I am going to S~C~R~E~E~E~E~A~A~M~M!!!!

There is not a whole lot of things in life that brings me any more satisfaction than my own home canned foods. Such as these Dill Pickles. Especially when I pay $5.99 for 4 new short fat pint jars just because they are so darned cute that I couldn't refuse them.

I mean my pickles just wouldn't be the same in ordinary pint jars now would they?

Cukes and dill from my garden!!

Aaaaahhhhhhh they look soooooo good!!!!!

They are just beautiful, I think so anyway, Just like a jar of Vlassic's!!

I have tried to make dill pickles in the past and they always turned out slimy.

My dearest husband being the kind man that he is asked me if I thought I might learn to make some dill pickles that were in fact edible?

Stupid man....he just might be wearing some slimy dill pickles on his head in a few weeks.

Especially if I have wasted all this time on these pickles following ALL the rules to a T and they still don't come out good.

and HERE IS THE PROBLEM!!!!!!

This is what has me screaming at the top of my lungs!!!

OH MY GOODNESSSSSSSSS!!!

I am ready to give up home canning after almost 40 years.

Remember this story last week or so.

I have done every bit of research short of calling Mr Ball or Mr Kerr and picking their brains.

I know that when you have cooked and canned for as many years as I have that anyone can get lax on certain procedures and use shortcuts where you have developed them but I do not in home canning cause it is too much hard work to have a can of food sit on the cellar shelf and spoil only to be emptied out and wash the jar to refill the next season and try it again. I hate to empty those jars too. Unless I am enjoying the food out of that jar!!

Thank goodness I almost never lose a jar of food any more like I did when I was first canning many moons ago.

These pickles were processed in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes and I timed it right down to the millisecond! I took the canned quilters advice and made sure that the water was not boiling too hard but was just right this time.

The last time this happened I was using Kerr lids on new jars and some generic Amish country store buy in bulk lids that have always been perfect.

Today I had new jars and lids that were Ball and some more generic lids that puckered just the same.

I went to this blog and followed her instructions to a T about getting the air bubbles out of the
jar too! I made sure they were not too full of pickles or liquid and the lids were adjusted by hand.

I just had an idea that maybe this has something to do with the vinegar.

The only common denominator among these batches??????

The first time this happened I was canning Peach Pickles and 2 out of 6 jars puckered but they sealed. The second time was Lime Pickles and 6 out of 11 jars puckered but sealed and today

2 out of 7 jars puckered and they just came out so I am not sure if they will seal or not. 1 jar looks like it is puckered beyond the point of returning to seal!!

Of course this is not a food that can just be ate in about a week and be ready, these pickles have to sit for 6 weeks before they are ready.

I am using white vinegar and of course different jugs cause it covers several batches...........

Please, anyone
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!

What am I doing wrong???

Update!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just called the Ball hotline @1-800-240-3340

and this very nice lady named Kim told me that I have been milking too many goats!!!

I have apparently developed some very good hand strength lately which is probably from hand milking!! She said that I am tightening down my lids on my jars to tight so the air cannot escape and therefor it buckles the lids!! OMG!!!! Why did I fret over this problem for so long and not give Miss Kim a call?

She also told me that the lids are much thinner than they used to be so we are supposed to only close the lid, not torque it down!!!!! I didn't know my own strength I guess. I didn't realize that I was screwing them down that hard because I knew that they weren't supposed to be that tight anymore. I remember Mama having Daddy tighten her jars down before she processed them so they would seal!! Times have changed!

Lesson learned!!

I have to go find something else to can now and give this a try to see if she is right!

Some lightweight canning????

Miss Kim, my newest friend is going to send me out some coupons for free can lids because of my troubles!!!! Wootwoot!!!

Free can lids????? Yes!!