Resist overpacking your jars

While it can be tempting to do so, don’t overpack your jars. Depending on which vegetables you’re pickling, jamming too many into a jar can create a situation where you won’t be able to extract the contents once the jar is processed because the vegetables are so tightly packed. Additionally, pasteurizing depends on brine circulation, so you’ll want to leave enough space for the brine to move freely in the jar.