I put a dozen or so habaneros into a small canning jar and covered with distilled white vinegar. After about a week there is some black stuff, kind of like black sand on the rim of the jar. I tasted the vinegar and it's tasty and didn't kill me, but I'm curious if anyone knows what that stuff is? Is the lid corroding or something?
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Pique question
- Thread starter ironmonkey
- Start date
salsalady
Business Member
Hi 'Monkey, Welcome to the forum! ...and Howdy NW neighbor!
I'm not a canning expert (and I don't even play one on TV
) but I've seen that black stuff on different canned stuff. Tomatoes, peaches, salsa... My non-expert opinion is that it is something reacting to the ring or the lid.
Is it outside the lid on the jar or ring or is it inside the jar under the lid?
If it's inside, replace the lid after carefully wiping out all the bad stuff.
If it's outside the lid, it seems to occur when the ring and the top of the jar aren't cleaned after the "stuff" is put into the jars. And it could be just the little bits that didn't get cleaned off the jar that are molding as opposed to reacting with the jar ring. But since you are dealing with vinegar, I'd lean towards the reacting opinion.
I have some homemade dressing that has vinegar in it that I put in a pint jar with a lid and ring and it's getting black stuff on the outside of the jar threads and that jar has been refrigerated, so I doubt it's mold. If the lid is good, I don't think you'll see the stuff on the inside of the lid or in the jar. You didn't say if you "canned" the habs, so I'm guessing they are just soaking. Try removing the ring and lid, wash the ring and lid and carefully wash the jar top also.
I'm just curious, did you "open" the chiles when you put them into the vinegar? I mean, are they whole peppers that the vinegar can't get to the inside of the chile, or are they "open" somewhere so the vinegar can get inside the chile also?
I'm not a canning expert (and I don't even play one on TV
) but I've seen that black stuff on different canned stuff. Tomatoes, peaches, salsa... My non-expert opinion is that it is something reacting to the ring or the lid. Is it outside the lid on the jar or ring or is it inside the jar under the lid?
If it's inside, replace the lid after carefully wiping out all the bad stuff.
If it's outside the lid, it seems to occur when the ring and the top of the jar aren't cleaned after the "stuff" is put into the jars. And it could be just the little bits that didn't get cleaned off the jar that are molding as opposed to reacting with the jar ring. But since you are dealing with vinegar, I'd lean towards the reacting opinion.
I have some homemade dressing that has vinegar in it that I put in a pint jar with a lid and ring and it's getting black stuff on the outside of the jar threads and that jar has been refrigerated, so I doubt it's mold. If the lid is good, I don't think you'll see the stuff on the inside of the lid or in the jar. You didn't say if you "canned" the habs, so I'm guessing they are just soaking. Try removing the ring and lid, wash the ring and lid and carefully wash the jar top also.
I'm just curious, did you "open" the chiles when you put them into the vinegar? I mean, are they whole peppers that the vinegar can't get to the inside of the chile, or are they "open" somewhere so the vinegar can get inside the chile also?
I did not can them. Just covered them with vinegar and twisted the top on. The black stuff is on the rim of the jar and the ring. When I took the lid off the other day some of the black speckles fell into the vinegar/habs. The habs are opened up. I think I may just blend it all up, and refrigerate it.
