Problem with my very first canning process.

[BKSinAZ]

I need some assistance identifing what I did incorrectly.

I received a brand new Presto 23qt Pressure canner for Christmas and did the research. For my very first processing, I attempted to can 7 quart jars of beef stew using this recipe and following it exactly. http://www.sbcanning.com/2011/07/beef-stew-with-vegetables-canning.html

These jars processed at 12-13 pounds of pressure for exaclty 90 minutes. The pressure did fluctuate for a few minutes and got as high as 14 lbs before I could stablilize it. I heated water and soaked the brand new jars, lids and rings. I also wiped the tops of the jars with clean paper towels before putting the lids on. Not sure if I over tightened them or under tightened.

When canner was pressurized I waited 10 minutes before putting the weight on to let the canner vent the air out.

After taking the jars out of the pressure canner all of the quart jars sealed except for one jar. This jar had also lost 2/3 of the liquid. Another jar had also lost over half of it's liquid, but it did seal. In fact, ALL my jars lost some liquid. The remaining water in the canner was messy.

Jars where filled upto about one inch from top of lip and I thought I did an ok job at compacting the ingrediants into the jar.

THE ONLY VARIATION to the presto canner instructionmanual I did was....
Instructions state to fill canner upto first line (3qts) with water and heat. After I placed the jars in the canner, I took the hot water that the jars, lids and rings were soaking in and poured SOME of it into the canner which brought the water level up to 1/2 of the jar height (from 1/4)

So my biggest concern is, why am I loosing liquid from my jars?

[Molly53]

BKSinAZ wrote:
I need some assistance identifing what I did incorrectly.

I received a brand new Presto 23qt Pressure canner for Christmas and did the research. For my very first processing, I attempted to can 7 quart jars of beef stew using this recipe and following it exactly. http://www.sbcanning.com/2011/07/beef-stew-with-vegetables-canning.html

These jars processed at 12-13 pounds of pressure for exaclty 90 minutes. The pressure did fluctuate for a few minutes and got as high as 14 lbs before I could stablilize it. I heated water and soaked the brand new jars, lids and rings. I also wiped the tops of the jars with clean paper towels before putting the lids on. Not sure if I over tightened them or under tightened.

When canner was pressurized I waited 10 minutes before putting the weight on to let the canner vent the air out.

After taking the jars out of the pressure canner all of the quart jars sealed except for one jar. This jar had also lost 2/3 of the liquid. Another jar had also lost over half of it's liquid, but it did seal. In fact, ALL my jars lost some liquid. The remaining water in the canner was messy.

Jars where filled upto about one inch from top of lip and I thought I did an ok job at compacting the ingrediants into the jar.

THE ONLY VARIATION to the presto canner instructionmanual I did was....
Instructions state to fill canner upto first line (3qts) with water and heat. After I placed the jars in the canner, I took the hot water that the jars, lids and rings were soaking in and poured SOME of it into the canner which brought the water level up to 1/2 of the jar height (from 1/4)

So my biggest concern is, why am I loosing liquid from my jars?

Hi, BKS. Welcome to the forum!

Loss of liquid can be attributed to several things. Click on this link and see if you don't find it helpful: http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/general/cannedfoodproblems.html