Water Loss During Processing

Q. Why do my jars lose liquid during processing?
A. There are several reasons that will cause water loss during processing.

You packed your jars to tightly or overfilled them.  Don't shake down your jars.  Food needs room to expand during the canning process.  Make sure you leave the correct head space.

You did not exhaust your canner for the right amount of time

Your pressure regulator on the weighted gage canner rocked to vigorously.  Always maintain a slow, steady rocking motion.

If your heat source was unsteady or you had a steam leakage it may have caused a fluctuation of pressure during canning.

You should never try to speed up the cooling down time.  Let it drop on it own.  Bumping the regulator will cause water loss in your jars.

Uneven temperature changes is another culprit that causes water loss. You should always wait 10 minutes after pressure has dropped before removing jars from canner.

Your  lids may not have been adjusted on the jars properly.

If all canning procedures have been followed and the lids have sealed, the food is safe to store and eat. However, because liquid was lost during canning, food above the liquid line may discolor during storage. Plan to use these jars first.