Bean safety
September 18, 2017 7:55 PM Subscribe
I canned some green beans about a month ago. Is it a problem if the beans are poking up above the liquid? When we initially canned them the beans were below the liquid and the beans were floating. Now they're not floating, and the liquid level has lowered. The lids are all secure.
I wouldn't worry about the beans being above/below the water, assuming you followed proper canning guidelines (veg can shift around in there)...but I would be concerned about the water level having lowered. The whole point of canning is to create a vacuum under the seal, so it seems suspicious that the liquid has...gone anywhere.
posted by cpatterson at 8:22 PM on September 18, 2017 [9 favorites]
posted by cpatterson at 8:22 PM on September 18, 2017 [9 favorites]
I would assume that the water has gone into the beans themselves.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 8:30 PM on September 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 8:30 PM on September 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
If they're pickled I think they're fine. I used to make dilly beans a lot and that would happen sometimes. It sometimes happens with my pickled cukes as well. At first I got all worried and cut those ends off but honestly there was no difference so I wound up just eating them. I am still alive and my love for dilly beans continues unabated.
If they're just straight up canned though I have no idea.
posted by mygothlaundry at 8:37 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
If they're just straight up canned though I have no idea.
posted by mygothlaundry at 8:37 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
If you water bath canned them without acid (lemon juice, vinegar), throw them out. If you pressure canned them according to a tested recipe, you're fine.
That being said, floating fruits and veggies won't hurt anything. The part exposed to air may turn brown. But if you followed the rules, then it's all good.
posted by Bistyfrass at 9:37 PM on September 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
That being said, floating fruits and veggies won't hurt anything. The part exposed to air may turn brown. But if you followed the rules, then it's all good.
posted by Bistyfrass at 9:37 PM on September 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
The lids are all secure.
Meaning there's still a pressure seal? (Like, a suction force that holds the lid on even when the ring's unscrewed?) Or just meaning the lids are there and the ring is still screwed down?
Because if the seal's been broken, just having a lid sitting there doesn't guarantee anything.
If the seal's unbroken and you followed a tested pressure-canning recipe, then yeah, my understanding is you're good.
posted by nebulawindphone at 9:22 AM on September 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
Meaning there's still a pressure seal? (Like, a suction force that holds the lid on even when the ring's unscrewed?) Or just meaning the lids are there and the ring is still screwed down?
Because if the seal's been broken, just having a lid sitting there doesn't guarantee anything.
If the seal's unbroken and you followed a tested pressure-canning recipe, then yeah, my understanding is you're good.
posted by nebulawindphone at 9:22 AM on September 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
I would throw them out.
posted by blnkfrnk at 8:07 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]