This is not my day! Advice (canning peaches)

[MNTaxi]

I think the canning gods are agsinst me today.

went out yesterday and bought 75lbs of peaches. I checked them at the stand and a few were bruised bu no big deal. After an hour drive home I went though the boxes. Layed peaches on towels and 50% were bruised from their own weight.

Started canning at 8pm. First batch had the bottom of one of the jars break when putting it in the water in the canner. Did realize it til 25 minutes were up and they were floating in the canner.

Made one batch of jam and it didn;t turn out like my 08's. Not sure I like the low sugar pectin recipie.

Today seams as though I either can't get the lids on right or there is not enough headspace because fluid keeps leaking out of a few of the jars in each batch.

First is the fluid leaking out gonna hurt anything?

Second what could I be doing wrong? How tight do I need to put the bands when using a hot water bath canner? Loose, snug, or real tight?

I think I would have betterluck today if i made peach compost.

 

[blissful]

Adding jars to the canner: it works best if the jars and contents are similar in temperature to the water in the water bath canner. A large temperature difference can cause a jar to break.
Sometimes, if the jar is cracked or chipped and it isn't noticed, it will break in the canner.

How tight to put the ring on? I hear that it should be snug--women are not as strong as men in general--to a woman, snug is tight but not over tightened--don't struggle to get it tight. To a man--let it be snug but only lightly snug. I know this because I asked for help, and my friend (male) tightened them according to his strength which turned out to be too tight when we pressure canned beans and the lids buckled a little on the ones he helped me with.

It's okay for some liquid to leave during canning.

Hope your next batch works out better.

 

[mcnerd]

Actually the spring lids should be on only "finger tight". Too tight and they will not open during processing to purge out the air in the headspace. Often it causes a catastrophic purge when excessively high pressure suddenly releases and pulls much of the liquid and even contents out of the jar.

Minor liquid release is common and is related to the headspace. Often it is too little so the purging process pushes the air and some of the liquid out. Too much headspace will leave air in the jar which can discolor the food. Coin toss and is just a matter of experience over time.