Tomato sauce question, sort of OT.

[Rick]

If I understand that you are talking about tomato sauce, then you do not need a pressure cooker. One cans acidic food like tomatoes and most jellies and jams, apple butter, fruit pie fillings, crab apples, etc. in a boiling water bath. All you need is the jars, rings and lids, and a pot big enough to boil them in. A large cheap ($5.00 ~

2.5 quid) aluminum stock pot bought at a discount store is what I use. You'll need a rack that fits it (made mine from an old grill, I've used metal fencing in the past, but do not suggest galvinized materials). In theory nothing gets into the jars, but still... Also a pair of jar tongs to move the jars in and out of the hot water. If your boyfriend is handy he can make something that will do once he has seen these. However, from a safety standpoint (don't want to drop those hot jars!) they are worth buying. With this kind of set up, your canning will pay for itself the first time you do it.

Some sites:

I love canning, and usually find many people more than willing to let me pick fruit etc. that is going to waste in their yards.

-Rick

[Katra]

I hope it works out for you! :-) Others here say that just a boiling water bath will work and I'm sure that they are correct for tomatoes since they are so acidic, but I'm just going by the way mom taught me to can! She always used a pressure cooker for everything, and having it for other things is really nice!

The best yams I ever cooked for Thanksgiving were made in the pressure cooker! They came out moister and sweeter than baking, and less messy too. I swore I would cook them that way forever afterwards. 20 minutes once pressure came up and they were done perfectly.

K.

[Susan K. Wehe]

Actually no sun is required for 'sun dried' tomatoes, an oven on low does a great job, a food drier a better one and you can often find used ones at local thrift shops.

susan

"Rachael of Nex, the Wiccan Rat" wrote:

[Rachael of Nex, the Wiccan Rat]

I found that out after abit of research, yes - and now I feel somewhat foolish to think sundried really did mean *sun* dried. ;-)

BTW, all those guys who suggested canning and so forth - I took your advice and went the boiling water bath canning method. Yesteday I did my first jars of bramble jelly (blackberry jelly to the non uk'ers, I think) in the BWB and I am pretty pleased with myself.

Waiting for the tomatoes to come through for pasta sauce ! Yum !

Thanks again for the tips, folks.

Rachael

[The Watcher]

You can often find nice large pressure canners at auctions for VERY reasonable prices. Sometimes they need new gaskets or something, but often they work fine as they are. You can also find other canning supplies at auctions, too.

Not a problem for the pressure canners with the weights. ;)

[EvelynMcH]

Unless you know exactly how old the pressure canner is, ALWAYS replace the gasket. Unless you are fond of dents in the ceiling and a decor consisting of whatever was in the cooker.

Trust me. My one consulation was that it was a rental apartment and I was not in the kitchen when it happened.....took a lot of spackle to fill the dent in the ceiling. The top of the stove (where the lid landed) took a lot more work. I was very, very lucky.

-=>epm

[Glenna Rose]

If you are going to purchase a pressure cooker for canning, I suggest saving until you can purchase a full-size one (meaning for quarts vs pints). I made the mistake of buying one for pints because it was smaller and half the price. It was wasted money because it didn't have a *real* pressure gauge and I was afraid to use the chicken I canned with it not feeling comfortable with the "keep it dancing" directions for the "gauge."

If you purchase a used one (which I do not recommend), be sure to locate a facility to test it before buying it so when you buy, you can be certain the one you buy is in good condition. I remember, as a child, reading the directions with ours that said dropping one can cause undetectable damage which can result in an explosion under pressure, which, of course, is why you use them - to pressure can. As someone else mentioned, the rubber perhaps should be replaced on a used one (as well as one that has been owned by self for several years). The dropping thing is always a concern, but, hopefully, they have been properly handled before they get to us, especially if we purchase new.

Glenna

[Glenna Rose]

I have canned three of four jars of tomatoes in a stock pot when I didn't want to waste the water/heat on a full canner. Just be sure to put something in the bottom of the pan to keep the jars directly off the bottom of the pan. I used old jar rings. As long as the pan is deep enough to cover the jars with an inch or two of water, it should be fine. (Jars have to be upright.) As always, be sure to consult current canning information, through your local extension agent or FDA.

Glenna

[Glenna Rose]

Dehydrate! If you have a dehydrator, that is most efficient for doing it. However, the oven works as well.

Though I use a dehydrator (one of my wisest purchases!), if the weather is hot/sunny, I set the trays outside in the sun (covered with a sheet, tucked in as well, to keep out the bugs!) for the initial drying. At the end of the day, I move the trays to the dehydrator. That cuts down on both the power used and the heat added to the kitchen.

The advantages of having a dehydrator are many. I did dry zucchini last week and the chips are fabulous. Now with my *wonderful* (really wonderful) food processor, I can cut the slices in consistent depths so everything is ready at the same time which is also an advantage. I even tried some over-ripe cucumbers . . . not one of my better ideas, but why not try, after all, the dehydrator was going to be operating anyway.

My problem with tomatoes is that they are so good, I eat half of them before they get bagged! The same was true with plums as well as bananas (bananas not home grown).

FYI, my three best kitchen purchases have been the dehydrator, the vacu-sealer and the food processor . . . totaling changing my eating life style to the better. Though some $$$ invested (and not all three at once), I've saved far more than I've spent since buying them as well as eating better/healthier.

Glenna

[Rachael of Nex, the Wiccan Rat]

Now this is one thing I have pondered - I've been doing abit of BWB canning and I do wonder why the jars have to be upright. Is it something to do with the vacuum (or at least for what passes as one, as I understand it) that forms in the jar and it having to be at the top in the same position as one would store the jar ? I can't think of another reason but I'm sure I'll be enlightened by someone ? ;-)

Rachael

[Katra]

Tomatoes are very acidic. If they are not upright, the acid tends to eat the lids after awhile... We have canned 'maters that are several years old and still good! We store them upright.

K.

[The Watcher]

Aren't you supposed to keep an eye on the canner when you're using it? ;)

[Rachael of Nex, the Wiccan Rat]

Ah, so - not all things have to be upright when canned in a BWB ? Interesting.

Rachael

[EV]

Here is a links page with resources for any questions you may have about canning and food safety:

of all, the screw bands on jars should only be tightened to fingertip tightness. In other, words, NOT screwed on tight. If they're too tight, the jars will explode in the BWB. This has happened to me, and I lost several jars of cold pack hot peppers.

The boiling water bath serves two purposes:

1. It sterilizes the jars and contents. Always follow recommended times.
2. It allows hot air to escape from the jars, so that when they cool, they seal properly. If the band is too tight, the air can't escape and the jars explode.

The hot air cannot escape if the jars are not upright. As has been mentioned, there should be at least an inch of water higher than the jar lids in the bath.

You should be very careful of what you can. If foods are not acidic enough, even with a boiling water bath, botulism can grow. It's odourless and tasteless, so you would not know that you are ingesting lethal bacteria. Only recipes approved for canning should be used. If you're unsure, freeze it instead of canning it. Why risk death or serious health consequences?

BWB is for acidic foods. Pressure cookers are used to can low acid foods.

HTH :-)

EV

[Katra]

Well, my mom used to put peaches and apricots upside down after they set a seal before taking them to the fair for show. Seems it got rid of the "juice space" that tends to develop if they are not packed quite tightly enough, or if she did a cold pack without wilting. She would do cold packs to preserve color. :-)

K.

[Fritz M]

A couple of people have commented:

The acid has been bred out of many tomoto varieties for at least a couple of decades. Current canning publications repeat the USDA recommendations of adding two tablespoons of bottled lemon juice or a half-teaspoon of citric acid for each quart of tomatoes. If no acid is added, a pressure canner should be used.

Our friend from the UK should call or visit whatever the UK version of the agricultural extension service is for their specific guidelines on preserving tomatoes.

I have several volunteer cherry tomoto plants this year that I didn't weed out. I've never canned cherry tomatoes before but I'll be experimenting this year. Cherries, incidentally, have a fairly high acid content.

Best regards,

RFM