5.  Allow pet cock to remain open until live steam blows from it.

6.  Close pet cock.

7.  Force pressure to the required point before counting time.

8.  Maintain a uniform pressure during the sterilizing period.

9.  Allow canner to cool before opening pet cock.

10.  Have pet cock completely closed during the cooling.

11.  Open pet cock before vacuum forms.  This is evidenced by a rush of air into the canner when the pet cock is open.  You can test this by placing the finger over the end of the pet cock.  If a vacuum forms it will draw the flesh of the finger into the opening.

12.  Remove jars from canner and tighten lids as soon as canner is opened.

BREAKAGE OF JARS

When breakage of jars occurs it is due to such causes as these: 

1.  Overpacking jars.  Corn, pumpkin and sweet potatoes swell or expand in processing.  Do not quite fill jars with these products.

2.  Placing cold jars in hot water or vice versa.  As soon as jars are filled with hot sirup or hot water, place immediately in the canner.

3.  Having the wire bail of glass top jars too tight.

4.  In steam canner, having too much water in the canner.  The water should not come above the tray.

5.  Cold draft striking the jars when they are removed from the canner.

6.  Wire spring too tight, thus breaking jar when contents expand.

MOLD ON CANNED PRODUCTS

Mold may result from one or more of the following: 

1.  Leaky rubbers or defective joints.

2.  Removing tops from the jars at the end of sterilizing period and substituting new rubbers, without returning the jars to the canning outfit for at least a few minutes.

3.  If the jars are kept in a damp cellar where the rubbers may decompose, mold may enter through these decomposed rubbers.

ACIDITY OF TOMATOES AFTER CANNING

Too great a degree of acidity in canned tomatoes may be due to climatic conditions or overripe or underripe product.  Such acidity can be corrected by adding 1/4 teaspoonful of baking soda to one quart of tomatoes.

WATER REQUIREMENTS FOR HOME CANNING

The hardening of beans, peas and some other products after cooking or processing, or the turning of green vegetables to a dark or russet color usually indicates that the water contains too high a percentage of mineral matter.  Water used for canning purposes should be pure, soft if possible or as free from objectionable and excessive qualities of mineral matter as possible.  If you are to can any large quantity of food products and have difficulty with the water available, it would be well for you to have the water analyzed and for you to secure the advice of some one at your college of agriculture.