Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Questions or Comments

I wanted everyone to know that questions or comments are welcome.  It has been nice to get a couple very kind comments.  If anyone has any questions about canning or food preservation I would be more than happy to answer them.  If I do not readily know the answer from my own experiences and learning what works and what doesn't, then I will do my best to research an answer.  The whole reason I put this blog up was to help educate and to pass on my own experiences and to help others.  It would help me greatly in knowing what my readers want to know about.  Thank you to everyone...

2 comments:

  1. So glad you asked. I've been canning for 30 plus years and have tried to keep up with the changing times. No more open kettle etc. But the lastest has got me a little worried and so its great I can pass it by someone else who cans. Its regarding canning tomatoes now adays. With the new type of tomatoes being low acid and USDA now wants us to pressure can (pain in tush but I'm fine with that) what about my tomatoes I've canned last year (I still have a few jars). Now my question (sure took me a while to get here)Can you cook botcholism out of tom sauce? Not saying my tomatoes have it as I take all precauion but just to be safe. I've looked on the net and I've seen that boiling it for 3 mims or 30 mims but no solid info from sites I'd feel good about trusting. So whats your thought on this?

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  2. You can water bath the new hybrid tomatoes as long as you add some citric acid. If you used heritage tomatoes like Romas you should be good without adding anything (that is what I canned this year). It is the hybrids that are low acid. Also if you added celery, peppers or anything like that you should always pressure can. Personally I prefer to pressure can. If you have 2 canners going at a time in succession (one gets done and the other goes on the stove) then you can do 20 pints at one time in each pot. I always pressure pretty much every thing unless it is pickles, catsup (it has vinegar) jelly or fruit. Better to be safe than sorry. As far as cooking out botulism you must bring it to 240 degrees to kill the spores and the only way to do that would be with pressure. If you are unsure I would reccomend re-processing the jars in a pressure canner. I have on many occasion double processed with good results. I know the usual norm is not to, but like I said I have many times and could not tell a difference in something like a sauce that is not going to have a mushy over cooked problem.

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