Water Bath Canning - Ask Extension
After water bath canning apple pie filling, I noticed some residue seeping out from the lids and around the rings when I removed them after cooling. T...
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Water Bath Canning #945614
Asked September 22, 2026, 1:03 PM EDT
After water bath canning apple pie filling, I noticed some residue seeping out from the lids and around the rings when I removed them after cooling. They all have “sealed”, but could they not actually be sealed? One jar has also looks like the pie filling has “dropped” further into the jar whereas the others it looks like the filling is suctioned up. Would this be normal? And lastly, I debubbled every jar but some of them look like they have air bubbles in them. Would they still be safe to eat?
Jackson County Oregon
Expert Response
Thank you for your question!
Yes, it is safe to eat as long as the jars are properly sealed. We recommend scrubbing the lids and jars really well and testing the seal by gently holding the jar by the flat lid. Make sure you have waited the required 24 hours before testing the seal. If the jar is not properly sealed, the lid will come loose while washing the jar.
The bubbles are caused by air in the apples, and Clear Jel can also cause bubbles to form. This does not mean the product is unsafe to consume.
We recommend using the jar with the large headspace first.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
