Canned pork loin 2.5 hours and lost 5lbs pressure - Ask Extension
I made a big mistake. I lost track of time and my pressure. I ended up canning my pork loin for and hour over the 1 hour 30 minutes required. It held ...
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Canned pork loin 2.5 hours and lost 5lbs pressure #781277
Asked February 04, 2022, 1:44 PM EST
I made a big mistake. I lost track of time and my pressure. I ended up canning my pork loin for and hour over the 1 hour 30 minutes required. It held 10lbs pressure for the first hour and 20 minutes. The last hour and 10 minutes it was slowly dropping pressure and when I got to it, it was at 5lbs pressure. I’m not sure how long it was at 5lbs. I shut it off and let it cool in the canner overnight, this morning I’m unsure if it’s safe to eat or if i should re can it? Also I have canned at least 100 batches of poultry pork and beef and have never seen my jars cooled to a Luke warm temperature and bubbling on the inside but these are. It looks as if the fat is separating and floating to the top but that’s just my assumption it looks kinda scary and I’m unsure if it’s safe or if this is normal?
Lane County Oregon
Expert Response
You have an interesting question. I personally would not eat it if it were mine. It is funny, I was on a zoom with my Master Food Preserver volunteers this morning and read your question to them and ask for input. These were some of their comments:
If you had a dial gauge canner and were canning at elevations below 2000 feet you should have used 11# pressure not 10. Then not doing it at the right pressure for the full time was risky even though the food was in the canner way longer than needed at a lower pressure. It is the time temperature ratio that is important to kill the spores of botulism. Also leaving in the canner overnight is not recommended because the heat loving bacteria that were not killed can multiply and cause spoilage.
As for the bubbling, that probably is vacuum in the jar. That does happen from time to time. If the jars sealed and didn't come unsealed then it is probably vacuum, not bacterial spoilage. If they come unsealed then it is gas and it would be spoilage.
I think to be safe I would not consume the product. Sometimes we make costly mistakes but getting sick is not fun and can cost much more if you have to go to the doctor.
Thanks for using Ask Extension.
Nellie Oehler
If you had a dial gauge canner and were canning at elevations below 2000 feet you should have used 11# pressure not 10. Then not doing it at the right pressure for the full time was risky even though the food was in the canner way longer than needed at a lower pressure. It is the time temperature ratio that is important to kill the spores of botulism. Also leaving in the canner overnight is not recommended because the heat loving bacteria that were not killed can multiply and cause spoilage.
As for the bubbling, that probably is vacuum in the jar. That does happen from time to time. If the jars sealed and didn't come unsealed then it is probably vacuum, not bacterial spoilage. If they come unsealed then it is gas and it would be spoilage.
I think to be safe I would not consume the product. Sometimes we make costly mistakes but getting sick is not fun and can cost much more if you have to go to the doctor.
Thanks for using Ask Extension.
Nellie Oehler
