Where did I go wrong?

[DawnSuiter]

So I canned a bunch of my sweet potatoes, BUT when I was done I noticed that the water was really orange and that half the jars were only half full of syrup.

Are they still ok? And is this normal? Does anyone know what I did wrong?

I'm leaning toward not leaving enough headspace... it was maybe a LITTLE high.. the measuring stick thingy was sweeping across the top of the syrup & potatoes.

I tried SO hard to follow all the instructions.. ball canning guide, my canner's instructions, back & forth... :/

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

It could be many things or a combination. The main things I think it might be is 1)too much headspace, 2)not enough headspace, 3)too many air bubbles down in the jar (did you do the stick thingy down in there to remove excess air?), 4)fluctuation in pressure.

If the jars sealed and you pressured them long enough then it should still be ok....

 

[BlackThumb]

Well, white potatoes absorb a LOT of water and mine always end up sticking above the water level. They sometimes darken a bit, but otherwise are delicious. Mayhe sweet potatoes do the same thing.

 

[DawnSuiter]

Thank you two..

I didn't use the stick but I did check for air bubbles and didn't see any.. so possibly that..
could've been too little headspace too.. I don't think too much was a problem
flux in pressure... sure I suppose so.. followed the instructions but have a weighted regulator.. I did let it boil up, steam freely for 10 minutes, added the regulator and the rocker stayed steady...
:/

 

[patandchickens]

Did you leave the pressure canner to cool on its own, and leave them in there for 10+ minutes after it reached room pressure? Too-quick depressurizing or cooling can cause them to boil over.

Another possibility is that you had hidden air pockets in there, so the headspace *seemed* correct but there were actually bubbles lurking amongst the food.

I'd eat the half-full ones first - they may (or may not) have perfectly good seals, but the parts of the food that stick up above the liquid will tend to discolor and soften so you prolly wanna eat them up the first.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[DawnSuiter]

I waited until NO steam came out of the valve
it wasn't steamy or anything in there, BUT the jars were still boiling inside.. we left them till they stopped and took them out of the canner

will do on the eating order... live and learn I guess