What jars are best for canning?
Manufacturers make heavy-duty jars specifically for home canning. Do not use, say, empty peanut butter jars, because commercial jars are not strong enough to be safely used for repeated home cannings. “Mason” jars — which screw shut with a threaded neck are the most common choice. Do not re-use the lids: after a lid has been pried off once, a perfect fit can no longer be guaranteed. The jars themselves can be used many times, as long as the sealing rims are perfectly smooth and there are no scratches or cracks. What should you do if the home-canned food doesn’t “look right”? Never eat, or even taste any home-canned food that: • appears to be spoiled; • foams; • develops a bad smell during cooking; • the container has a bulging lid or is leaching; • you are not sure whether the food was properly canned or not. Place any questionable containers and food in a waterproof container and throw it in the garbage. Do not feed the questionable food to your pets or any other animals. After throw
