Just wanted to post an update. I identified something new about my problem.

I noticed that my liquid loss is coming much earlier. I checked my cans even before I changed the pressure whatsoever and I noticed food was gushing and spilling over into the canner.

Does this mean my rings are too tight, too loose? Contents are being packed too densely? What could it be?

Thanks.

How careful are you with headspace?

happy camper, I don't have an answer to your questions, but if it helps at all, I always get some siphoning, more with some foods than with others. Greens seem to be a particular issue for me.

I've been canning for over 50 years, I follow the most up to date instructions, have used a Presto, a Mirro and an All American. I'm diligent about head space, about removing air bubbles, about packing, about the addition of liquid, about bringing up to pressure slowly. It still happens.

I'm confused a little about the second post, though. How can you check the jars for liquid loss before you can change pressure? If you are up to pressure, you can't remove the canner lid. Did you vent the canner, then remove the lid before coming up to pressure? Or am I just hopelessly confused?

Annie

Thanks for the responses you two.

Lilyd, i am very careful with headspace. I measure every single time with a canning measuring ruler.

Annie, can you tell me how much you lose? With liquid foods, i seem to lose less but still a decent amount. With more solid foods i lost a lot more. For example, i pressure canned a monkey butter(pineapple, coconur, banana) which is denser and lost almost a quarter of product in one jar. Very frustrating. I almost wanted to save the pot liquid and eat it because so much spilled into the pot. *sigh

Your last narration is correct. I was in the process of venting the canner, not even for the full 10 minutes yet, so still at 0 pressure, and realized i forgot something. So then I lifted the lid inmediately and saw that the canner water was discolored from product spilling out. All the cans had food pushing up against the lid, some has food already leaking out, and the head space that i initially measured was reduced to 0 on all cans.