Aluminum pot problem

[MariaAZ]

I posted this in the cooking forum but thought maybe someone who doesn't visit there might be able to help.

I canned some applesauce (water bath method) in an aluminum pot today. When I opened the lid after the prescribed time, the water was dark and the jars covered in a white mineral deposit. I dumped the water into the sink and it left the same deposit behind. The inside of the pot now has a dark deposit.

I'm not worried about the jars as they sealed just fine (although I had to scrub the deposit off), but I want to make sure this doesn't happen again. I'm figuring it's some oxidation situation but want to know what I need to do to clean things up. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[Paquebot]

The white stuff was more than likely lime or whatever other minerals you have down there. A tablespoon or two of distilled vinegar should be added to the water in your water bath. (Same applies to water in pressure canners.)

Martin

[Nevada]

Originally Posted by MariaAZ

I'm figuring it's some oxidation situation but want to know what I need to do to clean things up. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I doubt that it's hard water deposit, since you did your heat cycle with the lid on. With the lid in place I doubt that you evaporated enough water to generate as much lime as you describe. Moreover, lime wouldn't have turned dark.

It's alumina (aluminum oxide) for sure. I'm not sure why you're generating so much if it, but I suspect that it's something in your local tap water. If it's a clean-up problem then try some bottled water next time to see if that helps.

[stranger]

after you have used the pot once and it gets that dull dark coat on the inside, just leave it there, don't scrub it off and polish with a brillo pad, just wash it with soap and a dish rag.

[Buttermilk]

We don,t cook any food in aluminum cook ware ever. aluminum contributes to poor health.

[fin29]

She waterbathed a product, so the aluminum health concerns are moot.

You're going to have oxidation in your pot regardless. During the canning process some product may leak out of the lid when the jar exhausts air as the vacuum is formed. That's why you may smell the product you're canning while it's processing, even though it's sealed inside jars.

As far as the white stuff goes, chances are they're just calcium deposits from your water. Many people add a couple tablespoons of white vinegar to the water to prevent the deposits. You may worry that the vinegar will discolor your pan even further, but the pan's just going to turn a dark gray color anyway, and once it gets to that point, it won't get any better or worse.

[Callieslamb]

The vinegar will pit the rings of your jars and then they will rust quickly.

I would use vinegar on the outsides of the jar after you take them out of the canner.

ETA- you might also try using bottled water to can in if you have hard water.

[poorboy]

Originally Posted by Callieslamb

The vinegar will pit the rings of your jars and then they will rust quickly.

I would use vinegar on the outsides of the jar after you take them out of the canner.

ETA- you might also try using bottled water to can in if you have hard water.

Rainbarrel and save water for waterbathing and other non mineral uses, Isee it's AZ so its most likely alkali .

[MariaAZ]

Oh yes, we have VERY hard water here. Truth is, I've seen a little bit of deposit on jars when using my stainless steel (too shallow though for canning pints) However, not anywhere NEAR like this last time! I'm glad to hear it is a normal occurrance though, since this isn't the first time I've used the aluminum pot but it IS the first time I've seen this horrid deposit problem.

[fin29]

Originally Posted by Callieslamb

The vinegar will pit the rings of your jars and then they will rust quickly.

I would use vinegar on the outsides of the jar after you take them out of the canner.

ETA- you might also try using bottled water to can in if you have hard water.

Half an hour in a very diluted vinegar solution won't pit the rings. Rings will only rust if they're left on the jars with moisture collected underneath or stored in a damp place. Frankly, if you're leaving your screw bands on your finished product during storage, you've got bigger problems than rusty bands.

[fin29]

I guess I should qualify my last statement with a "collectively" when I refer to "you."

I also wanted to add that vinegar makes an excellent cleaner for aluminum, tin, and rust removal.

[Callieslamb]

Originally Posted by fin29

Half an hour in a very diluted vinegar solution won't pit the rings. Rings will only rust if they're left on the jars with moisture collected underneath or stored in a damp place. Frankly, if you're leaving your screw bands on your finished product during storage, you've got bigger problems than rusty bands.

not true, unfortunately. The only time I have had rings rust is when I used a TBL of vinegar in the water. Brand new rings - rusted with in a short time. Not from the inside where the threads are.

No need to be nasty. You have no idea who I am or what troubles I have. If found that remark to be unnecessary.

The recommended way to can IS to leave the rings on the jar. Jostling jars on the shelf can cause them to come unsealed. Improperly sealing a jar can cause the food inside to rot, popping the lid off also - that's quite a mess on a shelf.....

[MariaAZ]

I just looked at the city's water quality report, the pH varies between 6.5 & 8.5, so it seems like we waver between slightly acidic and slightly basic. Total dissolved solids as of the last report was 500 ppm.

Just for grins I'm going to boil water in the pot with an empty glass jar (no lid or band) and a bit of vinegar and see what happens.

[fin29]

Originally Posted by Callieslamb

No need to be nasty. You have no idea who I am or what troubles I have. If found that remark to be unnecessary.

The recommended way to can IS to leave the rings on the jar. Jostling jars on the shelf can cause them to come unsealed. Improperly sealing a jar can cause the food inside to rot, popping the lid off also - that's quite a mess on a shelf.....

I wasn't being nasty. In fact, I realized after reading my post that it might come across that way, so I took the time to amend my comments to be clearer.

In terms of storing jars with the bands on, that's just not the recommended method at all--by anyone. If your jostled jars come unsealed, then the seal wasn't good to begin with and be thankful that it did come unsealed. You should be able to hold a full quart jar by the lid if your seal is good. Secondly, screw bands mask a bad seal. If you have a bad jar of food, it's better for the lid to pop off early in the spoiling process as gases start to build up, rather than being held in place by the screw band and building up to the point at which the lid explodes off or the jar itself explodes. Third, rings that rust can cause seals to pop and the best way to rust out your rings is to leave them on jars. The only purpose of screw bands is to hold the lid in place as the seal is forming in the canner. After removal, bands should be washed and dried before storage. I store mine on a clothes hanger--just pry open, slide the rings on, then hook it back shut. Cover with a plastic grocery bag tied at the bottom and hang.

Here's some info:
"Should screw bands be left on jars of canned foods during storage?

Jar rings, or screw bands, should definitely be removed before storing jars because some spoilage organisms produce gas causing the lid to swell and come unsealed. If jar rings are removed before storage, it is easy to see if lids have come unsealed. Additionally, if enough internal pressure is present and rings are left on, jars may burst. Remember not to remove rings or disturb jars in any way for 12 to 24 hours after heat processing. The vacuum inside jars gets stronger over the 12 hours after heat processing. Leaving the ring on during this period helps the vacuum form."
Barbara Willenberg, Nutritional Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia

foodsafetysite.com:
"If sealed, carefully remove screw bands. If a band sticks, loosen it by covering, it for a moment with a hot, damp cloth. Bands left on jars during storage may rust, making later removal difficult."

National Center for Home Food Preservation:
"If lids are tightly vacuum sealed on cooled jars, remove screw bands, wash the lid and jar to remove food residue; then rinse and dry jars."

Lancaster County Extension Service:
"Remove screw bands from jars and wash jars before storing. Properly sealed jars do not need the bands on to hold the lids in place. Screw bands can rust if left on the jars in storage causing the seals to break."

[paintlady]

This is a hard water problem. A tbsp of vinegar in the water bath water should fix it.

[Pony]

I always splash a bit of vinegar into the processing water when I water bath or pressure can. I've not had an issue with pitting in the past 20+ years of canning, and I can tell you that I always err on the side of generosity when I splash the vinegar into the canner.

As for the other matter, I have NEVER left the rings on after processing. Every instructional from my old 1940's Kerr Canning Guide to the latest issue of the Ball Blue Book clearly states that, 24 hours after processing, the rings are to be removed, the jars washed in hot soapy water, the seals on the lids tested, and THEN the jars go into storage.

That's why you can buy the lids without the rings. We always have extra rings here. (I keep mine on re-bent wire coat hangers.)