I made applesauce about a month ago. All seven quart jars sealed and I
put them in the basement (rings removed) after about two days in the
kitchen. (I even did Barb's test of lifting them by the lid [over a
towel] to see if the lid holds.) Today as I was making room on my
shelves for more preserves, I noticed that the applesauce was black on
top in one jar. I checked all the seals, and they are all bad. I am so
bummed!

I have never had a whole batch of stuff fail before. Likely problems?

connieconnie wrote:
I made applesauce about a month ago. All seven quart jars sealed and I
put them in the basement (rings removed) after about two days in the
kitchen. (I even did Barb's test of lifting them by the lid [over a
towel] to see if the lid holds.) Today as I was making room on my
shelves for more preserves, I noticed that the applesauce was black on
top in one jar. I checked all the seals, and they are all bad. I am so
bummed!

I have never had a whole batch of stuff fail before. Likely problems?

Sounds like bad sealing compound on the lids.
Ellen

ellen wickberg wrote:

connieconnie wrote:
I made applesauce about a month ago. All seven quart jars sealed and I
put them in the basement (rings removed) after about two days in the
kitchen. (I even did Barb's test of lifting them by the lid [over a
towel] to see if the lid holds.) Today as I was making room on my
shelves for more preserves, I noticed that the applesauce was black on
top in one jar. I checked all the seals, and they are all bad. I am so
bummed!

I have never had a whole batch of stuff fail before. Likely problems?

Sounds like bad sealing compound on the lids.
Ellen

I had this happen to several jars on a package of old lids I got on sale. No
telling how old they were. Or how long I kept them after that. I mark my lid
boxes with the mo/yr I buy them.
Edrena

"connieconnie" ) writes:
I made applesauce about a month ago. All seven quart jars sealed and I
put them in the basement (rings removed) after about two days in the
kitchen. (I even did Barb's test of lifting them by the lid [over a
towel] to see if the lid holds.) Today as I was making room on my
shelves for more preserves, I noticed that the applesauce was black on
top in one jar. I checked all the seals, and they are all bad. I am so
bummed!

I can imagine lids lifting due to changes in air pressure and temperature.
The strength of the interior vacuum would depend on the volume of air and
the temperature when it was formed. Not only the air pocket but the volume
of the contents would vary withhe weather. I always use the lids and screw
them down snug but not really tight, for insurance. I'd scoop off the
mould, reheat, and recan the contnets.

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William R. Watt wrote:
I can imagine lids lifting due to changes in air pressure and temperature.
The strength of the interior vacuum would depend on the volume of air and
the temperature when it was formed. Not only the air pocket but the volume
of the contents would vary withhe weather. I always use the lids and screw
them down snug but not really tight, for insurance. I'd scoop off the
mould, reheat, and recan the contnets.

Ack! Don't!

Visible growth is one obvious sign of contamination, but visible growth
isn't the contamination itself.

Scraping, reheating and recanning will not guarantee the demise of the
contaminant. Canning can be tricky business to start with, so why take more
chances when you know a problem already exists.

It's a shame and a waste, but I'd toss the whole lot. Next time, start with
brand new lids with fresh flexible sealing compound, don't expose your lids
to high heat during prep, mind how much you handle your jars/lids/product
during packing, obey processing time scrupulously, and store the jars in the
cool and dark once processed.

pennyaline wrote:

William R. Watt wrote:

... I'd scoop off the mould, reheat, and recan the contnets.

Ack! Don't!

Visible growth is one obvious sign of contamination, but visible
growth isn't the contamination itself.

Scraping, reheating and recanning will not guarantee the demise of
the contaminant.

What lives past boiling point? If the jars weren't sealed, then
botulism isn't an issue and applesauce is fairly high acid to begin with...

B/

"William R. Watt" wrote:

"connieconnie" ) writes:
I made applesauce about a month ago. All seven quart jars sealed and I
put them in the basement (rings removed) after about two days in the
kitchen. (I even did Barb's test of lifting them by the lid [over a
towel] to see if the lid holds.) Today as I was making room on my
shelves for more preserves, I noticed that the applesauce was black on
top in one jar. I checked all the seals, and they are all bad. I am so
bummed!

I can imagine lids lifting due to changes in air pressure and temperature.
The strength of the interior vacuum would depend on the volume of air and
the temperature when it was formed. Not only the air pocket but the volume
of the contents would vary withhe weather. I always use the lids and screw
them down snug but not really tight, for insurance. I'd scoop off the
mould, reheat, and recan the contnets.
William R Watt

I wonder if the product went bad, produced gasses, then the seals popped. Was your
applesauce tart enuf? Did you BWB to specs & altitude? Personally, I would not
reuse a moldy product. Some molds taste bad and your product might be nasty.
Edrena

William R. Watt wrote:
"connieconnie" ) writes:

I made applesauce about a month ago. All seven quart jars sealed and I
put them in the basement (rings removed) after about two days in the
kitchen. (I even did Barb's test of lifting them by the lid [over a
towel] to see if the lid holds.) Today as I was making room on my
shelves for more preserves, I noticed that the applesauce was black on
top in one jar. I checked all the seals, and they are all bad. I am so
bummed!


I can imagine lids lifting due to changes in air pressure and temperature.
The strength of the interior vacuum would depend on the volume of air and
the temperature when it was formed. Not only the air pocket but the volume
of the contents would vary withhe weather. I always use the lids and screw
them down snug but not really tight, for insurance. I'd scoop off the
mould, reheat, and recan the contnets.

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William R Watt National Capital FreeNet Ottawa's free community network
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It is possible that the mold has already had a chance to put mycotoxins
( some carcinogenic) into the apple sauce. I think that a better
suggestion is to chuck it ( sadly) just as you would moldy jams or
jellies. At least that is usually Health Canada's suggestion.
Ellen

I guess it could have been bad sealing compound on the lids--I'm not
good about noting when I bought them. Also, in doing research, possibly
too much head space.

I tossed the whole batch; didn't even want to let the chickens eat it
for fear it would kill them! When you read about cleaning up after
contamination, wow, although I threw out the lids (obviously), I didn't
bury the old applesauce (just composted it) or completely sterilize
everything that came into contact with it. I'm making more applesauce,
so I just don't want it to happen again.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

"connieconnie" ) writes:

I tossed the whole batch; didn't even want to let the chickens eat it
for fear it would kill them! When you read about cleaning up after
contamination, wow, although I threw out the lids (obviously), I didn't
bury the old applesauce (just composted it) or completely sterilize
everything that came into contact with it.

I doubt with current environmental regulations that you could even sell the
house and move away. They'd make you come back and clean it up.

I guess I'm more tolerant of plant life having spent time on a farm with
no electricty and only ice cut from the lake in winter for keeping food
cool in summer, and drinking from a shallow hand dug well lined with stone
and a resident frog, and cutting mould off cheeze and cured meat and
eating it (the meat and cheeze, not the mould), and running barefoot
around a barnyard full of cow pats and horse balls. If it doesn't smell
real bad and hasn't been sitting around for weeks I'd pick off the mould
and eat or recook the applesauce. I'd probably draw the line at giving it
to anybody as a gift, anybody outside the family anyway.

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connieconnie wrote:
I guess it could have been bad sealing compound on the lids--I'm not
good about noting when I bought them. Also, in doing research, possibly
too much head space.

I tossed the whole batch; didn't even want to let the chickens eat it
for fear it would kill them! When you read about cleaning up after
contamination, wow, although I threw out the lids (obviously), I didn't
bury the old applesauce (just composted it) or completely sterilize
everything that came into contact with it. I'm making more applesauce,
so I just don't want it to happen again.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I don't think you need to worry about disposing of this as you might if
botulism were the concern. But it is good that you didn't try to use
it. I found a jar of mango peach jam with mold in it the other day, and
it was sealed!! Chucked the whole thing and sterlized the jar.
The rest of the batch was fine.
Ellen