Kilner jar question

I used some kilner jars with glass lids held down by an orange screw cap a few days ago. I know my metal lids have sealed because the little dimple pops down. How can I tell if a glass lid has sealed?

Also, how do you get the orange screw caps off if you've done them up too tightly? Just given up struggling with it!

 

I have a couple with the orange screw lids ... sadly I have to ask t'other half to unscrew them ...

 

If the rubber seal is new or anyway in good order and the clip metal bit works fine the jars should seal properly. If not i imagine you would see some bubbling when you immerse them in water.

If a screw top is done up too tightly insert a pointy knife under it and lift only enough to hear a little pop. Then it should come undone easily.

I probably did not catch exactly what you wanted to know but i tried.

 

I've been preserving again, this time I tried bean & tomato stew, pleased as I am with how easy it is to bottle stewed apple etc. I also cheated by using Bonne Maman jars instead of kilner jars.

Most of them have been OK but two have fermented, i.e. been bubbling when I opened the jar. They didn't smell bad but I haven't eaten the contents anyway seeing as the stew was made 6 weeks ago.

Seeing as fermentation is a natural process, used in sour dough, sauerkraut and many other foods, is it, in theory, safe to eat? What are the by-products of this sort of fermentation? Are my beans alcoholic? Will there be toxins as in bacterial spoilage? Should I screw the lid down again (one jar is now in the fridge) or is that asking for trouble? Can I just let it carry on bubbling like a sourdough starter? What will happen when the yeasts have eaten all the beans?

Only one way to find out some of these things....

 

Ziggy is handy, and not fussy, for those sorts of experiments

 

OK Zigs, wanna try some of my bean vodka??