Why does Fruit Float?
Floatation occurs frequently and naturally in canned fruits and vegetables. Although it may be visually unappealing, it is not dangerous by any means. There are, however, some steps that you can take to keep your home canned food looking as good as it taste. TO AVOID FLOATING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, YOU SHOULD: • Use fully ripe, unblemished produce. Do not use overripe produce. • Pack produce firmly into jars. Straight-sided jars allow produce to float. Using jars with “shoulders” helps hold food down in the jars. • Avoid too heavy of a syrup. Decrease the sugar concentration the next time if you feel that it has contributed to floatation. • Process only for the time indicated in recipe. Over-processing will cook the natural pectin in fruits unnecessarily and damage it. Pectin helps fruits hold their shape. • Process foods using a boiling water canner unless a pressure canner is indicated in the recipe. Pressure canning high acid foods may over-cook them and lead to more floatation. • H
