Pickled hot peppers and dilly beans.

[phairphan]

I recently started canning and the other day I tried the pickled hot peppers and dilly beans found in the Ball Blue Book. I followed the recipes and after canning noticed that some of the hot peppers were not completely covered by the liquid and the beans had floated and were also not completely covered. My question is whether or not these are still safe to eat. I assume the pepers will be ok but should i discard the top ones that are partially uncovered. Thanks for the help.

 

[Rocklobster]

When this happens to me I just turn the jars upside down ever day or two to make sure the top ones are getting pickled. Never seem to have a problem.

 

[HistoricFoodie]

That's a common problem, so don't get to thinking you did something wrong.

If you don't turn them they'll still be safe, because they'll absorb the brine over time.
However, the quality will be affected, because the exposed parts can oxidize.

Best bet is to follow rocklobster's advice, although every day or two might be overdoing it. I let them sit overnight, turn them the next day, then the day after that. Afterwards I just turn them once a week until it's no longer necessary to do so.

 

[Addie]

Just a note of interest. At one time, Ball stop production of the hard copy of the BlueBook. You could only get it on line. There was such a hue and cry from the public, they had to put it back in print. They had based their decision on the sale of jars that were being sold. What they didn't take into consideration was that most of the jars were being reused and only new covers and seals were being bought. They were under the impression that a lot of homes were no longer canning. Also, not everyone has a computer.

 

[HistoricFoodie]

That was their rationale for a lot of things, Addie.

They also justified the new packaging by saying that most jars were bought by crafts people, rather than home canners, so it didn't matter if the seals were weakened by compression.

I always wondered what happened to the anti-trust laws, once the entire home-canning industry was controlled by one company. Nobody in Washington seemed to have noticed.

 

[Addie]

That was their rationale for a lot of things, Addie.

They also justified the new packaging by saying that most jars were bought by crafts people, rather than home canners, so it didn't matter if the seals were weakened by compression.

I always wondered what happened to the anti-trust laws, once the entire home-canning industry was controlled by one company. Nobody in Washington seemed to have noticed.

Nowadays, the only place you can find Mason Jars are at yard sales and flea markets. Almost impossible to find the rings for them. You have to ask you small local hardware store if they have any down in the cellar. And if you are lucky enough to find them, you have to check to make sure they haven't deterioted to the point of being useless. To me "Mason" says canning. Not Ball.

 

[HistoricFoodie]

Not sure what you mean by "rings," Addie.

Originally, Mason jars had a one-piece, screw-on lid. It was made of zinc, and had a ceramic-like liner, which is the only thing that actually contacted the jar lip.

Later on, the modern two-piece lids came along, and all but replaced the original style.

However, the thread style is the same on Mason jars as it is on Ball, Kerr, Arista, Atlas, etc. So, if you want to use them (they are, after all, collector items---especially the blue ones) a modern two-piece lid will work.

Ball acquired the rights to the name Mason, sometime in the past, and for many years it's jars said "Mason" on them. Many of the non-colored "Mason" jars you see at garage sales and flea markets where actually produced by Ball.

Wouldn't surprise me at all if, one of these days, Jardener discovers how marketable the name Mason is, and we'll suddenly see all four of its companies producing them under that name.

 

[Rocklobster]

Not sure what you mean by "rings," Addie.

Originally, Mason jars had a one-piece, screw-on lid. It was made of zinc, and had a ceramic-like liner, which is the only thing that actually contacted the jar lip.

Later on, the modern two-piece lids came along, and all but replaced the original style.

However, the thread style is the same on Mason jars as it is on Ball, Kerr, Arista, Atlas, etc. So, if you want to use them (they are, after all, collector items---especially the blue ones) a modern two-piece lid will work.

Ball acquired the rights to the name Mason, sometime in the past, and for many years it's jars said "Mason" on them. Many of the non-colored "Mason" jars you see at garage sales and flea markets where actually produced by Ball.

Wouldn't surprise me at all if, one of these days, Jardener discovers how marketable the name Mason is, and we'll suddenly see all four of its companies producing them under that name.

I think she is talking about the rubber gasket that would fit on the glass caps that would then be secured by the threaded lid.

 

[Addie]

I think she is talking about the rubber gasket that would fit on the glass caps that would then be secured by the threaded lid.

Exactly. And they had a little piece of lip that stuck out so you could grab it more easily. All we ever canned with was Mason jars. The only expense year to year was that rubber gasket. Our Mason jars had lids with that metal clip like lock that you pulled down over the rubber gasket. Those jars are really collectible today. The screw tops came later. Remember I am 72 y.o. I learned to cook on a wood burning stove.Wyatt Earp died ten years before I was born.

 

[Rocklobster]

They are pretty hard to come by. If, and when I come across one nowadays, I just use it as a dry food storage jar.

 

[Addie]

They are pretty hard to come by. If, and when I come across one nowadays, I just use it as a dry food storage jar.

I have four of them on my shelf right now. They have dried beans, barley, pasta and one is empty. Since I can't find rings for them, I will never use them for canning.

 

[HistoricFoodie]

Ahhh, now I understand. Different kind of jar, which was, IIRC, used strictly with open-kettle canning, rather than processing. I have several of those type jars. Like rocklobster I use them for dry storage.

There are no threads on the jars, however. They close using a wire cam that exerts pressure on the rubber ring.

My local Ace still carries the rubber rings. Or did as late as last fall. So I reckon somebody must still be using those jars.

 

[Addie]

Ahhh, now I understand. Different kind of jar, which was, IIRC, used strictly with open-kettle canning, rather than processing. I have several of those type jars. Like rocklobster I use them for dry storage.

There are no threads on the jars, however. They close using a wire cam that exerts pressure on the rubber ring.

My local Ace still carries the rubber rings. Or did as late as last fall. So I reckon somebody must still be using those jars.

Like I said, your small local hardware might carry them. You certainly wouldn't find them at Home Depot.

I'd say you live in an area that still cans the old fashion way. A lot of those jars are still being used today with just new rings. It is wise to not to try using the rings more than twice. And even that is pushing it. We always bought new rings each year. When you get your hands on the old jars, treasure them.

 

[phairphan]

Thanks for the replies. I will go turn them upside down right now.