What to do with cucumbers whose jar has burst

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It is a shame when carefully prepared and canned vegetables present a surprise in the form of a broken lid. Cucumbers especially often “sin” with this. The first thing that comes to mind is to send the failed blanks to the trash can. But you should not rush, especially if you replace spoiled cucumbers with nothing.

Why cans explode

Most often, the cause is lactic acid bacteria. They are everywhere — in the air, on the surface of objects and products.

When they get to the jar, they begin active life, resulting in the formation of carbon dioxide. It is he who creates the pressure that tears off the lid.

Important: the article refers to a situation where the lids break off within 2-3 weeks after closing.

Are cucumbers from an exploded can dangerous?

Many people believe that you can get poisoned by cucumbers that have “exploded”. However, lactic acid bacteria do not harm humans. They are the ones involved in the fermentation process, for example, of cabbage.

There is a risk that other microorganisms will get into the can. But this happens much less often.

It is easy to distinguish “useful” fermentation – the cucumbers become sour and smell pleasantly, as if they were fermented. If the smell is unpleasant or strange, but the cucumbers have not soured, it is better to throw away the contents of the cans.

Everyone decides for themselves whether it is worth taking the risk of consuming canned goods that have exploded. It is only possible to find out exactly what caused such a reaction in laboratory conditions. But it should be remembered that the absence of fermentation is a more alarming sign than its presence.

Can you pickle again?

If the lid was torn off a few days after sunset, and the cucumbers have not fermented and smell pleasantly of the marinade, then they can be rolled up again.

You need to take the cucumbers out of the jars and rinse them thoroughly. Then take clean jars, put the cucumbers in them and pour boiling water over them. Let them stand for a few minutes, drain the water and bring to a boil. Prepare a new marinade from this water, taking the ingredients from the recipe and halving the dosage.

In a three-liter jar, you need to throw two crushed aspirin pills and pour fresh marinade over it. Roll it up, turn it over and wrap it with a blanket for gradual cooling.

Aspirin will disinfect the contents, even if bacteria have entered it.

Some housewives do without aspirin. They increase the dose of vinegar or citric acid, pour the marinade into the jar three times, and then roll it up. This option is suitable for those who like spicy preparations.

There is an opinion that the cause of the lid breaking off may be the causative agent of botulism. But botulism is so insidious that it does not manifest itself in any way. An infected jar will stand, the taste and color of the contents will not change. Rarely, the lid may swell, a cloudy precipitate may appear, but most often no signs are observed.