The Jar Safety Tip To Remember Before Making Canned Foods

Canning is a great way to preserve all the fresh foods of the summer months for use during those long winter days. However, no matter what you're preparing, it goes without saying that food safety is one of the most important things you should always keep in mind. And before you start making your own canned food at home, it's important that you know a couple of safety tips. For example, did you know that you should never attempt to can your butter at home? The dairy content in butter means that there's a high chance of your butter turning into a bacteria farm.

There are many mistakes that you can make when canning food at home, and they don't end when you label those jars and clean up the kitchen. Proper storage is also key, and that means removing the rings from the tops of the jars before storing them in a dark, dry area that isn't susceptible to major changes in temperatures. Making sure that the jars stay dry is incredibly important, and if you keep the rings of the jar and they get exposed to moisture and dampness, that can cause the lids to rust.

The likelihood of rusting increases if you leave those rings on. They make it easy for moisture to get trapped, leading to not only rust but also the potential buildup of bacteria or mold. That can ruin your canned goods, and if you don't see it, it can definitely make you sick — but that's not the only reason to remove those rings.

During the canning process, it's important to make sure that the jars' lids have been sealed properly. The rings are there to help with this and hold everything securely in place while the magic happens. Once your jars are sealed, take them off. The reason is that if the rings start to rust, they can eat through the lid and allow contaminants to start seeping into your food, which can lead to serious food poisoning. 

Trust us when we say that no one wants to experience the pain that goes along with botulism which can include things like double vision, massive gastrointestinal distress, and even paralysis. There's another problem: If the rings are left in place, it can be more difficult to verify that the lids have been sealed properly. If you catch an unsealed jar quickly, you can then pop it in the fridge and consume its contents ASAP. Miss it, and it'll spoil.

Rings also cover the very top of the jar, and if things go wrong in the canning process, this is where mold and discoloration tend to form. Take the rings off, and you'll be able to see it more clearly. You'll also be able to easily reuse those rings, which is a bonus. If you do a lot of canning, it's much easier to reuse rings for each batch than it is to purchase new ones or keep dozens and dozens on hand. However, reusing the lids for your next batch of canned foods is a major mistake.