Hi there. I'm posting this on both this board and the food board, since I wasn't sure which was the correct place. Normally I save the garden produce with my handy vacuum sealer, but this year I'm learning to can, which I haven't done since I was a child and "helped" my grandmother. Yesterday I canned pears. All the lids popped, but when I removed the rings, they felt the tiniest bit sticky, as did the threads around the top of the jar. Again, the seal is apparently fine, but I really, really don't want to have bad surprises when the jars are opened. Is this stickiness normal? Thank you!

Yes. However, after filling the jars, you should wipe the jar threads and the tops of the jars with a damp cloth before putting the 'flats' and the metal ring on.

And...my grandmother and mother both told me to leave the rings on. If you bump the flat the least little bit in handling, you risk breaking the seal. They are really and truly rather inexpensive to start with and worth having one for every jar to prevent seal failure. JMHO

Always, when you open a jar, make certain that seal was truly sealed, check for mold, etc. If anything appears "off," destroy the contents of the jar and sterilize the jar.

Thank you. I did wipe the jars before placing the lid and was very careful to make sure the top of the rim was very clean and dry. Everything I read online told me to remove the rings because of the risk of corrosion, but I do trust grandmothers. If you leave it on, do you finish tightening it or leave it as-is? I realize that people have been canning this way for generations, but my vacuum sealer might come back into play for the rest of the garden. Thank you again.

Leave as is. Do not retighten. The heat from the jars will dry any moisture.

I have over the years thrown away some rusty rings, but it did not happen in one season.

Thanks!

I think you might be filling your jars too full. That would cause the expansion during the heating process to force liquid out which is making the sticky mess.

And just to be contrary...I always remove my rings and I've been doing it since...let me see, around 1967 I think. And depending on my storage spaces at different houses...I have stacked my jars with just the sealed lid and never had a problem.
When I helped my grandmother we had the old rubber rings & zinc lids...those stayed on.

We do what our mamas and grandmothers tell us to do. At least after we get out of our teens.

I considered that the jars might be too full, but I measure the head space carefully, using the spiffy Ball measuring thingie. I think I'll go with both - I have some from which I removed the rings and some with them still on, so I'll see if there's any issue with either.

Grandma was usually correct!

quote:

Grandma was usually correct!

Except when she made me get my own switches off the peach tree! Those things HURT!!!!!!!!