flat sour

American  

noun

1. fermentation occurring in canned foods after sealing.

2. canned food so fermented.

---

Etymology

Origin of flat sour

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Little is known of the kind of organism producing flat sour.

From School and Home Cooking by Greer, Carlotta Cherryholmes

If the vegetables have been picked for some time and the bacteria have had a chance "to work," and you are not exceedingly careful about your canning, you may develop "flat sour" in the soup.

From Every Step in Canning by Gray, Grace Viall

This slow method of cooling not only tends to create "flat sour," but it is apt to result in cloudy-looking jars and in mushy vegetables.

From Every Step in Canning by Gray, Grace Viall

This "flat sour," which is not at all dangerous from the standpoint of health, must not be confused with the botulinus bacteria, which is an entirely different thing.

From Every Step in Canning by Gray, Grace Viall

Unless this is done, they will develop a bad flavor because of flat sour, a condition that results from the action of certain bacteria.

From Woman's Institute Library of Cookery Volume 5: Fruit and Fruit Desserts; Canning and Drying; Jelly Making, Preserving and Pickling; Confections; Beverages; the Planning of Meals by Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences