Tag: canned tomatoes

How to Preserve ALL those Tomatoes

1st Rule of Tomatoes
EAT them! Every. Single. Day when they’re in season. There is NOTHING better than homegrown tomatoes. That is a foundational truth I live by.

2nd Rule of Tomatoes
Don’t waste them!
The end of summer is all about tomatoes ripening daily, counters overflowing with bowls of gorgeous, vine-ripened tomatoes – each one a delicious reminder of the rewards of summer gardening. . . .

Toasted tomato sandwiches (with pesto mayo, of course), fresh tomato salsa, bruschetta made with fresh sourdough bread . . . every day is another tomato day—and that’s awesome!

It’s what we’ve been looking forward to for months.

And I have another personal rule when it comes to tomatoes: I choose not to buy “fresh” grocery-store tomatoes. Honestly, they’re just too disappointing.

I figure that if we’re eating tomatoes every single day when they’re at their freshest, most delicious, and most nutritious—straight from the backyard—we can live without them for a few months when the garden is done.

And you know what?

We do just fine.

In fact, I think it makes that first juicy, sun-ripened tomato of the next season taste even better.

BUT. It. All. Happens. NOW. No stretching it out over the next few months like potatoes and butternut squash.
And if you’re paying attention to the rules, you know better than to waste them.

Okay, relax. I get it. And I’m here to help. There are many things you can do to preserve your ‘excess’ – tomatoes are probably the easiest produce to preserve with incredible variety.

But it all takes time! And there’s only so much of that to go around right? As a young mom, I learned a good lesson from an older lady I used to buy milk from. Her name was Elsie Manchak. It was 40 years ago so I might not be quoting exactly, but in essence Elsie told me “when something in the garden is ready – it IS. READY. NOW! That means you adjust, and you pivot. Whatever you thought you were gonna do today, just got trumped. You take care of the food when its ready, because that is what you’re gonna feed your family with all winter long.”

I absorbed her philosophy. It became formative for me at a very impressionable time in my life. It seems it may even have became part of my DNA. Thank you Elsie.
There are many things you can do with your excess tomatoes (by excess, I mean more than you can eat fresh), and time becomes of the essence. Did you know you can freeze them?

Freezing Tomatoes

Yes! You can freeze fresh, ripe tomatoes to buy yourself some time now – and then deal with them later when things slow down a bit. Whether it is better to freeze tomatoes whole or chopped depends on how you plan to use them later, AND how much freezer space you have. Freezing them whole (or halved) requires the least amount of effort and lets you easily slip off the skins later. Chopping them first saves freezer space and prepares them to go straight into recipes.

Truth be told, I am not a fan of freezing tomatoes as a general rule, but I do it when I have to buy time.

I freeze them whole and store in a plastic bag to come back to later in the season. Just don’t forget they’re there!

You can freeze without blanching or any special preparation. However, freezing changes their cell structure and they will become soft and mushy once thawed. Sometimes its helpful for what your ultimate plan is. Especially if your plan include Tomato Jam (see below for recipe). Also great for soups, stews, chilis or sauce.

How to Freeze Them Safely

when packing, do your best to remove air from bag
  • Wash ripe, sound tomatoes and pull off the stems.
  • Best to core them even if you intend to freeze whole. Easier to do that while they’re still fresh, than later when they’re ‘squishy’.
  • I freeze whole on a cookie sheet, then bag them frozen into a plastic bag later.
  • OR you can pack them raw – tightly into freezer bags pressing out the air.
  • OR you can chop them unpeeled or peeled and pack in amounts to use in specific recipes later.
  • Seal – eliminating as much air as you are able to, and label with date.
    *Rookie mistake: you think you’ll remember what’s in the bag and when you froze it. You won’t.

    Your thawed tomatoes are squishy when they thawed out?
    Yup. Remember that freezing changes their cell structure and they will become soft and mushy once thawed. Nothing you can do to prevent that. They’re still great for soups, stews, chilis and sauce.

Suggested Shelf Life for frozen tomatoes
When I freeze tomatoes it is SHORT TERM, buying me some time at a busy time of year. But if you’re actually planning to STORE them in the freezer, then pay attention to these rules of thumb:
*Optimal nutrition for frozen tomatoes is 6-12 months, when stored properly in airtight freezer bags or containers, though they maintain the best flavour and quality if used within 6 months. If they are vacuum-sealed, they can last up to 2 years.

Chopped or Sliced Pieces: Less time before flavour and texture degrade significantly. Shelf Life is 3-6 months max.

Standard Freezer Bags / Containers: 6 to 12 months (best quality under 6 months).

Vacuum-Sealed Bags: 2 years.

Important Tips for Canning Once-frozen Tomatoes

  • Best Uses: Freezing breaks down the cell walls, making thawed tomatoes very soft. This makes them perfect for cooked products like sauces, juices, or crushed tomatoes. They are not suitable for fresh-style salsas or to be canned whole.
  • Peeling Trick: When you thaw them, the skins will slip right off easily without needing to blanch them in hot water. Yay.
  • Acidify: Always follow tested canning recipes and add the required bottled lemon juice or citric acid to each jar, just like you would with fresh tomatoes.

RULES

For the most part, I am very flexible with recipes and I like trying new things, but when it comes to canning, I have a few “Non Negotiable” rules I follow when it comes to canning

1. Acid foods in hot bath canner – non acid foods in a pressure canner. Period!
2. Processing times must come from a reliable source (not your memory or your gramma’s memory). Get yourself a good book. It might be pricey. It’s worth it. If you’re searching google for information, remember anyone can publish information – go to an official government source.
3. Only use jars that are made for canning. They are tempered glass – intended for repeated use in high heat.
4. Use ONLY proper canning lids, and only use them ONCE. There are plenty of ways you can save money. Re-using lids isn’t one of them.
5. Just DON’T MESS AROUND with SOME THINGS.

Canning Tomatoes

So, about Rule #1 about acid foods vs non acid foods . . . . TOMATOES are considered borderline foods. They can go either way, so pay attention. Don’t skip this information and go straight to the recipe. It’s important.

Probably the most common way of preserving tomatoes is to bottle them and process them in a hot water bath canner. Tomatoes are the ONLY vegetable that can be safely canned in a hot-water-bath canner. (yes I know that tomatoes are technically a fruit – which is why they fit into the safe zone, but we usually EAT them like they’re a vegetable) There is a right way to do this, but there are also a few wrong ways to do it. And it’s all about BOTULISM.

“Botulinum spores are on most fresh food surfaces. Because they grow only in the absence of air, they are harmless on fresh foods.

Most bacteria, yeasts, and molds are difficult to remove from food surfaces. Washing fresh food reduces their numbers only slightly. Peeling root crops, underground stem crops, and tomatoes reduces their numbers more. Blanching also helps, but the vital controls are the method of canning and making sure that recommended research-based process times are used.“1

  1. Salt or No Salt, and How Much?
    Let’s talk about salt first because it’s easy.
    Yes. Use it because without salt life is boring.
    How much? 1 teaspoon per quart / litre OR 1/2 teaspoon for a pint / 500 ml
    What kind? Pickling salt or pure salt of whatever variety you like – as opposed to regular table salt which has added iodine in it – which can make your liquid cloudy or dark. Table salt often contains anti caking agents too.
  2. to ADD ACID or not to add acid; that is the Question. Why and what type and how much?
    Experts say that modern tomatoes have lower natural acidity levels than older varieties. Additional Acid is an absolute MUST when canning tomatoes.

WHY IS ACID SO IMPORTANT?
Botulism prevention: Adding acid lowers the pH to a safe level to prevent the growth of dangerous Clostridium botulinum spores during water-bath canning.
See more about botulism here.

Lemon juice or Vinegar? Which is the recommended ACID for canning tomatoes?

Lemon Juice:
Flavour: Mild and subtle; blends into the tomatoes without altering the overall taste.
Amount needed: 1 tablespoon per pint or 2 tablespoons per quart. Many people prefer to use bottled lemon juice because the level of ph is identified, and consistent. I generally use fresh lemon because its convenient for me and I usually have some on hand because I use it for a lot of other things.

Vinegar:
Flavour: Strong and distinct; can cause noticeable changes in plain tomato dishes.
Amount needed: Requires twice the volume: 2 tablespoons per pint or 4 tablespoons per quart.
Must be standard 5% acidity white or pickling vinegar. Other vinegars such as balsamic, white wine or rice vinegars are milder.

To sum up – salt may be optional, but adding acid is not optional. ALWAYS add lemon juice (fresh or bottled) or citric acid to EVERY jar of tomatoes to ensure safety. 2 tablespoons lemon juice per quart/litre, or 1 tablespoon per pint / 500 ml.

the TOMATO CONTROVERSY

Over the last few decades there has been a good deal of controversy about whether or not all tomatoes are acidic enough to be canned in the traditional boiling water bath method. Tomatoes have generally been considered a sufficiently high acid food, but they are border-line in their PH range. Safe PH level is considered anything under 4.4. Over that is considered a low acid food. Tomatoes can range between 4.05 to 4.7 – just under and just over the acceptable level. Pretty IFFY.

Variations can be attributed to:
Tomato Variety
There are many types of tomatoes, some of them sweeter than others. Some more acidy than others.
Stage of Ripeness or damaged fruit
The riper a tomato, the lower the acid level.
As a tomato ripens, the concentration of primary organic acids decreases. This causes the overall pH level to rise slightly. The lower acidity is heavily influenced by a surge in natural sugars in the ripening tomato. Damaged tomatoes can have an even higher PH level.

It is therefore very important to use only prime, properly ripened fruit when canning.

AND, as an extra precaution, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice per pint of tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons per quart.

The additional acid is not intended to compensate for overripe fruit. It is an extra precaution to take when everything else is right—when you are starting with sound, properly ripened tomatoes and following safe canning practices.

VERY IMPORTANT – Please Click the Link to Read

To can Tomatoes

Properly canned foods retain about 40% original nutritional value – OF WHATEVER THE FOOD WAS THE MINUTE IT WENT INTO THE JAR. This fact was supremely disappointing to me when I learned it, because I raised my family on home canned food. But it shouldn’t come as any surprise, when you remember that those tomatoes were in boiling water for 45 minutes. It is also very important when preserving food, that you attend to it as soon after harvesting as possible. The nutritional value begins to dissipate within the first HOUR of picking.

Canning tomatoes safely as a beginner requires the following:
1. canning jars – pints or quart sizes, with lids and rings to fit. NEVER RE-USE the lids from a previous canned jar. Modern lids are made for SINGLE USE only.
2. Hot water bath canner or a stock pot deep enough for boiling water to cover the tallest jar in use by at least two inches.
3. A rack or something else to keep glass jars from sitting directly on the bottom of the pot. If you don’t have a rack, use a folded tea towel.
4. Another large pot to boil water for blanching tomatoes.
5. Cold water and ice to cool blanched tomatoes fast.
6. Mason jars that are identifiably intended for hot water bath canning. NEW lids and rings for each jar.
7. Jar lifter or a lowering rack for the canner.
8. pickling salt or any salt OTHER THAN the iodized salt (and pepper if desired)
9. Lemon juice
10. Firm, ripe tomatoes in good shape. Plan for approximately 3 pounds per quart jar or 1.5 pounds per pint.

*TIP: when canning in a hot water bath for a minimum of 10 minutes it is not necessary to sterilize your jars. Freshly wash them in HOT water, rinse in HOT water and allow to air dry. Don’t hand dry. Or of course, use your dishwasher.

Directions

1. Freshly wash jars in hot soapy water. Rinse and set aside to drain. Not necessary to sterilize jars that will be processed at least 10 minutes.
2. Wash tomatoes in cool water. Set aside to drain.
3. Heat a big pot of water to boiling for blanching tomatoes.
4. Fill your canner with clean water and begin heating it to a boil. Make sure there’s a rack on the bottom to prevent the jars from touching the bottom during processing. Set a clean thick tea towel on the counter beside the canner to receive the HOT finished jars from the canner.
5. Wash and core the tomatoes. Cut an ‘X’ on the bottom. Set aside.

6. Prepare a sink or plastic tub with ice water – deep enough for all the tomatoes to fit and be cooled.
7. In stages (no more than 8-10 tomatoes at a time), drop scored tomatoes into the boiling water and let sit for a minute or two, until the skins begin to split.
8. Remove tomatoes from boiling water and immediately drop into ice bath to arrest the cooking process.
9. When tomatoes are cooled, peel them with a sharp knife. The skins should slip off easily. (SAVE THE SKINS – see below)
10. Cut the tomatoes into halves or quarters (depending how big they are).

11. Pack cut tomatoes into freshly cleaned jars, pushing down with your hand, to make the tomato juice come to the surface. You’re goal is to cover the tomatoes with liquid from the tomatoes. Leave 1 inch (2 cm) headspace.
12. Add 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of salt to each quart. Half that amount for each pint.
13. Remove air bubbles with a long table knife. Wipe the top of your jars with a clean hot cloth to ensure they are perfectly clean. Put a clean lid on the jar, and tighten moderately. (Don’t tighten the lid excessively.)
14. Use jar lifter to slowly lower jars into hot water. Bring water to a boil, or if its already boiled, return to a rolling boil. Jars should be covered by water at least an inch. I usually shoot for two inches of coverage.
15. Begin timing once water has returned to a full rolling boil.
40 minutes for pint jars, 45 minutes to quart jars. If water is boiling violently, reduce the heat but keep it rolling.

16. When the timer goes off, remove jars slowly to the prepared clean tea towel. Set jars on the towel, keeping some air space between them. Loosely cover the jars with a thin clean tea towel. Allow to cool undisturbed for at least 12 hours.
17. Canning jars seal because heating expands the air and food inside, forcing excess air out. Subsequent cooling contracts the contents to create a strong vacuum lock.
When the sealing has completed you hear a gentle ‘ping’ as the vacuum pulls the lid down. It’s music to a canner’s ears.
18. When completely cooled, wipe jars with a hot wet cloth and label the lid with date and ingredients.

Once you’ll learned how to peel tomatoes, and how to process them – you can apply the same principles to canning PEACHES, APRICOTS, PEARS, PLUMS, RHUBARB AND APPLES with slight variances that you can work around with a little confidence.
ie:
– Peaches are peeled the same way (by blanching). Be sure to cool immediately after removing from boiling water. Unlike tomatoes however, you’ll add syrup of your own make (light, medium or heavy syrup – your choice).
– Apricots don’t get peeled and neither do plums. Both take a syrup.
– Pears and apples get pealed the same way. Apples often get canned as a sauce. Personally I don’t like this kind of apple sauce. I’d rather make it fresh, and since apples are available all winter long, its easy to do.
– All fruits (including rhubarb) are best cold-packed) when canning.

The Sealing Process:
Heating: As the jars process in a boiling water or pressure canner, the air and food inside heat up and expand.
Venting: This expansion pushes the extra air and steam out from under the flat metal lid. This is why the outer band should only be “fingertip tight” – so the trapped air can escape easily.
Cooling: When you remove the hot jars from the water and let them cool, the food and remaining air inside contract and shrink.
Vacuum Lock: This contraction pulls the lid down tightly against the jar rim. The flexible sealing compound (plastisol) on the flat lid hardens into an airtight vacuum seal.

Roasted Tomatoes

THIS is my favourite way to can tomatoes, and its my favourite way of eating canned tomatoes.
instruction with pictures coming soon

Roasted Tomato Sauce

I make my tomato sauce with roasted tomatoes. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll never go back to the old way of boiling on the stove top.

The instructions are pretty simple and easy to customize.
Put them into your biggest pyrex cake pan, or roaster in the oven at 350F.
OR if you’re making a LOT, use an electric roaster set to 350F. Be creative, use what you have.

15 lb Roma tomatoes chopped
1 T salt and 1 T coarsely ground pepper
dried oregano (big handful)
dried basil (slightly less of a handful)
dried thyme (slightly less than the basil)
1 heaping T garlic salt

Don’t can overripe tomatoes. Eat those today. If you have more than you can eat, make tomato soup for supper tonight and give a jar to your neighbour.
Or use them to make tomato paste and then have pizza for supper tomorrow. But don’t can them because the sugar has begun displacing the acid.

15 pounds of tomatoes roughly chopped

Step 1
Wash tomatoes.

Step 2
Remove blossom/core end.
Chop tomatoes and put them in a large baking pan or roaster at 350F.

Step 3
Be patient. This is gonna take a long time. 2-3 hours. Maybe even more if you have a lot. I’ve got 15 pounds in this roaster.
Stir every 15 minutes or so to keep from scorching.

Step 4
2 hours in. Add salt and pepper.
I added 1 Tablespoon of each for 15 pounds of tomatoes. If you’re doing less in the oven, start with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Easier to add more later than to take it away lol.
Repeat step 3.

this is after about 2 hours. Starting to simmer down beautifully. I added 1 Tablespoon each of salt and coarsely ground pepper
to this amount (15 pounds) of Roma tomatoes, I seasoned with a big handful of dried oregano, slightly less dried basil, and slight less again of dried thyme. I also added 1/4 cup tomato powder.

Step 5
Add seasoning of your choice. For this amount, I added
1 big handful of dried oregano
1 medium handful of dried basil
1 slightly smaller handful of dried thyme
a heaping tablespoon of homemade Garlic Salt2

Step 6
I like to add a little tomato powder to most tomato recipes. It adds more Tomato-Zing, and helps to thicken a little. In its place, you can add tomato paste if you have it. Otherwise don’t worry about it.

INSERT:
If you’re planning to can this tomato sauce, get your canner filled with water and on the stove. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Make sure you’ve got a rack in the bottom to prevent the jars from being sitting directly on the bottom.

Have your jars ready with lids and rings handy.
You’ll be hot-packing the sauce so you don’t want to fill the jars until they’re ready to go into hot water. This simply means that you’re packing HOT sauce into the jar, and putting the jar into a HOT water bath canner. Hopefully both jar and water will be in a similar range of HOT.

Step 7
Stir it all in and be patient a little while longer. When most of the water is gone, and the texture is looking ‘saucey’, you’re just about done. At this point, I take about 1/3 of the sauce and zip-zip it for a couple of seconds in the blender, then mix back in.
You can puree all or nothing, depending on your personal preferences. I like the sauce, but I also like some texture.

NOTE: If I intend to can the sauce, I do not add onion or garlic cloves, or any type of vegetable. The only thing I add is seasoning. I don’t want to compromise high acid tomatoes with low acid vegetables. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. If you add low acid ingredients, the sauce must be canned in a pressure canner. There are acceptable amounts of certain vegetables that can be added, but generally I choose to err on the side of caution, and avoid adding them – except for seasoning.
For more information, click the image below.

Step 8
Add lemon juice to the finished sauce. You’re going to have to estimate unless you want to measure it out. About 1/4 cup lemon juice for 2 quarts (4 pints or 8 cups) of sauce. Better to put in a little more than necessary, than to be under. Stir to distribute the lemon juice.

By the time you’re to this point, hopefully your water is ready to receive your jars.

Step 9
Using a wide mouth funnel, and using a big scoop begin measuring out into jars. 2 cups into pint jars, 4 cups into quart jars. Leave about 2 cm head space (just under an inch). Adjust by taking away a spoon here or there, or With a clean, hot, wet dishcloth wipe the jar rim to ensure its perfectly clean. Put the lid on, screw the ring on to hold the lid down – snug but not super tight.

Step 10
Put the jars into the canner with almost boiling water.
Make sure there is enough water to cover the highest jar by 1-2 inches of water.
Turn the heat up and start watching for it to reach a FULL rolling boil. When it does, set the timer for 40 minutes for pints or 45 minutes for quarts.

Don’t go too far away. Keep an eye on the boiling water. If its too violent, the jars may bang together – adjust the heat down a bit. If its not boiling completely, turn the heat up and start your timer over again.

roasted tomato sauce on the left, canned tomatoes on the right. Each in boiling canner for 45 minute per quart / 40 minutes per pint

Step 11
When the timer goes off, the sauce is finished. Turn the heat off, and one by one remove the jars to set on a clean, thick tea towel. Leave a little space between the jars to cool slowly. I usually drape a clean tea towel over top to ensure they down cool down too quickly.

GOOD JOB! Now you can start listening for that wonderful ‘ping’ sound telling you the jars sealed.
Let the jars sit there at least 12 hours. Then label and put away.

Pesto Mayo

disclaimer: there are no tomatoes in this recipe. BUT it is the foundation for all things good about September eating-of-tomatoes.

2 Tablespoons mayoanaise
2-3 Tablespoons pesto (you decide)
stir to mix.
Use on toasted bread that you are going to lay thick slices of fresh tomato on. Salt and pepper. ENJOY.
This is what Augusts and Septembers are all about.

Salsa

“Salsa is America’s #1 condiment. This popularity has extended to home food preservers who want to make use of a seasonal harvest of garden-grown tomatoes and vegetables. Most salsa recipes mix low-acid foods, such as onions, green peppers, and jalapeño peppers, with acid foods, such as tomatoes. Currently the USDA and the National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends that a boiling water canning process be used only for research-tested salsa recipes that provide evidence of safe acidification to inhibit Clostridium botulinum growth. Only a few such research-tested salsa recipes are available and these must be followed with little deviation.”

For those who want to safely can their homemade Salsa, there are two options:
1. Use a very specific recipe that has been tested for PH3 https://nchfp.uga.edu/papers/2004/04ift-tomatosalsaPoster_combined.html

2. Use your own favourite recipe and go straight to canning with pressure canner.

Sarah’s Salsa

This is my daughter Sarah’s long standing salsa recipe. She takes it from a favourite book of ours – Patti Shenfield’s “Flavors of Home” published 1994.
Sarah has tweaked it a little over the years and she’s flexible with what she has on hand.
15 lb tomatoes, chopped (5 quarts / litres / 20 cups)
5 fresh jalapeno peppers seeded and chopped (save the seed from 2)
10 cups chopped white or yellow onions
2 large green peppers finely chopped
2 cups white vinegar (higher acid than other varieties)
1 cup tomato powder or 12 ounces tomato paste
1 Tablespoon salt (never use iodized table salt for canning)
6-8 large garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup white sugar
1 Tablespoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

Prepare 14 pint jars or 7 quart jars by washing well in HOT water, rinsing well in HOT water and sitting to drain. Don’t hand dry, just let them air dry.
Blanch and peel all tomatoes using the system outlined above. (Remember to save the skins to dehydrate later.)
Wash, core and chop the tomatoes, placing in a LARGE pot.
Using gloves, dice jalapeno peppers.
Add the seeds of 2 or 3 jalapeno peppers to pot (discarding the rest). Unless you like more heat, then add all the seeds.
Add remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Simmer until vegetables are tender (about 15 minutes).

Ladle into hot jars and process in PRESSURE CANNER at 10 pounds for 30 minutes.

~ note ~

Because of the ‘other’ non-acid ingredients, this combination-food MUST be processed in a pressure canner. I know that’s not convenient and I know you may not have a pressure canner, and yes, I know they’re expensive. Sorry about all that inconvenience, but let me clarify:
* because of the large amounts of onions, peppers and garlic used in this recipe – THIS IS A PRESSURE CANNING RECIPE.
In my “reliable source book”, for onions it recommends 10 lb pressure and 30 minutes for quarts.
For peppers, that same source has me using 5 lb pressure.
I take the highest recommended pressure for the additional foods I’ve added – 10 lb for 30 minutes, and apply it.

  • If one eliminates those non-acid foods, electing to add them later AFTER canning but before serving, then we would be completely in the safe zone for hot-water-bath canning.

Tomato Juice

Use only the freshest, juiciest tomatoes in your garden for juice. This is one of those times that meaty tomatoes like Romas are not the best choice.
Whichever method you use, wash and core the tomatoes, removing any ugly spots.

Don’t use a steam juicer for tomatoes.

method 1 – if you have a fresh juicer
Once you’ve juiced it, you can freeze the juice or you can CAN it in jars just like tomatoes – adding 1 T lemon juice for a pint or 2 T lemon juice for a quart. See the suggestion for seasoning in method 2.

method 2 – if you do not have a fresh juicer
Chop the tomatoes coarsely.
Add to a large stock pot and add a cup of water to initiate the ‘juicing’.
Bring the pot to a boil and simmer until the tomatoes are softened but not mushy. Mash with potato masher.
Strain the tomatoes through a fine sieve to remove seeds, skins and extra pulp. You can add this pulp to tomato sauce or put it in the fridge to use in dinner tomorrow.
Measure the strained juice and return to the pot.
For each quart (4 cups) of juice, add 1 T lemon juice, plus your choice of seasoning:
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon celery salt or garlic salt or onion salt or dill salt
– if you’re not using any seasoned salt, add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
Season to YOUR taste. Stir to dissolve seasonings.

At this point you can pour it into a pitcher and refrigerate it for use in the next couple of days. Or you can process it in a hot water bath canner.
to can:
Heat the seasoned juice to almost boiling. Pour hot juice into clean and prepared quart jars.
Leave the appropriate head space of a 1/2 inch or so. Wipe the jar rim with clean wet cloth, put the lid on, put the ring on – nice and snug but not too tight (air must be able to escape in the process of boiling).
Same timing as for canned tomatoes: 45 minutes for a quart, 40 minutes for a pint. Remember: don’t start timing till the water has returned to a full rolling boil.

method 3 –
My preferred – unless I have so many tomatoes that I’m desperate to use up.
I most often choose to make tomato juice from the tomato powder and cold water.
I use a ratio of 1:8-10
ie: 2 T. tomato powder + 1 cup (16 T.) COLD water
Stir to completely emulsify powder. Season as you choose and ENJOY!

optional: add your choice of seasoning ie: onion powder, sugar, salt, pepper, to taste
click this link to see other ways of using tomato powder

Tomato Butter

A savoury combination of roasted small tomatoes, garlic, basil and butter! Use in place of traditional garlic butter. Spread on toast to serve with eggs, saute vegetables in it, top a quick pasta dish, even spread on your grilled corn on the cob!

It is so-so-so easy to make; start with this basic recipe and then customize to your hearts content. I like to add pepper. A lot of pepper. Like a tablespoon of coarsely crushed pepper. Be brave, be YOU.

Basic recipe:
1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Broil tomatoes till nicely charred. Could take up to 10 minutes – but don’t leave the kitchen. Peek at it every couple minutes. When they start to char, its a fine line to ‘burnt’.
2 garlic cloves
handful of fresh basil
pinch of salt
1/2 cup butter at room temperature

Process the whole combination till smooth. Pour into a wide mouth jar and store in the fridge. Can be frozen.

  • Tip: in the winter when you don’t have fresh tomatoes, use sundried tomatoes and dried herbs to make tomato butter.

Tomato Jam

Tomato jam was one of those “surprises” that you need to be open minded for. The word “jam” sometimes puts people off, but get over it. It was never intended to be part of a peanut butter and jam sandwich. It is something far different than that; a rich balance of sweet, savoury, complex and tangy flavours.

It is made by slow-cooking ripe tomatoes with sugar, vinegar and warm spices. The slow simmer breaks down the tomatoes into a gooey, sticky and spreadable ‘jam’.

It raises the bar on the traditional BLT, and adds pizzaz to a normal grilled cheese sandwich. A favourite way for us to eat it, is spread over flat bread, put cheese over top and set under the broiler for a couple minutes. Serve with crackers and cream cheese, on a hamburger (it’s the new ketchup), bagels n cream cheese, on top of frittata or quiche, with cheese, on toasted whole what bred with fried eggs, with butter on fresh sourdough bread or on your next charcuterie board.

Basic Recipe:
4-5 quarts of chopped Roma tomatoes (16-20 cups)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white vinegar

Add all ingredients together in saucepan over medium heat, or roasting pan in the oven at 350F. Expect it to take 2-3 hours minimum. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. Lower heat as it thickens. Continue to stir frequently as it thickens.

You’ll know its finished when you’ll be able to slide a spoon through it and see the bottom of the pot distinctly before it starts to slowly seep together.

If you intend to can it, I recommend using 1/2 pint jars (250 ml).
Spoon hot jam into jars, affix lid and ring and slowly submerge into a boiling hot water bath.
Process for 10 minutes (as you would any other kind of hot jam). Remember not to start timing until the water has returned to a boil.
Enjoy!

Dehydrating Tomatoes

Properly dehydrated food can retain as high as 80% original nutritional value.
Optimal shelf life is impossible to gage as there are too many factors to consider, like: was it completely dry when you put it into the jar? Storage should be a little on the cool side if possible, and in the dark as much as possible. But if all the conditions are right, you can reasonably expect up to two years.

*Tip: I know you can have dehydrated food stored for YEARS! But just because it doesn’t look disgusting, doesn’t mean there’s any nutritional value in it. Try to keep your ‘stored’ food optimum by rotating it, by EATING it!

You can use any kind of tomato you have, but I find that a ‘meatier’ like a Roma or Romanian Giant work the best because they have less ‘water’ in them, and they hold their body better. But just use what you have. If you’re drying cherry tomatoes, either cut in half or at least puncture them with a knife. The skin protects them well and they’ll take forever to dry otherwise.

*Tip: If your dehydrator has screens for the rack, you’ll want to use them for tomatoes. Not the end of the world if you don’t, they’re just easier to remove from a screen.

directions:
Wash tomatoes and core.
Slice into 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) slices and lay onto the dehydrator rack. If you slice too thinly they’ll dry paper thin and will be very difficult to remove from the rack or screen.

Dry at medium heat. Expect them to take several hours – so many factors will affect the timing: the water level of the tomatoes, the humidity in the air that day, the heat and fan of your dehydrator etc.

Every hour or so, rotate the racks – moving the bottom one to the top. Rotating helps keep the drying even. If you have to go out for a few hours, simply turn the dehydrator off and restart it when you get home.

When you can see them starting to dry, its helpful to turn each one over by hand, and even move some to other screens to fill in the gaps created by them shrinking. This enables you to another rack of fresh tomatoes if you’ve got more waiting for room.

They will not all be ready at the same time. You’ll know they’re completely dry by feel. They should be leathery or even crispy. No soft spots. If in doubt, leave them a little longer. Remove the ones you deem dry and put into an airtight container with a lid. Label your jar with the date.

Continue to add to your jar till all are done. Easy Peasy!

TOMATO SKINS

I know right? Who ever heard of such a thing?

Did you know that Tomato Skins contain a high concentration of the tomato’s key nutrients!?

MORE ANTIOXIDANTS: Up to 98% of the flavonoids found in tomatoes are located IN THE SKIN. Flavonoids are the phytonutrients that give many fruits, vegetables, and flowers their vibrant colors and offer antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

HIGH LYCOPENE: The tomato skin hold high levels of lycopene, a powerful compound that helps fight cell damage and may lower the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

DIETARY FIBRE: Leaving the skin on adds extra fiber to your diet, which aids digestion.

BETTER TEXTURE IN COOKING: Unpeeled tomatoes break down more slowly in sauces, adding richness and better body to cooked dishes.

Next time you’re peeling tomatoes to can them, don’t toss them into the compost. Save them, and stick them in the dehydrator.

They’re quick to dry (by quick I still mean a few hours lol). And once they’re dry I powder them to use in everything tomato: soups, stews, sauces, even added to meatloaf!

Tomato Powder

Put dehydrated tomatoes into a dry blender in small amounts at a time and turn onto high. (a high powered blender is best) Process till they’re powdered. That’s all there is to it. When the powder gets deep enough that its not receiving any more, stop the blender and pour it into a clean air tight container and put the lid on. Repeat another couple of times till you get as much as you want.

You will inadvertently leave quite a bit of tomato powder residue on the inside of your blender. Juice add a little water and blend again. Tomato Juice! Drink it.

*Hint: tomato powder will in time begin to compress and get ‘chunky’ from the moisture in the air. For that purpose, I usually only make a cup or two at a time. No problem when the powder does get chunky, simply scrape it with a fork to loosen. This ‘compacting’ is unavoidable without anti-caking agents, so live with it.

I also powder up the dehydrated tomato skins. It’s really the only way I can think to use them. They’re super easy to ‘puree’ in a high speed blender, and they remain nice and fluffy – not compressing like the tomato powder itself.
For this reason, I often mix the two together in a jar and use them that way.

Pickled Tomatoes

Pickled cherry tomatoes are new to me this year. If you know me well, you’ll know that I make a point of trying at least TWO New things in the garden every year, and I also like to try new ways of using them in my kitchen and of preserving them. This year, one of my ‘new’ things is the whole idea of pickled tomatoes! It literally blows my mind. And they are surprisingly delicious.

Canning pickled cherry tomatoes is not only a delicious way to preserve the harvest, but it adds a wonderful tangy flavour to charcuterie boards, salads, sandwiches and so much more. They are literally bursting with juicy sweetness and a zesty vinegar kick.

method 1 – short term, into the fridge we go
fresh pickled tomatoes to consume this week – 1 quart
4 cups of a mixture of different cherry tomatoes (just for colour)
1/4 T whole black peppercorns
2 cloves garlic sliced
2 or 3 sprigs of fresh herbs: basil, rosemary or thyme
2 teaspoons sugar
1.5 teaspoon salt

Preparing the Tomatoes:
Wash the tomatoes, removing any green stems
Use a toothpick or skewer to poke a small hole in each tomato.
This step lets the hot liquid get inside the tomato so it pickles evenly.
Put peppercorns and garlic in the bottom of wide mouth quart jar. Put tomatoes into jar, tucking sprigs of fresh herbs along the sides. Pack tightly. Set aside.

Preparing the Brine:
1 cup water
1 cup white vinegar
1.5 teaspoons pickling salt
2 teaspoons sugar
dash red pepper flakes
Stir to dissolve sugar, heat liquid till almost boiling.
Pour hot brine over the tomatoes. Put lid on and wait for it to cool. Store jar in fridge for at least 24 hours. Best after 48 hours. Eat within a few days.

method 2 – longer storage, canned
Preparing the Tomatoes for two pints:
4 cups cherry tomatoes
few peppercorns for each pint
2 cloves of garlic sliced. One for each jar
1 sprig of fresh herb in each jar (my personal favourite with tomatoes is BASIL)

Same as for above – wash the tomatoes, removing blossom end.
Use a toothpick or skewer to poke a small hole in each tomato.

Preparing the Brine:
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
1 tsp pickling salt
2 tsp sugar
Heat brine on stove and stir to dissolve salt and sugar.

Packing the Jar
Put peppercorns and garlic in the bottom of two wide mouth pint jars. Pack tomatoes tightly into jar, tucking one or two sprigs of fresh herbs along the sides.
(fresh herbs: rosemary, thyme, basil, dill . . . your choice)

Pour the hot pickling liquid over the tomatoes, leaving ½ inch of headspace.
Remove any air bubbles by inserting a table knife along side.
With clean cloth – wipe the jar rims, then put the lids and bands on finger tight.
(tight enough for the lid to stay in place, not too tight for the air to escape during processing)

Place the filled jars into the canner (you’ve got a rack in there right?). Make sure the water covers the jars by at LEAST an inch. When the canning water returns to a boil then start timing. Process the pint jars for 10 minutes, making sure the water covers the jars by at least one inch. Ensure water stays at a rolling boil.

When the time is up, turn off the heat, remove the jars to a folded kitchen towel or rack (prevent them from touching the cool counter top). Throw a tea towel or cloth napkin over top while cooling. Once the jars have sealed, let them sit a good 12 hours or more, before labelling them and putting them away.
ENJOY!

warmly,

Cindy

footnotes:

  1. National Center for Home Food Preservation ↩︎
  2. my cousin Kim’s Garlic Salt, made from garlic she dried ↩︎
  3. What is pH? pH is a numerical measure of how acidic or alkaline (basic) a water-based solution is.
    The pH Scale:
    Range: The scale normally runs from 0 to 14.
    Neutral: A pH of 7 is neutral, meaning it is neither acidic nor basic (like pure water).
    Acidic: A pH below 7 is acidic. Lower numbers mean higher acidity (like lemon juice or vinegar).
    Basic (Alkaline): A pH above 7 is basic. Higher numbers mean higher alkalinity (like soap or bleach).
    What does this mean to me? If you looking for a SAFE level of acid in the food you home can, then pH MATTERS! Anything lower than a pH value of 4.6 (4.4 is better) is considered safe to can in a hot water bath – the lower the better.
    Why a low pH Matters
    Stops Botulism: Boiling water only reaches 212°F (100°C), which does not kill dangerous Clostridium botulinum spores.
    Inhibits Growth: High acid levels with a pH of 4.6 or less stop these spores from growing and producing deadly toxins.
    Safe Foods: High-acid foods like fruits, jams, jellies, and properly pickled vegetables fit this safe zone naturally or with added vinegar.

    Managing Borderline Foods
    Low-Acid Risk: Foods with a pH of 4.7 or higher (like most vegetables, meat, and seafood) are low in acid and require a pressure canner.
    Adjusting Acid: Borderline foods like tomatoes need added lemon juice or citric acid to safely lower the pH to 4.6 or below for water bath processing. ↩︎

Preserving Your Excess: Home Canning 101

(the basics to know)

Home Canning (and by that we really mean home ‘bottle-ing‘) is the easiest, most reliable and economical way to preserve food at home. It can be done in your own kitchen, doesn’t require a whole lot of pricey equipment, and has a reasonably long shelf life – up to two years. Yes, I know you know someone who’s had their home canned food for eight years (we all do), and that supposedly “it’s still good”. To that I repeat: “the shelf life is UP to two years“. My suggestion is strongly not to push it too much past then.

Fact:
Food is Food. You cannot prevent it from spoiling, you can only slow it down. Canning will preserve it, but not forever.

Don’t expect home canned food to be what it cannot be, and everything will work out fine. It’s reality is that the nutritional value of canned foods (commercially or home canned) is about 40% of what it was when it went into the canner. I admit I was super disappointed when I learned that fact, mostly because I raised my children on home canned food, especially fruit, and I thought I was doing the best thing I could for them. In reality, I really WAS doing the best I could for them, but when one gives it some thought, those peaches were in boiling water for 40+ minutes. What did we expect?
Still, I reasoned: having 40% peaches in February is highly preferable to 0% peaches in February.

After the recommended shelf life of two years, we can expect that the food will lose more of its nutritional value, which is why I highly advocate not trying to keep it past that suggested time. Having said that, if something gets away from you and you’re into the third year, don’t sweat it – just use the food.

As with any type of food storage, the bottom line is to STORE WHAT YOU EAT, and EAT WHAT YOU STORE. If you do that, you’re gonna be okay, if you do not – you will end up wasting a lotta money. Canning isn’t magic. It cannot make something perishable last indefinitely.

So what’s the point? And why should I can?

Because it’s a good way of extending the valuable useable time of perishable food, preserving good and nutritious food today, to use tomorrow. Instead of preparing for immediate consumption, you are preparing food that you can store for months! Make no mistake, canning IS cooking, but it allows us to capture the best flavour at the peak of season—to enjoy all-year long! Garden Roasted Tomato Sauce, Homemade Garden Salsa, a bowl of peaches, rhubarb to go on your morning oatmeal, raspberry jam – all in the middle of winter! THESE are why we can!

Back when my kids were young we canned a LOT of fruit. When the price was good we’d buy a 100+ pounds of peaches (our favourite) and pears, maybe 50 pounds of cherries, apricots or plums. I’d can half of the plums and dehydrate the rest. Though I did the bulk of the work during the day it was a big job, so it had to be a family affair. Dan always pitched in when he was home and we required the kids to help out. And yes, I got backlash from time to time (especially from one of our boys who shall remain unnamed at this point), but I flat out insisted that everybody help. We all enjoyed the end result of having peaches with breakfast in February, so it only made sense that we all pitch in to make that a possibility. At some point, when this one un-named boy was a teenager, he put his foot down and refused to be involved in the project anymore. HE was not peeling peaches (or pears or whatever it was). HE disliked the work and HE’D had enough! It was too much work for HIM – bordering on child abuse. He was too big to argue with so I told him that was fine, but it was unfair for him to expect to benefit from the effort of everyone else. As with everything there are always consequences, and the consequence to this choice would be that he’d be giving up enjoying the “fruits of our labour”. He couldn’t expect to eat peaches that someone else did all the work to put on the table. I reminded him that he enjoyed eating peaches in the winter. I also reminded him that the likelihood of me forgetting in February that he didn’t help in the summer was next to zero. He may have thought about it for all of thirty seconds, and in the end he trusted me, put on an apron and grabbed a peeler. I’m not gonna pretend he was happy about the job after that, but we never had to have the same conversation again.

My daughter on the other hand, looked forward to “canning season“. It was just as much work for her, but there was something about her that made that work enjoyable in its own way. My other boys were fine to pitch in and participate, it was after all – the means to the end we all wanted: fruit in the winter. Many memories were made in a hot and sticky kitchen on those long summer days.

One summer I went away for a week with a friend. Sarah was 14 years old, and diligently went through the grocery store sales flyers in my absence, as she had seen me do many times. At one point she saw that peaches were a ‘good’ price and she believed they would likely not still be that price when I came home. With urgency, she told her dad that he must pick up several boxes of peaches on his way home from work the next day – which of course he did. While I drove home from New Brunswick with Peggy, Sarah and Dan canned those peaches from beginning to the end. I was amazed when I got home, and kinda still am as I look back on it. I was very proud of her, and I wish that I had expressed that better than I did. I was proud not only that she felt it her ‘motherly’ duty to can peaches in my absence, but also that she took it upon herself to judge when the price was right, make the decision to buy, judge when they were ripe enough to bottle, and then take charge of actually getting it done. Dan wisely let her do all that, and then in typical Dan-style, he put on an apron and began peeling peaches.

the method

The method is to use high temperatures to kill microorganisms and inactivating enzymes that would cause food to spoil. The heating process pushes air from the jars, creating a vacuum seal as they cool. Without oxygen the bacteria, yeasts, and mould will not grow and the food will last a lot longer.

There are two methods: hot water canning, and pressure canning. They are NOT interchangeable. This article deals with HOT WATER canning. How do you know which method is used for which type of food? It’s pretty straight forward: high acid foods require the hot water method – the easiest. What are high acid foods? Most types of fruit and berries. Some suggestions to consider:
Apples: apple juice, apple jelly, apple butter, apple sauce, apple pieces, crab apples …
Apricots, apricot jam, Berries whole, berry jam, berry syrup,
Cherries whole, cherry jam, cherry syrup, cherry juice,
Cranberries whole, cranberry sauce, cranberry jelly, cranberry juice,
Grapes, grape juice, grape jelly, Grapefruit and Orange sections, Citrus marmalade,
Mixed fruit combinations (cocktail), Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Pineapple, Plums, Rhubarb

adding acid

To most fruits I add a Tablespoon of lemon juice to a pint (500 ml), and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice to a quart (or litre), just as an added precaution. I don’t bother with rhubarb because that is acidic enough.

Tomatoes (yes tomato is a fruit):
cold pack whole or cut up, tomato sauce. Less ripe tomatoes are more acidic. Very ripe tomatoes are sweeter and less acidic. (Can them before they’re very ripe and soft.) I add 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice to my quart jars of tomatoes. Half that amount for pint jars of tomatoes.

Low acid foods require the higher temperatures that only using a pressure canner can provide. They include ALL vegetables and proteins.

Hot water canning involves boiling your fruit in glass jars in a big pot of water. There are pots specifically designed for this- called water bath canners – that consist of a large DEEP pot, a rack insert, and a lid. When purchasing, ensure that you have room for a quart jar to have at least two inches of water covering and plenty of room for water to boil. For small batch canning, I often just use my pasta pot because it checks all the boxes and its in my kitchen cupboard already so its handy. It is good for all my smaller jars: my pints, half pints and smaller that I may be using for jams or syrups.

If I am canning quart jars I use a bigger stock pot that I keep up high on my pantry shelf, so not easy to retrieve but not terribly inconvenient either. I can process up to seven quarts in this pot so its perfect! The important thing to remember when repurposing non-canning-specific pots is to put something on the bottom to prevent your jars from being directly on the bottom of your pot. A rack that will fit your pot will help keep the bottles from ‘jumping’ around when the water is fast boiling, preventing unnecessary trauma and possible breakage. If you have a rack that fits then go ahead and use it (I picked up a few different sizes from a thrift store years ago). Otherwise, use a folded dish towel in the bottom of your pot. You’re mostly trying to protect the bottles from banging around during boiling.

Boiling water is 212 degrees Fahrenheit, sufficient for high acid foods like most fruits, pickles, tomatoes that are not over ripe, sauerkraut, relishes, salsas, and all sorts of jams. It is the acidity of these foods helps preserve them safely without the need of higher temperatures and pressure.

VERY IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ
Canning COMBINATION Foods (high and low acid in the same jar)

“Tomato sauce isn’t just tomato sauce once it’s all fancied up with lots of peppers, onions, mushrooms or other vegetables – at least as far as canning procedures are concerned. That’s because vegetables other than tomatoes are low acid, and if you add enough of them to your tomatoes you will bring the acid content down dangerously low. To avoid any risk, just follow this rule:
When you’re canning mixed ingredient foods like sauces, soups, mixed vegetables and juice combinations, follow the directions for the ingredient that needs the most processing time. If one ingredient would normally be canned in the pressure canner, process the whole combination in the pressure canner for the full time. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that you should follow the guidelines for the food that is in the greatest quantity. Rather, follow the guidelines for the food with the lowest acidity.

To give you some examples, the following combination foods are high acid and can generally be processed in a boiling water bath, so long as it contains NO MORE than 3 cups of any combination of finely chopped celery, onions, carrots or sweet peppers for each 18 pounds of perfectly sound tomatoes, and it contained NO meats.
– stewed tomatoes
tomato purees
meatless tomato sauce
barbeque sauces
mincemeats (containing no meat products)

Examples of combination foods that should be processed under pressure because of the low acid ingredients:
tomato – celery combinations
tomato-pepper sauces
vegetable soups – even if they have a tomato base, like minestrone
tomato-bean combinations
chili (with or without meat, beans or tomatoes)

If in doubt about any of your own recipes, play it safe and pressure can or freeze.”1
Carol Hupping
Rodale Food Center

Supplies

  1. Canning jars: not to be confused with single use jars. These are jars intended to be used at extremely high temperatures. Use ONLY clean jars without cracks or nicks in them.
  2. Lids and rings (screw bands): those that are made for the particular jars you’re using. Do NOT reuse the metal snap lids; they are single use only.
  3. Water bath canner: for water-bath canning, it isn’t necessary to purchase a special canner as long as you have a pot that has a fitted lid and is large enough to fully immerse the jars in water by 2 inches—and that will allow the water to boil when covered. You’ll also need a rack that fits inside the pot or canner.
  4. Jar lifter: very important, this tool is relatively inexpensive but indispensable. It is essentially large tongs to assist you in putting jars into HOT water, and in removing them again out of boiling water.
  5. Wide mouth Funnel: sure makes it easier to fill your jars without spilling and making a mess. You can buy plastic or stainless steal. I have both, but I prefer my stainless steal one. I use it for much more than camping – almost daily, for lots of applications.
  6. Utensils: large spoon or ladle to fill jars, and a simple table knife to remove air bubbles.
  7. Clean dish cloth to wipe jar rims, and clean dish towels upon which to place you processed jars.

10 Tips to Review Before you Start

  1. Always use the FRESHEST produce possible – in peak condition. Overripe fruits are lower in acid and are already in a state of decomposing. It is important to know that produce begins to deteriorate IN THE HOUR it’s harvested, so fresh means AS IMMEDIATE AFTER HARVEST as you can get it.
  2. Gather all your ingredients and equipment beforehand, so that they’re at your finger tips. It is so frustrating to realize at the point of no return, that you don’t have that extra bag of sugar or additional lids you thought you had.
  3. It is critical to pay attention to “CLEAN” throughout every part of the process.
    Freshly CLEAN your jars in HOT soapy water – rinsed with hot water and set aside with a clean cloth cover. Sterilizing jars is good, but current advice is that if the food is going to be processed in a boiling water bath for at least 10 minutes, sterilizing is not necessary. CLEAN however is not negotiable; pay attention to it. If you have a dishwasher – running your clean jars through a cycle should get the job done. In years gone by, I always had my CLEAN jars in a hot oven till I used them, but I hardly ever take the time to do that anymore.
  4. Use REAL canning jars, screw bands, and lids – intended for canning.
    Jars: Many jars that we may recycle are intended only as ‘single-use’ jars. They were not made to go in high temperatures and are liable to break. They also do not fit regular canning lids which are critical. Those single-use jars may be suitable for dry storage, but they are NOT suitable for canning.
    Lids: Use only NEW lids, not previously used. New lids have a rubber inner ring intended to seal during the process. They do not need to be heated to activate the sealing compound before placing on the jar top, but I usually heat them anyway – by placing them either in a pan of water that I bring to a boil, or by dipping them into the boiling hot water bath with a lid holder that I have for that purpose. This is just one further way of ensuring they’re CLEAN.

5. “Head Space” is the air space from the top of the contents of the to the top of the jar; it is important to ensure the jar seals properly. Head space and can vary depending on the food (usually between 1/4 inch to 1 inch but on average – 1/2 inch). During the boiling process, contents of your jars expand, and if the head space is too little for the contents (bigger contents like peaches, pears or tomatoes for example) the contents may expand into headspace and jeopardize the clean seal of the lid. Insufficient head space may even cause the contents to boil over and escape the lid, causing a big mess in your canner and again, jeopardizing the seal.
You could leave up to an inch to prevent those contents from expanding into the headspace. It is important to remember that even liquid expands when it boils.

So what about too much headspace?
If too much headspace is left, the food on the top may discolour in time. That in itself isn’t a terrible thing, but in the case of too much air, processing time may be inadequate to push out all the oxygen within the jar, again preventing a good vacuum and therefore a proper seal.
Having said that, I’ve had times when the syrup in my fruit boiled over (having not left sufficient head space) and yet the jar sealed. I’ve had times that everything seemed perfect and yet the stupid jar didn’t seal. I’ve had time that I left too much head space and the jar sealed and times that I had too much when it didn’t seal. The bottom line is that we’re looking for optimum protection from potential spoilage through aerobic bacteria (an organism that can survive and grow in an ‘oxygenated’ environment) so we want to do our best to follow proper canning procedures.
In principle, following the procedures closely will leave us with no oxygen in the jar. We’ll know we accomplished this when the jar seals.

6. It is VERY important is to wipe the jar rim and threads clean before putting on the lid and screw band. Having any fruit or syrup residue along the top will prevent a good seal with the lid. When putting on the ring / screw band – don’t tighten more than finger tight. It’s job is not to seal the jar, it is to keep the lid in place while the jar is processed and during the cooling process when the vacuum is complete. After 24 hours the ring can be removed to reuse on other jars.

7. Using the jar lifter, place each jar on the rack in the boiling water. I always put the jars in at a slight diagonal to prevent a possible air bubble creating in the slight dome on the jar bottom. Make sure that the jars are covered by at least 1 to 2 inches of water. Cover the pot with lid and bring the pot to the boil. Start counting processing time once the water has returning to a boil. I usually turn the heat down a bit to keep it at a steady rolling boil but not a furious boil. Allowing the water to hard boil at high heat the whole time, may cause some water loss. If that happens simply top it up with small amounts of new water making sure you don’t pour directly onto the jars.

8. When processing time is done, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid venting the steam away from yourself. Remove each jar with the jar lifter and place upright on a nice thick clean tea towel to cool. Keep a space between them of 1 to 2 inches. Let jars cool 12-24 hours.
Do NOT make the mistake of tightening the rings as soon as you remove your jars from the canner. It’s typical that the rings may loosen a bit during processing – that’s okay. Adjusting them while the jars are hot may disturb the seal and interfere with successful sealing. Overcome that rookie temptation.

9. How do you know a jar has sealed?
Another rookie temptation I’ve seen people give into is pushing the centre of the lid when the jar is still hot. Their intention is to “finish the seal”, but that is not what happens. The natural ‘ping’ of the jar sealing on its own is indication that it’s sealed. By interfering you don’t have that indication and you will not know if it has properly sealed.
It is important to test each jar to ensure it’s sealed properly before putting it away. Wait until the jars have cooled at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours before you test the seals. You may notice that the level of the contents is lower. Relax. It’s okay and it is what it is.

A vacuum is created during the sealing process, by drawing the oxygen out of the jar – pulling the lid down, forming a shallow depression in the centre of it. So what you’re looking for is a concaved lid.
* Gently press the centre of the lid with your finger. If it is properly sealed there will be no give, Great. If the lid springs down and up when you press and release your finger, there is no seal, Shucks! Don’t despair. It happens sometimes, especially in the beginning when you’re learning. Put that jar in the fridge and eat the contents in the next few days.

In general, your canned foods should last all year long, as long as they are stored in a cool, dry place. When you open your jar, you should have considerable resistance and need a spoon or table knife to loosen it. It should POP audibly when the seal is broken. If it opens too easily – like with your hand, the lid is NOT sealed and that’s a sure sign that air has gotten in. Not good. Do not keep it. Dispose of immediately.

What signs am I looking for down the road, that a seal has been jeopardized?
*a broken seal (the lid is no longer concave) – this is likely because it wasn’t a good seal to begin with;
*a bulging lid (in home canned or commercially canned food) is a sign of spoilage;
*a lid (not the outside ring) that is corroded or rusty is a sign of spoilage;
*when you open your jars or cans and see mould or bubbles or cloudiness, its a sign of spoilage.
In all these cases – dispose of the contents immediately.

10. One sign that your jars have sealed properly is the gentle “popping” or “pinging” sound” you hear as the jars cool. The wonderful sound of jars ‘pinging’ is music to the ears of anyone who home cans. It tells you “Job Well Done!” Now all you have to do is wipe up the mess and wait for the next round.
Jars that don’t seal can NOT be stored. Put them in the fridge and use within a few days.

It might sound at this point, that its all problems but in actual fact MOST jars seal, so relax – you’re doing the right thing. Home canning is still a good way to preserve food. Because you canned, you can enjoy the taste of summer fruits (and vegetables if you pressure can) in the middle of winter, and you can also customize recipes to suit your family’s taste preferences and dietary needs.

Botulism

The biggest concern of any canning is botulism poisoning. Botulism is an illness caused by the botulinum toxin, and make no mistake – it can be deadly. It wasn’t that long ago that botulism was a real thing and something most people knew enough to be fearful of, but not always how to avoid it. Even today I hear people say things like “My grandmother canned all her vegetables in a hot water canner and they never had a problem.” That makes my blood run chill. I am ashamed to say I was also one of those idiots who blatantly and foolishly disregarded my father’s warning about botulism and canning vegetables without a pressure canner. I didn’t take it seriously in those days and I’m sure I caused some him some unnecessary stress by my flippant attitude. It’s a dangerous game to play. People die from stupid attitudes like that. My father’s sister died of typhoid fever when she was just 15 years old. It was scary and people didn’t always know what caused it or how to avoid it. My grandmother knew it stemmed from contaminated water, and for the rest of her life she was vigilant about unseen contaminants. She boiled their water for years, and my memories of her were always that she was very concerned about germs. My dad was a ‘germaphobe’ decades before I ever heard the word, and though it was frustrating to live with it, I came to have more understanding for him when I realized that though he was only 6 years old when his sister died, and had few memories of her or the situation surrounding her death, he was raised by a mother who lost a daughter to typhoid. That’s pretty life defining. It shaped him, and he helped shape me. My whole life, he was vigilant about foodbourne or waterbourne illnesses. I’m glad I smartened up, but I do regret the worry I caused him.

In actual fact, the bacteria that causes botulism occurs naturally in soil and normally doesn’t cause a threat to people. However, they is a very hardy type of bacteria which thrives in LOW-ACID, low-oxygen environments, like those we create when we can foods – more accurately, when food is canned improperly. The bacteria grows and produces their deadly toxin botulin, making the food unfit for consumption of humans or animals alike.

65% of botulism outbreaks have been traced to home-processed foods.
It is not common but it is NOT A THING OF THE PAST.

It is critical that the environment INSIDE the bottled or canned goods be inhospitable to the bacteria by canning only high ACID foods (most fruits) at normal water boiling temperatures of 212 degrees Fahrenheit or 100 degrees Celcius (HOT WATER BATH CANNING).
Low acid foods (all vegetables and proteins) must be processed at 240 degrees F which can only be accomplished under pressure (PRESSURE CANNING) .
For this reason, even when canning high acid foods I habitually add additional acid in the form of 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to my tomatoes and a tablespoon of lemon juice to all my fruit as an additional acid precaution (in honour of my dad).

I no longer preserve in the same quantity I used to. For one, I don’t have five growing kids living in my house anymore. And I no longer buy fruit for the purpose of canning. I preserve the EXCESS of what I produce myself, and sometimes excess that is given to me – which is MORE than what we can enjoy FRESH. I believe in eating IN the SEASON as much as possible, and preserving excess while its at it’s best.

Another reason I don’t can in the same quantity anymore is that there seems to be no such thing as ‘a good price’ for the fruit I used to can so much of. This makes it necessary to be more creative in what and how I preserve, and more ready to take opportunities when they come our way. It makes it more important for me to have a home garden and to make friends with the fruits and vegetables that want to grow in my part of the world. It makes it all the more important for me to find good nutritious food in times of plenty and to learn to preserve the excess of it for times of less.

And yet another reason I don’t can in the same quantity that I used to, is that about 12 years ago I discovered freeze dried food which has an extended shelf life and higher nutritional value. Not everything is suitable to be freeze dried, just as not everything is suitable for canning, drying or freezing. I love that I have the flexibility to take advantage of all preserving options. Click HERE to see other methods of preserving, and the freeze dried food I prefer.

– to review –
JARS:
YES – Jars that are made for repeated high heat use (they will always have a brand name on them)
YES – run finger over the rim before using to ensure no chips or cracks
YES – wash well with hot soapy water, rinse with hot water before using
NO – reuse single use jars like mayonnaise or pickle jars for canning
NO – not necessary to sterilize jars that will be processed at least 10 minutes in hot water bath

LIDS and rings:
YES – lids and rings made and intended for this express purpose on these particular jars
NO – never ever ever re-use a lid except for dry storage
NO – not necessary to heat lids, but I do it anyway

Hot water bath canning
YES – high acid foods like most fruits, slightly unripe better than over ripe. Perfectly ripe is ideal.
NO – to over ripe fruit which is no longer high acid, but rather high sugar
NO – to any vegetable or protein – considered low acid foods. These must be pressure canned.

Processing
YES – ensure water is two inches or more above the tallest jar
YES – check a reliable and trusted source to confirm the recommended time
YES – begin timing after water has returned to a rolling boil
YES – reduce heat so that water isn’t violently boiling, but high enough to keep a steady boil
NO – not enough water to top jars sufficiently
NO – guessing at timing for pints or quarts
NO – start timing too early

Removal and confirming seal
YES – set hot jars on an insulated cloth to ensure the coolness of counter doesn’t come in contact with the bottom of the jar
YES – set them with air space between, and lightly cover with cloth to avoid them cooling too fast
YES – you’re listening for a gentle ‘ping’ sound telling you the jar has sealed
NO – NEVER push or tap the lid. Let it seal on its own.
NO – don’t put them away too early. Leave for 24 hours
YES – you can remove the ring after 24 and confirming seal
JAR IS SEALED WHEN THE LID IN CONCAVED (curved slightly inwards) IN THE CENTRE.

In many ways it was easier back then, when I could count on finding peaches for a good price every July or August. All told, thousands of man-hours were spent in my kitchen by those who would eat later as well as today. I am glad I took those opportunities to learn the skill. I am glad for all that practice. I believe it is an important skill to have.

So go ahead, can the apples, cherries or plums or other high acid fruits that you grow. Find some recipes for jams that sound good to you, or that friends share with you. I’ll share some of my favourite jam recipes in another post. Find some recipes for sauces and salsa – I’ll share my favourites in another post. One of the fruits I can the most is tomatoes (and yes – tomato is a fruit). I fresh-can them and I roast them in the oven to can for sauces later. I have also begun canning rhubarb – never thought I’d see the day, but we love it in the winter this way.

I hope you’ll tell me about your experiences, including your successes and failures. Failure is just another lesson learned about how not to do it again. I’ve had lots of those – you likely will too. Have fun!

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

footnotes

  1. from the book STOCKING UP: THE CLASSIC PRESERVING GUIDE, pg 79.
    Author: Carol Hupping from the RODALE FOOD CENTER ↩︎