Signs of Spoiled Food

As a home canner, being observant is important!
Check your home canned foods before consuming them.
Know what the signs of potential danger are.

Sometimes things just don't go right and you pull out some of your of lovingly canned home goods to find they just don't seem right. Here's a list of signs to look for when examining your canned goods. If any of these conditions exist, discard the contents of your jar and sterilize your jars before reusing.

Signs of Spoiled Food:

1. The food looks bubbly.

2. The lid lost its seal (push down on the center of the lid with your finger. If it moves, it's not sealed).

3. It's a weird color (there might be some color loss when canning, especially as the jars age, but the color should look more faded, not 'off' or oddly colored).

4. The top bulges.

5. It smells weird when you open it.

6. It squirts out when you open it.

7. The color isn't uniform--there are spots or pockets that are a different color.

8. There's scum on top.

9. The liquid part is cloudy.

10. There's white, green, blue or black growth on the top or on the lid.

(Remember, botulism shows no signs of spoilage. Be sure to practice safe home canning procedures.)

For more information about safe canning practices and canning processing, check out these other pages.