Another rookie Canning question

[bernie5711]

I just finished my first ever attempt at pressure canning some squash. It looks like everything came out just like it was supposed to, except for one jar? I left 1" of head space but it came out of the canner with more than an inch of head space. It looks like there is 2 inches or more of head space now? Where did an inch to an inch and a half of fluid go? The jar lid is sealed and there doesn't appear to be any kind of leak or else the lid wouldn't have sealed...correct? Is this normal? one or two of the other jars seemed like they lost a little fluid but nothing like this one jar. Should I throw this one out?

 

[MontyJ]

No, don't throw it out. If it sealed, it's fine. Sometimes the pressure inside the jar will force out some liquid. If the squash was a little denser or more firmly packed, it may have caused that particular jar to expel more liquid than the others. It's normal. I sometimes have jars that loose more liquid than expected, but as long as they seal, everything is fine.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree with Monty. The squash is safe as long as it sealed.

One of the common reasons for you to think you lost a lot of the liquid is that you did not remove the air bubbles. Dont ask how I know. For pints I work a plastic knife that you get at a fast food place along the sides to release any air bubbles trapped inside before I do the final top off with liquid to the right head space. Those plastic knives arent long enough so I use a chopstick for quarts, but a chopstick is pretty thick and harder to use. Those thin plastic knives work well. In things like corn, pickles, and green beans that liquid level can drop quite a bit when you remove the air bubbles. Id imagine squash would be the same way.

There are other things that can cause that kind of problem and it still seal, not tightening the lid enough for one. Sometimes liquid comes out and I dont know why but I can see and smell it in the water in the pressure canner. But as long as it sealed its OK.

 

[journey11]

And squash itself tends to be rather porous...not as dense as most other veggies. That could account for some of the loss in volume as it cooked down. It is perfectly safe as long as it sealed. So no worries--enjoy the fruit of your labor! :happy_flower

 

[bernie5711]

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR RESPONSES. I'LL ENJOY IT A LOT BETTER KNOWING IT'S GOOD TO GO!