Bottling aaargh

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shadiya

Joined: 02 Feb 2008
Posts: 1285

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 11 9:14 am Post subject: Bottling aaargh

I spent the whole afternoon bottling apple puree and making chutney and this morning only one bloomin seal has sealed, all the rest have popped open.

I used brand new rubber rings and followed the instructions to the letter, but now have a large amount of apple puree that will have to either be eaten straight away or put in a freezer

Oh just feeling double

What am I doing wrong? I do have a remote grid facilty, my husbands garage has freezers full of my meat (

) but it really isn't all that convenient and hardly worth the bother of putting apple puree in there.

Really fed up. Can't spend all this time processing to no avail, it costs time and money that I have little to spare. And depressed. Did I mention fed up?

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 11 12:59 pm Post subject:
I feel your pain. I gave up bottling in Kilners because the fruit didn't keep that long, even though the seals did 'take'. Now I use them as ornamental jars to put dry goods in, like pulses, rice, etc The only good thing to say about apple puree in plastic containers is that it takes up less freezer space than raw, chopped apples in carrier bags.

Mr O

Joined: 13 Feb 2005
Posts: 5512
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 11 1:10 pm Post subject:

I use this type of Jar, called Mason Jars over here. They have a threaded metal top and a seperate sealing disc.

I have not had any problems with them, but would sujjest that failures could be caused by, too short of a boiling time ( the bigger the jar the longer the boiling time required ), water level too low above the top of the jar, or food deposits on the sealing ring.
Sorry to read of your frustration, it is worth persevering.

gorbut

Joined: 03 Sep 2006
Posts: 137
Location: Border of London and Essex

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 11 1:24 pm Post subject:
I use those jars too and they are called kilner jars here. It is a bit confusing as several types share the same name. I find the screw top ones easier to use than the one with the metal clip. This is only my second year of bottling but the things I did last year seemed to keep OK and the plums I bottled this week have sealed. Could you try again and see if you can get them to seal this time?

Mr O

Joined: 13 Feb 2005
Posts: 5512
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 11 2:08 pm Post subject:
This is a good website, with recipes and instructions. https://www.bernardin.ca/

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 11 4:40 pm Post subject:
I'm thinking the chutney should be OK if you close the jars properly, even though the mix is now cold. Is just the stewed apple that needs to be frozen, or re-bottled.

shadiya

Joined: 02 Feb 2008
Posts: 1285

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 11 5:32 pm Post subject:

Well, I've palmed the apple puree off on a friend who popped in, as he's got a freezer, so that's not such a problem. The thing is that I was planning on doing some tomato puree and have already had this happen once this year. I've now lost all faith in this boil up your jars method as can't see what I can have done wrong. The jars were spotless, the rubber rings new, I left them in for slightly longer than the five mins suggested, more like ten

and still nothing. In fact, as we were eating dinner when the last lot were finished and as by then the kitchen was beginning to look a bit cluttered, I left the jars to cool in the water. When I hoiked them out this morning, two had water in and one had worked - no idea why. So, it was two out of thirteen jars that worked....

Just trying to stay positive

So I have this glut of tomatoes, blight in the polytunnel and I live off grid. Be careful what you wish for is what springs to mind....

I am not paying four pounds a jar for a litre jar, which seems to be the going rate - they are just over a dollar in the states for the same make, which comes from Italy! I begin to see why people mutter about rip off Britain

I'm now wondering whether I should go into the import business, must be enough DS canners to warrant a wholesale order of jars and lids! Meanwhile, what to do with my tomato passata? It's not easy trying to be self reliant

goosey

Joined: 29 Apr 2009
Posts: 380
Location: Merry England

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 11 5:40 pm Post subject:
Oh - ggrrr how frustrating! Am just sending sympathy, not that it helps, I know. I have been making apple chutney today, it took ages longer than I thought it would. All that chopping, peeling. etc and catching earwigs and putting them outside, and falling over the dog. It's quite a palaver. The thought of your bottling going wrong, is a nightmare. I have no advice, but I hope things improve.

boisdevie1

Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 3897
Location: Lancaster

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 11 5:50 pm Post subject:
I've been lucky so far. Bottled loads of peas and French beans and only a couple have failed.

shadiya

Joined: 02 Feb 2008
Posts: 1285

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 11 5:56 pm Post subject:

Actually, some slightly better searching comes up with cheaper prices on the screw top types but still not cheap.

The peeling etc bit of the apples was one of the allures of apple puree. I've got so many windfall earlies and they won't keep so thought puree would be a good thing to make, rather than simply feeding them to the geese, who are a bunch of ungrateful whatsits, always willing to bite the hand that feeds, specially in the spring.

I have a tomato squishing gadget that works wonderfully well with apples but puree is no good for chutney. Shame. Ho hum.

Kenworth

Joined: 04 Apr 2011
Posts: 855
Location: Michigan

Posted: Sat Sep 24, 11 1:00 pm Post subject: Forgot to specify one step

I will try to list the steps that I use.

I use all 4 burners on the stove.

The front right burner has a deep kettle with a disc setting in the bottom that keeps jars/bottles off the bottom. The kettle is deep enough to allow 2" of water over the filled jars.

The front left burner is for the fruit to be cooked on.

The rear left burner has a cake pan 9 x 13 x 2 with water in it. This I keep my jars/bottles inverted in to keep them hot.

The rear right burner has a small pan that I keep warm the disk/lids in a few inches of water.

Next on the counter I have a towel. On the towel is the equipment I use to fill the jar/bottle. It includes a jar lifter to prevent burns. A wooden chopstick to move produce around in the jar to remove bubbles. A wide mouth jar funnel to help manuver the produce into the jar/bottle. Another towel to wipe the top of the jar/bottle off with and also the threads on the outside of the jarbottle.

Depending on what is being processed, a container with a measuring sppon of canning salt, and/or a bottle of lemon juice, which is a must nowadays for preserving tomatoes.

Once the produce has been cooked to the required point , I use the funnel to get it into the jar/bottle. Remove the funnel, and using a clean towel, wipe the top of the jar/bottle off and also the threads on the outslide.

Now a metal lid gets set on top of the opening. Then the metal bands go on, hand tight. Take care to use the towel, as the contents are very hot. I set the jar/bottle back on the towel, then using the jar lifters, place it into the deep kettle, and place the lid on and process according to established processing times.

Produce should be left in the water bath 5 minutes after process time, then removed promptly. Do not adjust the rings after removing from the boiling water bath as this can disturb the seals.

Place jars/bottles on a bowel about 1" apart in a draft free area. Once jars have cooled, carefuly remove bands and check to see if the lids have sealed. I then wash the filled jar/bottle in warm soapy water with a bit of bleach. This ensures that mold won't grow on the outslide.

I store my canned goods in the basement, out of direct light.

How do your preserving methods differ from mine?

Last edited by Kenworth on Wed Sep 28, 11 4:45 pm; edited 1 time in total

shadiya

Joined: 02 Feb 2008
Posts: 1285

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 11 7:58 am Post subject:

Well, you are obviously far more organised than me, I can't even remember where the tongs are, let alone have them by the cooker, ready for use. Fumbling with the cooking tongs and a tea towel is far more exciting in a boiling hot water splashy kind of way

I have the clip top jars, not the screw tops, that is about the only difference in what we do. I have just ordered a batch of screw top jars but am going mad in the mean time with the blooming clip things that just don't seem to work whatever I do. I just don't understand it.

Last night I tried putting some in the oven, as a friend recommended it as the way he does all his bottled toms. I couldn't remember exactly what he'd said and when I called for a reminder, he was out and had v little signal on his phone so I kind of guessed from what I could remember and bodged it a bit from the HMSO book. I planned to put the boiling passata into jars, then into an oven at gas mark two for 70 mins. In the event, what with it all being a bit late, I popped it into the oven at eleven and promptly forgot about it. Fortunately, I couldn't sleep so came into the kitchen at half one to read and noticed an interesting tomato smell.... Did the buggers seal? Did they hell

Really hope the screw tops work as not only have I just spent a large amount of money on them but am losing the will to preserve and that doesn't happen often. I think I'm going to have to seriously question the use of tomatoes in my diet other than during tomato season. This is taking a large amount of energy and causing a lot of stress, both of which are a no no in my book....

oldish chris

Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 4148
Location: Comfortably Wet Southport

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 11 8:14 am Post subject:
I put them in the oven at 150C (gas mark 2) for 40 mins (or so). Any jars that have failed to seal are inspected, the top of the jar and the lid cleaned and then the processing in the oven is repeated. The bottling process will pasteurise the contents, so any contamination during the failing and checking doesn't matter. Do make sure that you have at least 1/2 inch of head space.

shadiya

Joined: 02 Feb 2008
Posts: 1285

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 11 8:29 am Post subject:

Thanks Chris, specific instructions, marvellous!

I will stick the oven back on, give them another wipe and try again, though they are now beginning to look a little dark on top. Expect that'll be the extra hour and a half in the oven

Fingers crossed. Have run out of bowls to put toms in and the kitchen table is covered with things to be processed, I really need this to work.... I don't know why I'm having so much trouble with this. I bought a couple of cases of the clip top Kilner jars a couple of years ago but at the time, hardly had any tomatoes. I bottled about eight jars then and they worked ok except one, this year it's all gone a bit pear shaped and now I've lost confidence in these clip top types and am wishing I hadn't bought a ten year supply of rubber rings....

( well, that might be a small exaggeration

but not much! )

Kenworth

Joined: 04 Apr 2011
Posts: 855
Location: Michigan

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 11 4:54 pm Post subject:

I have no suggestions to help with your rubber seals, they are not commonly used over here. They went out of fashionable use quite a while ago.

However, there some people that still use them on a regular basis. I had always known about the clip tops and rubber rings, but didn't think they were still available. How wrong I was!!!

I beleive that there are Amish faith people here in the US that use the flip clip tops and rubber rings. I recently acquired a beautiful Le Parfait Super .50 l jar that has a modern clip and a rubber ring. However, the rubber ring looks as if it has a lot of stress cracks in it

So I won't be trying to use it for processing.

I am going to watch out for more of these unique bottles or as I call them jars, and perhaps I can attempt to preserve with them in the future

I hope you get your tomatoes preserved, there is NOTHING like having your own tomatoes in the dead of winter that don't have that commercial tinny taste.

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