What Should I Do If A Jar Breaks During Canning?

“Hi there, I was recently canning some garden veggies, and unfortunately, one of my jars broke right in the pressure canner. I thought I followed every instruction properly, but something clearly went wrong. What steps should I take immediately when this happens, and any tips on how to prevent jars from breaking in the future would be great. I’m afraid I might have ruined the whole batch and I’m unsure whether I can still proceed with them.

Thanks so much for your help!” Thanks, Kathy, Melbourne, Australia.

What To Do If a Jar Breaks During Canning

Oh, Kathy, I understand how frustrating that must be! You’re so excited about your perfectly prepped veggies, only to hear that dreaded “pop” or find a messy disaster when you open your canner lid. The good news is that you’re *not* alone — this happens to many of us, no matter how careful we are. The key is knowing how to handle it when it does happen and how to reduce the chances of it happening again.

Let’s break it all down so you can know exactly what to do if a jar breaks during canning and, just as importantly, how to avoid it next time.

Stay Calm and Assess the Situation

The sight of broken glass and floating bits of your preserved food can make anyone panic. But don’t worry, Kathy; it’s not the end of the world (promise!).

Here’s what you want to do if a jar breaks during canning:

1. **Turn Off the Canner Safely**
There’s no rush to open the canner immediately when you see that a jar has broken. Whether you’re using a pressure canner or a water bath, it’s important to turn it off safely and let it drop down in temperature. *Do not* try to open it while it’s still hot. Let the pressure release on its own—if you force this step, you risk even more broken jars or burns.

2. **Carefully Remove the Intact Jars**
Once the canner is cool enough, carefully remove any jars that are still intact. Be sure to use jar lifters or a towel to protect your hands from the heat. Chances are, some of your jars are still fine and salvageable. But do check them closely for any hairline cracks, chips, or signs of potential weakness before setting them aside to cool.

3. **Handle the Broken Glass with Gloves**
Got glass floating around? Please keep those fingers safe! Wear gloves when removing any broken glass from the canner. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to scoop out the larger pieces first. The good news is, if your canner’s water is unsalted, you can usually pour it down the sink. If it does have salt or other additives, dispose of it outside.

Can I Save the Intact Jars?

Great question, Kathy! Yes, many times the unbroken jars are perfectly fine to keep, but there are a few things to check:

– **Lid Seals:** Check the lids for a proper seal after they’ve cooled down. If the lids have popped down and feel firm when gently pressed in the middle, the jars are most likely fine.

– **Glass Contamination:** I know, broken glass can feel scary! No one wants glass in their food, but the good news is that if your intact jars are still sealed and you don’t see any visible glass sticking to them, they’re usually okay. However, if there’s food from the broken jar floating nearby, and you’re *super* concerned about contamination, you can always reprocess the intact jars or just toss the risky ones for peace of mind.

Why Did My Jar Break During Canning?

Knowing what to do after the fact is important, Kathy, but understanding why it happened is even more crucial. Most jar breaks during canning stem from these common causes:

1. **Thermal Shock**
This happens when there’s a sudden change in temperature that your jar can’t handle. For example, placing a room-temperature jar directly into boiling water can cause it to break. To avoid this, make sure your jars are warm when they go into the canner (but not too hot). An easy way to do this is by filling them with hot water while you prep everything else.

2. **Pressure Changes**
Rapid changes in pressure can also mess with your jars. If you’re pressure canning, don’t rush that pressure release. Let it happen naturally over time. Quick-clearing the pressure can cause temperature changes that lead to breakage.

3. **Cracks or Chips Pre-Canning**
It’s easy to miss small cracks or chips on jars when you’re in a rush to fill them up. These imperfections make jars more likely to shatter under pressure or heat. Get into the habit of inspecting your jars before each use, running your fingers around the rims to catch anything you might miss with your eyes.

4. **Too Tight or Too Loose Lid Seals**
Tightening your lid bands too much can put extra strain on the jars during processing. On the flip side, if they’re too loose, liquid may escape, leading to jar breakage. Aim for a “fingertip-tight” closure — firm enough to hold the lid in place but loose enough to allow some air to escape.

Can I Still Use the Broken Jar’s Food?

Oh, Kathy, I wish I had better news here. Sadly, once a jar breaks inside the canner, the food inside is pretty much lost. Even if the food looks clean, tiny pieces of glass might have found their way in. I know it’s hard to pitch food you’ve lovingly prepared, but safety first, always.

It’s better to be cautious and discard the contents of any broken jars.

How to Prevent Jars From Breaking Next Time

There’s nothing worse than finishing up your canning job only to find a jar broke, right? While there’s no 100% foolproof way to *completely* avoid jar breakage, there are definitely ways to minimize the chances of it happening again:

• Use Quality Jars: Stick to jars specifically made for canning. Those old pasta sauce jars might seem cost-effective, but they’re not designed to handle the heat and pressure!
• Inspect for Cracks: Before every canning session, take the time to check each jar for any cracks or chips, especially around the mouth or rim. Feel around for rough spots too.
• Give Jars Time to Warm Up: Don’t throw cold jars directly into boiling water or a hot canner. Warm up your jars by running them under hot tap water or resting them in warm water before they meet the heat.
• Leave Enough Headspace: The contents in your jars will expand during processing. Leave the recommended headspace (usually ½ inch – 1 inch) to prevent spilling or over-pressurizing your jars.
• Don’t Overtighten the Lids: This one can be tough to gauge, but remember, “fingertip-tight” is key. Too tight, and you risk exploding the jar under pressure.
• Cool Down Slowly: Tempted to cool your jars with a cold water bath or ice? Don’t! Let them cool naturally to avoid sudden temperature shifts that could cause cracks.

Common Mistakes that Lead to Jar Breakage

Aside from the typical reasons we just covered, there are other sneaky culprits that could lead to jar breakage. Here’s a list of common pitfalls to look out for so you don’t end up in the same situation again:

• Overfilling the Canner: If your jars are stacked too close or jam-packed together, they’re more likely to knock into each other and break, especially under heat and pressure. Be sure there’s some space between the jars.
• Using Cold Liquids: Pouring cold brine or food into heated jars? Nope! Both the jars and what goes inside them should be somewhat warm to prevent a massive temperature difference that can shock the glass.

Can I Reuse the Water in My Canner?

After cleaning up and removing all of the broken glass, you might wonder, “Can I still reuse the water inside the canner for another batch?”

Well, Kathy, it depends. If the water is clean and glass-free (and particularly in a water bath canner), it might be okay for another round. Just take a bit of time to filter out any particles or glass that slipped through. However, it’s usually best practice to dump it and refill with fresh water before starting a new batch, just to make sure your next round is contamination-free.

How to Clean the Canner After a Jar Breaks

Broken glass can leave quite the mess, inside and outside the canner. Here’s a few steps to safely deal with the cleanup:

1. **Drain whatever is in the canner** — carefully tip it out entirely, then go back for the broken glass. Use a strainer if you must to catch all the small bits.

2. **Scrub the inside** with warm, soapy water to remove any food residue left behind. Make sure to rinse the edges of the canner and check for any glass fragments stuck in small grooves.

3. **Rinse thoroughly**. Give the whole thing a good rinse to ensure no small traces of food or broken glass remain.

4. **Inspect the canner** for any damage. Canners can take a beating, but it’s good practice to inspect your pressure valve or gasket to make sure nothing was damaged.

Other Tips for Troubleshooting Canning Problems

If jar breakage is becoming a recurring issue or if you just want to refine your canning process, here are a few bonus tips!

– **Altitude Matters**: If you’re in a higher-altitude area like me here in Utah, you’ve got to adjust for that. The boiling point is lower at higher elevations, so you’ll need to can your food for longer periods. If you’re getting blown-out jars or broken seals, double-check your altitude and adjust canning times accordingly. (Hey, it could be affecting you over there in Australia too, Kathy!)

– **Rotate Between Jars**: Avoid overusing the same jars from batch to batch too often. While canning jars are made to be reused several times, over time, the glass can weaken.

Final Thoughts…

Kathy, thanks so much for sending in this question! Getting that broken glass out of your canner might not be fun, but with a little care, you’ll be back to successfully canning before too long. The key takeaways here are inspecting your jars before use, avoiding rapid temperature changes, and letting your canner do its thing without rushing the process. And if a jar ever does break again, no worries—you’ve got the steps to handle it like a pro!

Happy canning! ?