Canning Tomatoes

Melba's Jammin said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Pennyaline said:

remains closed. And I wouldn't mail a jar of beans or jam or picalilly*
to friends and folks with any delusion of it getting there intact. No
sir, they can stop by if they want some, or wait 'til the get-together.

Why not? If properly packed there's no reason they shouldn't arrive
intact. I've mailed across country and abroad both with great
satisfaction of the recipients.

Why not? Primarily because I have no need to mail preserves 'cross land
and sea. But my experience with USPS and the major package carriers when
it comes to breakable items is they shouldn't be trusted with anything
more brittle than a damp sponge.

"Sheldon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Anny Middon said:

I mail home-canned food frequently, and have never had a problem with
breakage.

I'm not the least concerned with breakage, my concern is "tsaint", I
don't eat others canned foods and for th eexact same reason I strongly
suspect they'd not eat mine... the ONLY reason can ners gift their
wares is to show off, at leas they think they're bragging, I think
they're just jerks.

Well, certainly no one in their right mind would eat anything you'd
canned -- you've shown your ignorance about safe canning techniques.

I give away a lot of my canned goods, almost all to people who practically
beg for it. One friend has gone from hinting about how she's eaten the last
of my blueberry marmalade to asking straight out whether I've made any this
season and when can she have a few jars. For chrissake I get congratulatory
cards from my mother's neighbors that make a point of telling me they've
given Mom the empty jars in the hopes I'll give them back filled. (BTW, Mom
lives about 1700 miles from me.)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Freezing is forever only if you don't mind eating poor quality.

With home grown veggies forever means one year... makes not a whit of
sense to preserve more than will be consumed until the next crop.

So let's see if I've got this right -- freezing is superior to canning
because freezing lasts forever and canning lasts only a year for best
quality, but "forever" for freezing means only one year?

Anny

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Pennyaline said:

remains closed. And I wouldn't mail a jar of beans or jam or picalilly*
to friends and folks with any delusion of it getting there intact. No
sir, they can stop by if they want some, or wait 'til the get-together.

Why not? If properly packed there's no reason they shouldn't arrive
intact. I've mailed across country and abroad both with great
satisfaction of the recipients.

Bubble wrapped helps. Anything that will absorb shock is the best for
packing glass.

"Pennyaline" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Melba's Jammin said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Pennyaline said:

remains closed. And I wouldn't mail a jar of beans or jam or picalilly*
to friends and folks with any delusion of it getting there intact. No
sir, they can stop by if they want some, or wait 'til the get-together.

Why not? If properly packed there's no reason they shouldn't arrive
intact. I've mailed across country and abroad both with great
satisfaction of the recipients.

Why not? Primarily because I have no need to mail preserves 'cross land
and sea. But my experience with USPS and the major package carriers when
it comes to breakable items is they shouldn't be trusted with anything
more brittle than a damp sponge.

Barb sent jars to me and they arrived with no problems at all🙂 .. and
fabulous they were too🙂))

O in Scotland

"Ophelia" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Pennyaline" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Melba's Jammin said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
Pennyaline <[email hidden]> wrote:

> remains closed. And I wouldn't mail a jar of beans or jam or picalilly*
> to friends and folks with any delusion of it getting there intact. No
> sir, they can stop by if they want some, or wait 'til the get-together.

Why not? If properly packed there's no reason they shouldn't arrive
intact. I've mailed across country and abroad both with great
satisfaction of the recipients.

Why not? Primarily because I have no need to mail preserves 'cross land
and sea. But my experience with USPS and the major package carriers when
it comes to breakable items is they shouldn't be trusted with anything
more brittle than a damp sponge.

Barb sent jars to me and they arrived with no problems at all🙂 .. and
fabulous they were too🙂))

Just trying to think Barb... how many years ago was that?

Guess I am not a newby after all🙂)))))))))

Melba's Jammin said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Goomba38 said:

Melba's Jammin said:

Hey, the folks at my U of MN Extension service worked up a recipe for
"stewed tomatoes" -- tomatoes with celery, onions, and green pepper --
that can safely be waterbath processed. It's called the Minnesota
Tomato Mixture. I made it last year with blue success and followed the
directions and measurements to the letter - except I added citric acid
per the NCHFP recommendations for canning tomatoes. I find it ironic
that the U's instructions haven't been updated to include this
requirement.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/nutrition/DJ1097.html

There's lot of information on the page.

I've always been a little proud at how you praise the University of
Georgia in Athens Ag site. I wonder if they suggest the citric acid?

Options are given for lemon juice, citric acid, and vinegar. Vinegar
acidification requires the most and because of that, flavor is affected
(adversely, you ask me). My preference is citric acid because it
produces the pucker but no flavor. It also uses only 1/2 tsp per quart
of tomato "stuff."

Elizabeth Andress, who seems to run the NCHFP is a real gem. When they
were setting up the site a few years ago, they asked the folks on
r.f.preserving to voice opinions about various things. They had a
lurker amongst us at the time. I don't believe Elizabeth reads (or
lurks) but she's always been extremely willing to answer questions I
(and I'm quite sure others) ask -- in good detail with thorough
explanations. I sent her and her staff some jam a year or two ago for
Christmas. :-)

I have had a couple of question answered by either Dr. Andress or
other staff. Very nice and helpful people. It is probably one of the
very few places where you can get reliable information about something
that is not directly covered on their web site or books.

--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

In article <[email hidden]>,

Pennyaline said:

Melba's Jammin said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Pennyaline said:

remains closed. And I wouldn't mail a jar of beans or jam or picalilly*
to friends and folks with any delusion of it getting there intact. No
sir, they can stop by if they want some, or wait 'til the get-together.

Why not? If properly packed there's no reason they shouldn't arrive
intact. I've mailed across country and abroad both with great
satisfaction of the recipients.

Why not? Primarily because I have no need to mail preserves 'cross land
and sea.

Well, there you go, then! :-)

Quoted message said:

But my experience with USPS and the major package carriers when
it comes to breakable items is they shouldn't be trusted with anything
more brittle than a damp sponge.

Well, phooey on them!

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007

"Sheldon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

blake murphy said:

On Sat, 11 Aug 2007 02:58:29 GMT, "The Joneses" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"Sheldon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
> On Aug 10, 3:34?pm, "Kswck" <[email hidden]> wrote:
>> Is there a definitive site you all use for information on canning
>> tomato
>> sauce?

Quoted message said:

>> Usually, I just grind the tomatoes and make sauce and freeze it in
>> gallon
>> bags. I want to try canning the juice/sauce rather than adding all
>> the
>> ingredients for sauce, cooking it down and freezing it.

Quoted message said:

>> I would think that you must cook down the juice for a bit and then
>> can.

Quoted message said:

>> One other question-can one spice the juice, say with onion and
>> garlic,
>> before canning or is there a real problem with botulism with garlic?

Quoted message said:

>> I usually do around 2 bushels-want to expand to 4 or 5. I do have an
>> industrial size electric grinder (50 bushels in 8 hours-or so say the
>> literature it came with).

Quoted message said:

> You're much better off freezing tomato sauce, especially with large
> quantities. Canning was popular before the advent of freezers, with
> modern freezers canning can't hold a candle... freezing requires far
> less work, far less space, and is far, FAR safer.
> Sheldon

Quoted message said:

Until the lights go out. Or you want to mail some prize winning good
stuff
to your kinfolk. Canning is safe if you follow the rules. I can alot and
freeze other things. Join us at rec.food.preserving, log on to your
county
extension site, visit the library. Very civilized places imho.
Edrena

also, most folks don't have a freezer that can accommodate sauce from
five bushels of tomatoes.

Only an selfish [censored] would keep more than they can use in a year...
one bushel of tomatoes makes a year's supply (about 30 quarts). I
give away extra tomatoes.

I give most of what I make away as well. Most years I am eating the last of
waht I made about when it's time to make more.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Ophelia said:

Quoted message said:

Barb sent jars to me and they arrived with no problems at all🙂 .. and
fabulous they were too🙂))

Just trying to think Barb... how many years ago was that?

Guess I am not a newby after all🙂)))))))))

Five-seven? I still have the waxed paper things that you folks use for
your preserves. :-)
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007

In article <[email hidden]>,

The Cook said:

I have had a couple of question answered by either Dr. Andress or
other staff. Very nice and helpful people. It is probably one of the
very few places where you can get reliable information about something
that is not directly covered on their web site or books.

Hear, hear!

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007

Kswck said:

"Sheldon" wrote

Quoted message said:

blake murphy said:

"The Joneses" wrote:
>"Sheldon" wrote
>> "Kswck" wrote:
>>> Is there a definitive site you all use for information on canning
>>> tomato
>>> sauce?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>>> Usually, I just grind the tomatoes and make sauce and freeze it in
>>> gallon
>>> bags. I want to try canning the juice/sauce rather than adding all
>>> the
>>> ingredients for sauce, cooking it down and freezing it.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>>> I would think that you must cook down the juice for a bit and then
>>> can.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>>> One other question-can one spice the juice, say with onion and
>>> garlic,
>>> before canning or is there a real problem with botulism with garlic?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>>> I usually do around 2 bushels-want to expand to 4 or 5. I do have an
>>> industrial size electric grinder (50 bushels in 8 hours-or so say the
>>> literature it came with).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>> You're much better off freezing tomato sauce, especially with large
>> quantities. Canning was popular before the advent of freezers, with
>> modern freezers canning can't hold a candle... freezing requires far
>> less work, far less space, and is far, FAR safer.
>> Sheldon

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>Until the lights go out. Or you want to mail some prize winning good
>stuff
>to your kinfolk. Canning is safe if you follow the rules. I can alot and
>freeze other things. Join us at rec.food.preserving, log on to your
>county
>extension site, visit the library. Very civilized places imho.
>Edrena

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

also, most folks don't have a freezer that can accommodate sauce from
five bushels of tomatoes.

Quoted message said:

Only an selfish [censored] would keep more than they can use in a year...
one bushel of tomatoes makes a year's supply (about 30 quarts). I
give away extra tomatoes.

I give most of what I make away as well. Most years I am eating the last of
what I made about when it's time to make more.

Exactly. People who actually for real garden each year aren't going
to claim they put up 5 bushels of tomatoes, even a large family can't
consume that much sauce before they're picking tomatoes again... makes
me wonder if they even know how much a bushel of tomatoes is, let
alone 5 bushels... makes me really wonder if they ever grew any
tomatoes, or any other vegetables, or even ever canned anything for
that matter, except in their wild fantasies.

It was hot today (84F) but I was out working in my garden, harvested
about 3 pounds of green beans, ate all my ripe blueberies and
strawberries as I picked them (yummy warm from the sun), picked three
nice cukes, about 20 medium tomatoes, and one small zuke and three
gigantic summer squash (looks like a zuke but like 5 pounds each,
monsters). Then I emptied my composter because I've been planning to
move it and today was the day. My neighbor must have seen me working
out there so here he comes with a bag of a dozen heads of garlic, and
five pounds each of yukon golds and red bliss spuds... I told him you
ain't walking back empty handed, he got two of those huge zukes, half
my tomatoes and half my green beans. We trade crops all season, I
know it wont be long he'll be here with a sackful of his huge gorgeous
red and yellow onions. I eat all my beet tops but I share my beets,
I'll have near 100 pounds. I also keep the 80 year old neighbor lady
across the road supplied with my extra crops, she'll get a about ten
pounds of beets, she makes really good pickled beets.

And before I know it I'll be planting a crop again... no way am I
going to preserve more than I can consume before I'm picking next
years crop.

Sheldon

Quoted message said:

Exactly. People who actually for real garden each year aren't going
to claim they put up 5 bushels of tomatoes, even a large family can't
consume that much sauce before they're picking tomatoes again... makes
me wonder if they even know how much a bushel of tomatoes is, let
alone 5 bushels... makes me really wonder if they ever grew any
tomatoes, or any other vegetables, or even ever canned anything for
that matter, except in their wild fantasies.

I've never bothered to put up tomato sauce but when I had a growing family
(4 kids; 2 adults) I regularly put up 12 bushels of tomatoes. This was in
Utah where I could get fresh tomatoes from the farms and was cost effective.

If I were to can now I'd still do at least 6 bushels just for myself and
guests. I use whole tomatoes as ingredients often. It is not cost
effective to can tomatoes in NW WA, but I miss the great taste of home
canned. I use whole tomatoes in meals several times a week and we never had
any left over by the time tomato canning season came around again.

Blessings,
Ann

Ann said:

Quoted message said:

Exactly. People who actually for real garden each year aren't going
to claim they put up 5 bushels of tomatoes, even a large family can't
consume that much sauce before they're picking tomatoes again... makes
me wonder if they even know how much a bushel of tomatoes is, let
alone 5 bushels... makes me really wonder if they ever grew any
tomatoes, or any other vegetables, or even ever canned anything for
that matter, except in their wild fantasies.

I've never bothered to put up tomato sauce but when I had a growing family
(4 kids; 2 adults) I regularly put up 12 bushels of tomatoes.

Where, up your lying ass?

"Ann" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

(clipped)

I've never bothered to put up tomato sauce but when I had a growing family
(4 kids; 2 adults) I regularly put up 12 bushels of tomatoes. This was in
Utah where I could get fresh tomatoes from the farms and was cost
effective.

If I were to can now I'd still do at least 6 bushels just for myself and
guests. I use whole tomatoes as ingredients often. It is not cost
effective to can tomatoes in NW WA, but I miss the great taste of home
canned. I use whole tomatoes in meals several times a week and we never
had
any left over by the time tomato canning season came around again.

Blessings,
Ann

Canned tomatoes at their peak of ripeness are better than tomatoids in
January at the market. It is nice, too, to be able to control the amount of
salt and other ingredients if one needs a special diet. And to do away with
the high fructose corn syrup altogether. That stuff is in everything.
Edrena

The Joneses said:

"Ann" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

(clipped)

I've never bothered to put up tomato sauce but when I had a growing family
(4 kids; 2 adults) I regularly put up 12 bushels of tomatoes. This was in
Utah where I could get fresh tomatoes from the farms and was cost
effective.

Quoted message said:

If I were to can now I'd still do at least 6 bushels just for myself and
guests. I use whole tomatoes as ingredients often. It is not cost
effective to can tomatoes in NW WA, but I miss the great taste of home
canned. I use whole tomatoes in meals several times a week and we never
had
any left over by the time tomato canning season came around again.

Quoted message said:

Blessings,
Ann

Canned tomatoes at their peak of ripeness are better than tomatoids in
January at the market. It is nice, too, to be able to control the amount of
salt and other ingredients if one needs a special diet. And to do away with
the high fructose corn syrup altogether. That stuff is in everything.
Edrena

If what one wants is plain canned tomatoes the tinned at the
stupidmarket contain nothing but tomatoes, are safer, taste better,
are better quality, are less effort, and cost less than any one can
put up at home[period] Right now is when tinned tomatoes are on sale,
is when I buy them by the case. It's just plain stupid to home can
plain tomatoes, as stupid as hand knitting plain white socks.

Sheldon

"Melba's Jammin'" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Ophelia said:

Quoted message said:

Barb sent jars to me and they arrived with no problems at all🙂 .. and
fabulous they were too🙂))

Just trying to think Barb... how many years ago was that?

Guess I am not a newby after all🙂)))))))))

Five-seven? I still have the waxed paper things that you folks use for
your preserves. :-)

You still have them🙂 LOL

In article <[email hidden]>,

Sheldon said:

Quoted message said:

I give most of what I make away as well. Most years I am eating the last of
what I made about when it's time to make more.

Good planning. My brother plans to can tomatoes every second year. The
year he cans he puts up a two-year supply.

Quoted message said:

Exactly. People who actually for real garden each year aren't going
to claim they put up 5 bushels of tomatoes, even a large family can't
consume that much sauce before they're picking tomatoes again...

LOL. You're in deep water, Sheldon. You don't know what a large family
can consume. Then there's the part about sharing (the canned goods)
with others. You won't eat anyone's home canned goods, but others will
and do. I understand your fear -- when I was given some stuff, I grilled
the donor about how they were processed.

Quoted message said:

It was hot today (84F) but I was out working in my garden, harvested
about 3 pounds of green beans, ate all my ripe blueberies and
strawberries as I picked them (yummy warm from the sun),

What kind of strawberries do you have?

Quoted message said:

across the road supplied with my extra crops, she'll get a about ten
pounds of beets, she makes really good pickled beets.

Quoted message said:

Sheldon

Get her recipe!! I'm looking for a recipe.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007

In article <[email hidden]>,

Sheldon said:

If what one wants is plain canned tomatoes the tinned at the
stupidmarket contain nothing but tomatoes, are safer, taste better,
are better quality, are less effort, and cost less than any one can
put up at home[period] Right now is when tinned tomatoes are on sale,
is when I buy them by the case. It's just plain stupid to home can
plain tomatoes, as stupid as hand knitting plain white socks.

Sheldon

You're on a roll! Keep treading -- you're sinking. LOL! I did tomato
"stuff" yesterday and if I had an abundance, I'd send you a jar and defy
you to tell me that *any* container of commercially produced plain
canned tomatoes you could buy in any store tastes better than my
homemade.

Today I'll put up juice and hope it gets another blue ribbon at the Fair
next week. Made from the same kind of tomatoes as the canned tomatoes,
I've never tasted tomato juice this good - even with the added acid to
ensure safe canning. It doesn't need salt although a pinch may
brighten it a titch. A couple jars will go to a friend of my son's who
can't have sugar. She loved what he gave her last year and was thrilled
at my offer for more.

It IS cheaper than putting them up from scratch, and it IS less effort.
And cheaper isn't everything.
And putting them up at home is soul satisfying. Being close to the
source of your food is *very* satisfying. But you know that -- you're
just playing to the crowd. <grin>
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007

In article <[email hidden]>,

Anny Middon said:

"Sheldon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Anny Middon said:

I mail home-canned food frequently, and have never had a problem with
breakage.

I'm not the least concerned with breakage, my concern is "tsaint", I
don't eat others canned foods and for th eexact same reason I strongly
suspect they'd not eat mine... the ONLY reason can ners gift their
wares is to show off, at leas they think they're bragging, I think
they're just jerks.

Well, certainly no one in their right mind would eat anything you'd
canned -- you've shown your ignorance about safe canning techniques.

I give away a lot of my canned goods, almost all to people who practically
beg for it. One friend has gone from hinting about how she's eaten the last
of my blueberry marmalade to asking straight out whether I've made any this
season and when can she have a few jars. For chrissake I get congratulatory
cards from my mother's neighbors that make a point of telling me they've
given Mom the empty jars in the hopes I'll give them back filled. (BTW, Mom
lives about 1700 miles from me.)

ROTFLMAO, Anny. I make labels for Sister Marge's pickles. She asked me
to "put that I want my jar back." I made a couple that included "Please
return jar or you'll never see another of my pickles." She didn't
think that was such a good idea. :-) I re-worded it something gentler.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Freezing is forever only if you don't mind eating poor quality.

With home grown veggies forever means one year... makes not a whit of
sense to preserve more than will be consumed until the next crop.

So let's see if I've got this right -- freezing is superior to canning
because freezing lasts forever and canning lasts only a year for best
quality, but "forever" for freezing means only one year?

Anny

Game, set, match. <grin>
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - story and
pics of Ronald McDonald House dinner posted 6-24-2007

"Sheldon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Only an selfish [censored] would keep more than they can use in a year...
one bushel of tomatoes makes a year's supply (about 30 quarts). I
give away extra tomatoes.

Yuck! I just reread this and realized I'd never want to eat your tomato
sauce.

According to the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, "For thin [tomato]
sauce-an average of 35 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an
average of 21 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs
53 pounds and yields 10 to 12 quarts of sauce-an average of 5 pounds per
quart. For thick sauce-an average of 46 pounds is needed per canner load of
7 quarts; an average of 28 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A
bushel weighs 53 pounds and yields 7 to 9 quarts of thick sauce-an average
of 6-1/2 pounds per quart."

You are apparently using less than 2 pounds of tomatoes per quart. I like
my tomato sauce to be almost entirely tomatoes. Even my spaghetti sauce
made from fresh tomatoes and including meat and mushrooms has far more
tomatoes than what you're using.

Anny