Question 15 • FL-8500355-Nutrition and Wellness (IS)
Making spaghetti sauce with her grandmother, Isabella goes to the cellar to get a jar of canned tomatoes from last summer. When she opens the jar of tomatoes, she hears a ‘pop!’ Startled, Isabella looks at her grandmother to see if she did something wrong. Isabella’s grandmother tells her that the ‘pop’ means the tomatoes are still good. If the jar hadn’t made that sound, what would this MOST likely indicate?
Answer
A
The jar had not been heated enough to kill microorganisms.
B
The jar’s lid had not created a vacuum seal to keep out microorganisms.
C
The tomatoes had not completely fermented while stored in the jar.
D
Salt or sugar had been left out of the mixture during canning.
Explanation
As a sealed jar cools after canning, the contents contract and create a vacuum that holds the lid tightly in place. Opening the jar breaks that seal and lets air in, often making a “pop.” If there were no pop, the lid may not have formed a vacuum seal, which could allow microorganisms to enter and spoil the tomatoes. Therefore, the best answer is B: the jar’s lid had not created a vacuum seal to keep out microorganisms.
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