on, I only went from 6.5 to 7 back down to 6.5. I will start at 8 or so next time and try not to touch it. I remove the gasket after each use so that it can dry out, lid seemed to fit OK but I will make sure to check each time.

But thanks, I didn't think the sauce was really thick but I did see a few "holes" or air bubbles while it was cooling, like I often see in apple butter which is a lot thicker than this turned out. None now, but as I turn the jars (doesn't matter how processed), I do see small "true" bubbles along the edge but they disappear with more turning.

Carol - What do you think about the headspace? I'd really be afraid to try 1/4" - I always seem to get some tomato up into the headspace whenever I do sauce or salsa. I'd think that less headspace would mean more siphoning? I did mess up this time, b/c on the "colored water" thread we were talking about 1/2" and I think I had that stuck in my mind, then when I was going to fill the jars and flipped to the page in the USDA Handbook about citric acid to check, I flipped back to Tomato Juice instead of Sauce page - at least the processing time was the same.

Dave - I just messed up as described above, and I did measure, it was 5/8" rather than 1/2" that I thought was called for just b/c that's where the thread was so I knew I'd be able to tell easily if something happened - I always seem to have less headspace in everything after processing, though I haven't had any siphoning or boilover before. It gets quite irritating with jams and jellies.

I think I'm going to put this one down to overtight rings. This is a "power element" so I'm going to have to check the BTU, it's not in the manual. I'll be careful not to set it on High with the Presto on it - all the manual says is not to put an empty Al pan on the hot stovetop.

This post was edited by ajsmama on Thu, Oct 3, 13 at 14:59

I'm not really sure how to convert watts (typical for electric stove) to BTUs, but am I wrong in thinking you are using a glass top? Somehow, without looking back, I had thought that's what you told us...

Yes, glass top. Specs aren't in the manual so I'm trying to chat with Sears right now to get them...

Now I'm worried about melting the Presto right to the glass!

Well, glass tops are definitely more of a challenge. You might also want to check the Presto manual. I know it provides some direction on heat settings and limitation.

Also, it might be helpful to call Presto and ask them about some of your issues. I admit it's a mixed bag because sometimes they're helpful and sometimes they're not but it's no cost to you and worth a shot.

Personally, I would not be removing the gasket. It shouldn't be necessary (I almost never remove mine) and you risk seating it incorrectly, creating additional problems with getting to pressure. You wouldn't believe how easy it is to put that gasket in upside down or ending up with a miniscule leak so that the vessel does get up to pressure but very very slowly.

I defer to Dave on the headspace issue. I will say you may find one style of jar is more successful for you and less prone to "issues". Personally I prefer wide-mouth and have passed on almost all of my narrow-mouth jars. While they're more expensive they're so much easier to fill and the 1/4" headspace in those actually leaves more volume at the top of the jar. What narrow-mouth I have left are reserved for juices and very thin mixtures.

In time you will find your own way and what works for you. It's a continual process of adjustment.

Carol

I like the WM for pickles and such but like the RM for things I want to pour. But having a problem with Sears - literally not speaking the same language now, guy starting chatting about spills shorting cooktop out, then foil melted to oven floor, once I mentioned an aluminum pot. But Presto says not to use on gas burner over 12,000 BTU which is about 3.5 kW and I think even a "power element" would be half that, so as long as it doesn't run dry it shouldn't be a problem?

Please keep in mind that not only did the recommended head space work fine during NCHFP testing but 1000's and 1000's of jar are canned annually using proper head space with no problems whatsoever. So if you are having chronic head space issues, even with BWB processing, then something else in your methods is causing it. There are any number of possible causes but whatever it it it should not be happening much less just 'accepted'.

I always seem to have less headspace in everything after processing, though I haven't had any siphoning or boilover before. It gets quite irritating with jams and jellies.

As to your stove - your brand name and specific model number on Google will locate the specific BTUs of your burners and far more accurately than any salesman could. If you simply can't find it then post the info here and I'll find it.

On average the largest electric burner on a range is 2500W and that equals 142.17 BTU per min or 8,550 BTU per hour.

Dave

Thanks Dave, I was thinking that the largest electric burner (on really a mid-to-low range stove) wouldn't be anywhere near 3.5 kW. The model number is 790.9641340D (Kenmore Elite) and I can't find any info anywhere. But Presto just told me not to use on larger than 8" burner (I have to measure the bottom of the PC), my burner is 9". I do have smaller dual burner, center is 6.5".

I have mentioned the headspace issue with BWBing a few times but have never figured out how I am ending up with less headspace than I started out with when I haven't had any loss of liquid from the jars. Happens with jams, jellies, pickles (though loss of brine could be harder to detect there) and tomato products - everything I process. Not so much with jams or jellies but still noticeable.

The "self-adjusting" headspace, even with jams, is a mystery to me.

Headspace changing like that consistently just should not happen.

This is one of those dilemmas when it would be so helpful for one of us to be standing there watching exactly what you're doing. Something none of us has thought of has to be the cause and unfortunately doing this sort of troubleshooting online has its limitations.

We will give this some thought.

Carol

Posted by ajsmama 5b (NW CT) (My Page) on
Thu, Oct 3, 13 at 12:35
..........................................................................
Does the PC sauce look too thick for 15 min at 10psig? It looks the same as the BWBed sauce which I was careful to reduce only by half, did not drain before cooking down.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Not that I am criticizing, BUT HOW CAN TELL THICKNESS BY LOOKING AT A PICTURE ?

Another thing, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, is that you do not reduce in canning process(BWB or PC). But your aim is to keep it at a required temperature for required time to kill the bacteria. AM I WRONG ?
---@@@@@@@@@@@@@------
HAPPY HARVEST & CANNING , YE'ALL.

For jams and jellies I was just thinking that it condensed as it set - the hot liquid would take up more volume than the cooled, gelled solid. I'm sure for pickles it must be boilover but it's hard to detect - I don't end up with dill seed or any particulate in the canner, but small volumes of vinegar would be hard to detect in a large volume of water. I do put the rings on just fingertip tight, have never had one really loose (though some are a little loose, I did put the PCed sauce rings on a little more tightly than usually b/c it seemed they weren't going on smoothly) when it came out, never had a lid buckle from ring being too tight either.

I'm wondering if I just have too hard a boil when I'm BWBing (except the quarts I just BWBed in the Presto were an easier boil), I've tried dialing down instead of the really hard boil I started out with years ago but I still seem to get a little more HS in each jar of jam/jelly, and occasionally will even get one much lower than the others in the batch even when I've tried to be consistent with the HS, and am not trying to squeeze one last jar out (I often put a partial jar in the fridge from each batch).

But my BWBed stuff doesn't go out into the water like the PCd sauce did - could be related, but maybe not.

I've just come to accept it in BWBing (and maybe I shouldn't), next time I make a sweet preserve I will measure the 1/4" and then measure each jar after 24 hours (or 2 weeks if it takes that long to set) to see what the final HS is.

On the right uou have a dual 6-inch/9-inch 1200/2500-watt radiant element. BTUs as listed above on the 9". On the left is a single 9" 2500 watt burner. Those wattage ratings are when set on high so maximum output and well below the 12,000 BTU limit.

. But Presto just told me not to use on larger than 8" burner

They always say that despite the fact that 99% of all electric stoves manufactured in the last 20 years come with at least one 9" element and their canners are used on them all the time. It is one of their C-T-A** lines.

never figured out how I am ending up with less headspace than I started out with when I haven't had any loss of liquid from the jars.

Sorry but that doesn't make sense. Directly contradicts each other.

LESS headspace? If you lose jar contents from either siphoning or boil over you end up with MORE head space than you started out with. The only way you can end up with LESS head space than you started with is if the jar contents swell or water from the BWB somehow gets into the jars which is theoretically impossible since pressure inside the jar is either equal to or greater than pressure outside the jar.

Only possible explanation I can think of for ending up with LESS head space than you started with is bands not screwed on nearly enough. In that case in a pot of overly aggressive boiling water the lid could flutter and allow water into the jars.

Dave

My Thoughts on Reduction of Head space:

1)Number one: Once the lead on PC is tightened and the weight is in place, no or very little boiling should take place. UNLESS you leave the vent open for too long.

2)Number Two: Under 10 lbs of gauge pressure, the contents of the jar will not have a chance to boil because it has almost uniform temperature accross because it is sitting on a rack. Unless, the vent is left open . So actually this is a BWB problem.

3)Thermal Expansion; If you fill your jars with fairly cold contents, giving them 1/2" HS (maybe a little less due to human error !!) then when it is heated from, say, 100F to 230F, there will be enough thermal expansion for the contents to overflow. AND once it is cooled down, the head space will show a reduction.

A Personal Experience:
Just last night I caned two quarts of tomato sauce (BWB). I gave them about 1/2" HS. But they were almost overflowing. So I took several spoonfuls and reduced back to 3/4". Put the lids on, shut the heat off. I just checked , the head space in the BELL jar has gone down about 3/8". (because it has narrower neck ?!). The other one is a non standard fat jar. It did not go down much.

Sorry, I keep saying less HS when I mean less liquid - more HS. At most 1" (depending on contents - pickles could be from air in the cukes, raw pack? Though I usually do slices or spears to fit more in the jar.). Jams/jellies less of a problem but 1/2" when I started with 1/4" from top with hot liquid (trying so hard to get jellies spot on that I've actually had to remove some liquid with a spoon after taking the funnel out b/c it's right at the top!) is frustrating. But I will start another HS thread for BWBing.

Thanks for tracking down the power for me Dave - guess that "power element" isn't any higher power than the other 9" burner.

The jams/jellies I do not understand, but the pickles and some other raw pack product do end up with a depletion of liquid as the product absorbs the brine or syrup. That's very usual, though often over time you'll see that change again as weights of the product and the syrup or brine equalize in the jar.

So perhaps that's one issue identified.

Carol

I can understand increased head space with raw packed foods, although I seldom raw pack anything, and NCHFP makes it clear that happens sometimes with some foods.

But if it is an across the board problem for you then the odds are you aren't getting all the air bubbles out to begin with. Pour too fast and you get all sorts of air in the jar. Try slowing down your fill ate and spend more time stirring the contents in the jar to get the air out as you go.

Dave

Sorry, I keep saying less HS when I mean less liquid - more HS. ..
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
ok,
You mentioned in your first post :

" ... I filled the jars with boiling sauce..."

When you do that the sauce is near its max volume/expansion. Then, lets say, you leave a 1/2" to 3/4" HS.
When the PC process is stopped, the sauce will contract as it cools down. AND thus you will end up with more head space.

well, i've had my first messy case of PC siphoning with my 4th, and thickest, load of NCHFP's spaghetti sauce in my new presto . every qt. siphoned, but just one failed to seal. i've had 1 or more seal failures in the other 3 loads, too. i attributed that to using older lids that i was given- maybe they had been boiled? don't think i've ever had a failure with BWB. i have an old stove that uses LP gas. from this thread, i think the reason might be that i've followed what a Presto tech person told me to do : keep the heat high until the PC starts to vent, then turn the heat down. after the 10' vent put the weight on and turn the heat up. when the weight starts to rock, lower the heat so it doesn't rock wildly ! does this person does not can, or were they worried about cracking the canner because LP burns hotter than natural gas ( or so i've read).
so, does "overventing" cause any food safety problem? does a wildly rocking weight ?
Dave said" So you can spend the time bringing up to boiling up front at 6.5 and then leave it there OR you can bring it up to boiling on high and then once at pressure spend the time dropping it from 10 to 9.5 to 9 to 8.5 to 8 etc. "
i think i'll go with the latter, since my sauce is not boiling ( recipe says to simmer to lower the volume, then fill jars, it does not say to bring it back to boil again) plus i have to take it off the stove to put the PC on the flame (water and jars inside still hot). i crank up the heat under the PC in increments as i fill the jars.
carol, were you talking about the PC lid gasket? don't you wash it, or the lid, after every use ? there's an "upside down" to it ?? and no way i can find out what BTU's are coming out of my 1929 stove. i doubt it's near the high of a large modern electric burner.
dave and carol should write a book ! how many times i've read your advice repeated all over this forum. and i am grateful !
pat

and another thing about the siphoned sauce ! do i need to check the lids daily ? can a seal fail after days, weeks, months? i washed and dried the jars wel, esp. the threads. i'd hate to lose a qt. of sauce, it takes so long to make. i'd empty some and freeze them ( regular mouth, i'm thinking of using wide mouth instead as per Carol's preference) except my freezers are full this time of year. OY !

Pat - It's been almost 12 months and my PCed jars of sauce are still sealed so I think you're OK. I've got to do more this weekend, so will get back to you but I plan on starting fairly low on my electric (smoothtop) stove so I don't have to adjust it at all - I thought last fall that I *was* only making a small adjustment. I bought the camp stove but haven't set it up yet and it's supposed to start raining so I've going to stay inside and use the electric stove today. I would think it would be easier to fine tune your gas burner though.

Oh, and in future, maybe you should start a new thread instead of bring up an old one (you can always post a link if you want to refer to something) - it just makes it easier to see what the new question is. Not too bad right now, since I went to the end of the thread, but after/if you get a few replies it will become harder for people to see where you jumped in.

At least I'm not getting emails - are you? It says Followups will be emailed to this poster - don't know if that means you or me.

i have 5 questions in my post that i'd really like answered ( all have ? marks ;) ).
glad to hear your jars are still sealed. such a messy way to learn a lesson ! i will change my heat slowly from now on.
i got an email of both my and your last post., so you should too if you checked that box.

Patty, I suppose older lids could cause seal failure but I haven't had that issue with mine. Of course 'old' to me at my age may not mean the same as 'old' to my elderly neighbor....she will toss old lids and not waste her time trying them, or at least she considers them a potential waste of time.

And I would keep the batches of sauce where you had siphoning to the front of your cupboard and definitely keep an eye on them. They may hold well until all are used but of course you'll want to know sooner rather than later if they release again. I have finally got the hang of preventing the siphoning, but I can't remember ever finding a jar with a failed seal in the cabinet.

I'm trying to touch on your 'question marks'....I do as Dave suggested to you and vent, bring my canner to pressure on high then lower the heat incrementally from there....at no point do I want to have to raise the heat again after dropping it (therefore the siphoning issue.) That's true of both my previous electric coil stove and the gas burner I'm using now (a crab cooker burner, this kitchen has a glass topped stove with fluctuating burners ;( )

Clean canning water and clean canner are a goal I set for myself each time I can, I don't want anything outside my jars into the water or on the outside of the jars so that I must scrub them before storing ;)

The problem with venting too long is the same as the weight jiggling too wildly IMO....it's not a product safety issue as much as you may run the chance of running out of water in the canner, warping the pot or breaking jars. That would be more likely to happen when processing things with longest canning times though, like 100 minutes tuna, less of a worry with those jars processed 20 minutes or so.

I wash my gasket in mild soapy water if I've processed something like fish, give it more of a rinse for most things processed but at the end of each canning day, not end of each load.

thanks morz. i've washed the canner a few times now and i still think i smell those peppers ! fish, why can ? isn't frozen better? anything with a long canning time, like greens, does it get mushy?
( or should i start a new thread. if i couldn't ask ??'s i'd be a real unhappy person !)

Glad morz8 could help, I'm just not that experienced, have only PCd a few times. One thing Dave and others here have told people to do was to run a few test batches with colored water to check your stove's settings and see how to adjust to avoid siphoning. I did that, but still had some siphoning with the tomato sauce.

I think the Presto person was wrong to tell you to turn heat up and down, Dave told me to just keep it steady or adjust in TINY increments. With the weight set you shouldn't have to worry about adjusting, just try to get it venting, put the weight on, and leave it alone - it's not like a dial gauge where you have to watch and make sure it doesn't go over so it's not overprocessed.

If you're doing something like fish that takes a really long time the recipe says to start with more water so the canner doesn't run dry.

Buy new lids and use those older ones for something like jam or jelly.

"well, i've had my first messy case of PC siphoning with my 4th, and thickest, load of NCHFP's spaghetti sauce in my new presto . every qt. siphoned, but just one failed to seal. i've had 1 or more seal failures in the other 3 loads, too."

I don't know, maybe siphoning is more a problem with thicker/denser foods? I think it is with starchier foods. Did you have siphoning with the thinner batches, or just an occasional seal failure (which could be the lids)? Or maybe you just adjusted the burner more on this batch after talking to the Presot rep?

Store the jars without the rings someplace where you can see them (and some place easy to clean if one does start to ferment or something), I don't think you need to check daily, but occasionally (maybe daily at first). I really don't know when you can stop checking, but since you want to really eat it within a year for best quality, and mine kept a year even with siphoning, I'd say just check it often this winter, maybe again when spring/summer come around if your storage area might start to warm up.

I'd wash the gasket if I had siphoning - I didn't after just running test batches of water.

Sorry I can't be more help - I'm still learning myself.

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP siphoning troubleshooting

sheila, you're always helpful ! this was my 1st. siphoning in the
PC. i think i've been lucky because the problem is probably me changing the heat too fast. maybe thick sauce contributed. i talked to the presto rep before i did a test run, but i didn't dye the water. now i need to learn a new habit. too bad it's turned cold, i may not have anymore to can this year( except rutabagas- maybe) .

You can always buy some tomatoes (preferably from me LOL) and do another batch. But really, put some red food coloring (green or blue is too hard to see) in some jars of water and run the canner, see if you can get it so the canner water comes out clear. You can always save the jars of water as an emergency supply in case the power goes out this winter - just don't panic over the color (like in the canning tips thread about beets?)!

If your other batches didn't siphon then I'm sure it was the up-down-up with the heat this batch.

Patty, if the canner or the gasket has picked up odors from canning, they seem to go away if left clean, dry and open for a night or two. Of course you don't want to store it with the lid on, but I'll let mine air open, not even with the lid turned upside down and loose over the opening.

As for fish, I seldom freeze it - or any seafood at all including shellfish. If we're eating fresh and have more than we can consume we share it - couple of elderly pensioners in our lives who appreciate it so much. But I do like to have canned tuna on hand and canned salmon is really convenient for a quiche, a spread for crackers, canned clams for a super quick chowder or dip.

i love sharing ! you're talking about your own canned fish ? will you introduce me to your fisherman ? ;oP

i worry about laying the lid upside down on the weight valve, so i'm quick to dry it and put it upside down on the canner- i will air it out better from now on.