Help!! Another canning disaster today. My jars are breaking when I put

[MJN]

the pickles in the jars. I have always done it with heating the jars in the oven, put the pickles in the jars, put hot lids and seals on the jars, tighten and put on a towel upside down to cool. Any ideas to what I'm doing wrong?

See my post above this one - I figured out the problem. I had inherited old glass jars from my mil. Who knows how long she had had them. They were in her storage barns for years. So, I guess I'll be tossing jars today. :-(

Thanks!

Molly

[Elisabeth in IL]

I'm sorry for your loss of pickles and jars!! :(

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three questions:

1. Are they canning jars or reused old jars?

if you are using canning jars..

2. Are the jars hot when you add the pickles?

3. What stage are the jars breaking?

[MJN]

They are canning jars. I'm thinking some of them are older than others. They've all been donated to me, so I have no idea what's old and what's new. They are heated when I put the pickles in, the juice boils when I put them in, then they crack. Fortunately, I've only put in one good scoopful of pickles before they crack.

[Michelle in MO]

(mostly jams and jellies) I always heated the jars up in boiling water on the stove, although I can't imagine that heating them up in the oven would heat them unevenly.

Older jars, though----I don't know. Yes, it's probably good to go out and buy new ones! Good luck on your pickles! :)

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We used to heat jars in the oven also so I know that wont cause it.

I guess your right, maybe the jars have little cracks in them that just aren't visible. I also remember my mom canning when I was little and she threw all of her jars that were one particular brand away because of this problem. Unfortunately, I don't remember which brand it was Ball or Kerr.

You may be able to look through you cracked jars and see if they all look identical vs. the other jars that haven't cracked.

Jars are so expensive to have to rebuy, it is unfortunate that you won't be able to use these. At least you will know that you won't loose your goods though! It is tough to have all that work go to waste, good luck on the next batches.

Just a bazaar thought....could it be the work surface? I know you said you are using towels, but if you have a granite/stone or different work surface I wonder if that can cause uneven cooling?

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