Why cans of cucumbers explode: what to do, how to save conservation, is it possible to reclose

Of all canned vegetable crops, cucumbers are one of the most capricious. It is worth making a small mistake during conservation, and the bank shoots. Sometimes cucumbers become cloudy, and their taste deteriorates. There can be many reasons why some cucumber jars explode. Improper preparation of the main product or non-observance of proportions often leads to such an incident. Proper preparation of containers also plays an important role.

Causes of cloudy cucumbers and explosion of cans

Jars of cucumbers explode very often. Sometimes the whole batch of spins explodes, and sometimes one or two of them. Possible reasons:

Air entering while closing the lid.
Incorrect marinade preparation.
Poor jar preparation.
Incorrect preparation of vegetables.

All these points must be taken into account and the necessary requirements must be met. Otherwise, you can be left without cucumbers for the winter.

Air entry

If air gets into the jar during preservation, it becomes favorable for the growth of bacteria. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to pour the brine into the jar of cucumbers to the very top.

If the preservation was carried out by sterilization, after the jar has been removed from the sterilizer, the lid cannot be removed. It needs to be screwed on right away. Therefore, jars are sterilized with the lids that will be rolled up.

If for any reason the cap needs to be changed, it must be sterilized. To do this, it is dipped in boiling water for a couple of minutes, then they are taken out and immediately changed to the one that was on the bank. The lids open and are replaced by others very quickly so that air does not enter the jar. And you need to do this at the moment when the jar is still in the sterilizer or has just been taken out.

If done later, there is a risk of air entry and bacteria growth.

Also, air can get into the jar if the seamer does not seal the lids well. In this case, the banks are bound to explode. You need to change the machine and roll all the banks. But such a measure can lead to the fact that the jars do not explode, but the brine in the cucumbers becomes cloudy.

To prevent this from happening, you need to change the lids, sterilize the preservation again and roll it up with a reliable machine.

Incorrect marinade preparation

Marinade for cucumbers is prepared with vinegar. If it is not put enough, or not as it should be, preservation will not work.

When pickling, keep in mind that vinegar evaporates when boiled. Therefore, when preparing the marinade, it must be added at the very end so that it is minimally subjected to heat treatment. The best option is when vinegar is added directly to the jar.

It's bad when the proportions are not respected and little vinegar is added. In this case, the marinade becomes less concentrated and does not perform its functions well.

Same with other components. S alt and sugar must be added according to the recipe. If there are not enough, the cucumbers will ferment and become cloudy.

Poor jar preparation

To cook pickled or pickled cucumbers, you need to properly prepare the container for them. They are usually marinated in glass jars. They must be sterilized before use. There are several ways to do this:

Cans are well sterilized in the oven. Before sterilization, they are washed well with detergent, rinsed and turned over to glass with water. Then they put the jars in the oven on a baking sheet and warm them up well. If you need a few jars, and they are placed in the oven at a time, they are left in the oven until use. If more jars are needed, they are taken out and put on a clean, ironed towel.
Sterilizing jars with hot steam is quite effective, but it takes time, because you have to deal with each one separately. They select dishes on which you can put an inverted jar upside down. A teapot or an enameled mug is best suited for this.If the container is poorly installed, you can insert something into the kettle, for example, a spoon. Pour some water into the bottom and bring to a boil. They make sure that steam enters the jar and steams it well. If the jar is not installed correctly or steamed for a short time, there will be no positive result.
You can boil jars in water in a large bowl. But such sterilization is less effective, because it cannot achieve temperatures above 100 degrees.

If the jars are poorly sterilized or have been left for a long time after sterilization, at best the quality of canned food will deteriorate. But more often they explode and become unusable.

Incorrect preparation of cucumbers

To make pickled cucumbers tasty and jars do not explode, you should not make mistakes when preparing vegetables:

If you collect cucumbers in rainy weather, they quickly deteriorate and are poorly worth. Such cucumbers are best used for pickling or left to stand for a couple of days. But at the same time, make sure that they do not deteriorate.
To make the cucumbers crispy, they need to be soaked for 3 hours in water. If this is not done, they become soft and this can lead to the development of bacteria.
Poorly washed cucumbers are a source of bacteriological contamination. Together with dirt, E. coli, causative agents of botulism and other microorganisms can settle on them.
You can not pickle cucumbers with signs of decay, they guarantee an explosion of conservation. They are best peeled and used for salads.

By following these requirements, lossless canning can be achieved.

Insufficient sterilization time

In recipes, the sterilization time is given conditionally. It happens that it was sterilized, as written in the recipe, but the cucumbers still exploded. To properly sterilize, you need to consider the following factors:

Small cucumbers are sterilized less than large ones - just like jars.
At the beginning of sterilization, it is better to put a low fire so that it has time to warm up evenly.
Finished cucumbers should change color.
It is better to put greens and garlic in a marinade, and not in a jar, if canning is done by steaming.

Compliance with these rules will allow you to get high-quality preservation of cucumbers for the winter.

Why do they flip and wrap jars?

Rolled cans must be turned upside down so that the lids warm up well. Then the banks must be wrapped with a blanket. This is done so that the banks slowly dry out. At this time, the sterilization process continues in them.

If everything was done correctly, the next day you can see a beautiful transparent preservation. If mistakes were made, the marinade will become cloudy and the jar will swell.

Can cloudy cucumbers be redone?

If the cucumbers are cloudy, but the jar is not swollen yet, they can still be redone. To do this, remove the lid, drain the marinade, wash the cucumbers with clean water.

Be sure to taste them. If vinegar was used, the taste may change and then nothing can be done. But if the cucumbers taste good, they are crispy and do not sizzle, they can be closed again.

To reseal cloudy cucumbers, you need to prepare a new marinade and pour it into a jar. At the same time, the proportions should be slightly reduced, taking into account the fact that the cucumbers have already absorbed some of the ingredients.

Can I eat cucumbers in cloudy brine?

If canned cucumbers are cloudy but not spoiled, they can be eaten if they were recently closed.

If seamings are stored for a long time and began to become cloudy, it is dangerous to use them. Canned food develops botulism bacteria, and there is no guarantee that they are not present this time. Doctors cannot always save from this dangerous disease, so it's not worth the risk.

How to save exploding cucumbers

If a jar of cucumbers explodes, it will not be possible to revive it. Even if everything is washed well and the marinade is changed, the fermentation process has already begun, and all activities will be in vain.

And what to do if nothing can be fixed, but it is a pity to throw away cucumbers? There is only one way out, send them to wander further. Check if the vegetables do not have an unpleasant odor, cover them with a nylon lid and take them to the basement. But these foods should not be eaten raw. Of these, it is better to cook pickles or hodgepodges.

How to avoid exploding pickle jars

For banks to stand well, it is not enough to roll them up correctly. Proper storage of canned food also plays an important role.

Store seamings in a dark, cool place. Cellars, basements and cold closets are suitable for this. In the heat, the risk of explosions of canned food increases, so you need to monitor the temperature of the premises.