And while I'm asking questions, I bought two cans of water chestnuts. I left them on the kitchen

C

curious1

Well-known member
counter. A few minutes later, I heard two fairly loud pops, kind of like home-canned goods make when the jar seals. When I got back to the water chestnuts, both cans had slightly bulging tops. I lightly pressed on one and it went back to the original shape, but I took both of them back.

If they had actually been bad, would the top have gone back to it's original shape? The only other explanation I can come up with is that they were in a sack that had gone into a cooler, so they were chilled when they came into the house. Could that have caused it? It seems odd they both bulged at the same time.

A few months ago, I picked up a can on the store shelf that was bulging. Has anyone else had a problem with water chestnuts?

 
Do NOT eat ANYTHING from a can/jar that is bulging or that pops. . .

Cooling should not make one difference. If they bulge (or slightly bulge) or pop, they are not sealed, and ARE NOT safe for consumption.

Yes, the top can bulge up and down according to temperature, EVEN IF the contents are bad--the can is not sealed, do no use! Sometimes if you look at a bulging can you will see discoloration around the rim, black looking, and with bulging this means the seal has been compromised. Also, sometimes those cans can get banged on the rims, and you might not see it, but the seal will be again compromised and the can will bulge.

You did exactly what you should when purchasing a can that you find is bulging -- you took it back immediately for a refund.

Home canned or Commercially canned: WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT! Be safe.

There, now I am stepping off my Master Food Preserver soapbox!

 
"When in doubt, throw it out" is my credo too! Although I haven't purchased

any bulging canned goods, I've stayed clear of bulging frozen items such as entrées I saw at an Indian grocer in PA or in supermarkets. The bulging package signifies that it was defrosted and refrozen. Very-very bad!

 
There was no question about using them. I'm curious if anyone else has this problem. 3 cans in as

many months makes me wonder what's going on. And why were the cans fine until I brought them home, then they both bulged at the same time. It's a conundrum.

 
I have had this happen with cans, but only . . .

after sitting for a LONG while, and usually I can see where there might be a problem with the seal.

Water Chestuts are usually packed in the orient. More of a poor quality control there?

Were all of the cans from the same brand? I wonder if they were from the same packer . . .

 
Just a guess here. I wonder if the water chestnuts were already in a stage of decomposition

on the shelf at the store.

Maybe the change in temperature from being chilled and then to room temperature again just aggravated the current state so as to bulge the lids due to "expansion and contraction" law?

 
That's what I'm curious about. I couldn't believe they bulged simultaneously. I believe it had to

do with the chilling as you said. Thanks for the link.

 
I don't think the first was the same brand as the last two. It was definitely bulged, much more

than these two. They had just a slight domed appearance, that's why I wondered if it was a benign cause. When I've seen tomatoes that were bulged, there was no way it could have been pushed back like that. I googled and googled and didn't find any reports or discussions of this.

 
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