canning green beans and salsa?

[sheeshshe]

OK... I read a couple of canning posts on here and I still am not 100% on what to do... so some advice please

I found this recipe here: http://www.ehow.com/how_4966671_can-gre ... ooker.html

not sure, is that enough vinegar to make it safe? and are the green beans gross with vinegar?


also, salsa.... I like raw salsa and I make it daily. I would like to save some for the winter. I've frozen some already but I thought about cannign some since I am um, not having much free space in my freezer with all the squash and salsa in it LOL!

so, can I just take my raw salsa and add lemon juice or vinegar in the appropriate amounts, and then process it? or do I have to actually cook it first and then process it? or if I don't cook it first do I just process it longer?

thank you!

[cynthia_h]

The best and most reliable, up-to-date sources on safely canning foods are the Ball Blue Book and the USDA. There's a searchable recipe database at the USDA website, http://usda.gov ; the Ball Blue Book can be ordered from http://www.freshpreserving.com/ .

Please check and *be sure* the recipe is safe before committing your safety to it.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[gixxerific]

I am new myself there are some canning pros on here but that is not me.

I got the Blue Ball Book from Lowe's if there are any around you check out that if you don't want to order online. Or Home depot but if there is one there is more than likely the other around the corner.

But definitely get that book. It even has a section on hot to properly freeze things, which would come into use for your salsa.

Again I'm no pro but maybe an alternative for your salsa would be to can just tomatoes than break out those and add other ingredients. Not sure how that would work never done it myself but I understand you want your salsa crisp not cooked.

[gixxerific]

Just looked at my Ball book.

Do you have a pressure canner or are you only able to do the water bath canning.

If you have a pressure canner it looks as though you don't need the vinegar, just salt, however in the water bath I suppose being a low acid food the vinegars IS needed.

[Marlingardener]

I've been canning for over 30 years, and always do my green beans in a pressure canner with just water and salt. In a hot water bath it takes an inordinate amount of time, three hours, I think!
About your salsa, if you do can it, use high-acid tomatoes and remove the seeds and squeeze them a bit dry. That keeps your salsa from becoming watery after the processing. It also helps to remove the seeds from your jalapenos or whatever hot pepper you are using, since the cooking and sitting in the jar tends to heighten the flavor. Most of the "heat" is in the seeds and integuments, so if those are removed you don't get the intensified heat from cooking and aging.
Salsa can be canned using a hot water bath, but you already knew that.

[LindsayArthurRTR]

I would pressure can salsa. Just for the simple fact that you are adding low acid foods to the tomatoes. Tomatoes alone ( with added lemon juice or citric acid) are safe to be water bathed, but when you add low acid foods to them, they need to be pressure canned.

I like the ball blue book for preserving and I reference it frequently.

I also love some of the recipes I've found in a couple other books. One of my top favorites is called " Well Preserved".

Happy Canning!!!

[sheeshshe]

I'm trying to do this all without a pressure canner, hence the first link with the green beans... and addign the vinegar.. I can't afford a pressure canner and I can't find one used I've looked boo hiss. so I have a bunch of stuff and I don't know what to do still I guess. I wanted to do stuff tonight.


I found recipes online for salsa but most of them say to cook it first and then water bath it. but when I was looking at something else about tomatoes and saying that they didn't cook it but just water bathed it. so it made me wonder if I can do that with the salsa? I guess I just don't know what to do.

[cynthia_h]

From the http://usda.gov site I advised several hours ago:

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/p ... _usda.html

Cynthia

[jal_ut]

I would not trust a canning recipe found on E-how!

I know I am going to sound like a scratched record but this is important: Always use a tested and approved recipe. These recipes can be found in the Ball Blue Book, USDA and at your Extension office.

Any salsa will need to have vinegar added to get the acidity high enough for water bath canning. The problem is I don't know how much vinegar, nor do I have any way to test it.

Be safe!

[sheeshshe]

OK, thanks guys.

I guess I may get a pressure canner afterall. my DH heard me whining and said that he just won a $50 gift card to amazon for completing some survey and told me I could have it towards a pressure canner.

[LindsayArthurRTR]

you can get a nice pressure canner for that!

[crobi13]

Yea for the free $50.00!

The pressure canner will come with some basic tips. Not enough though.
I got a pressure canner last year & I had no idea what I was doing. The Blue Book was pretty expensive so I went to the USDA & downloaded the canning guide for free.

Enjoy your new "toy"

[garden5]

Wow, that's a stroke of luck, happy canning.

Thanks for the links Cythia. I never like to use canning recipes that are posted online before cross-referencing them first. Better to be safe than sorry.

[cynthia_h]

Thanks for the links Cythia. I never like to use canning recipes that are posted online before cross-referencing them first. Better to be safe than sorry.

You're very welcome. As to "Better to be safe than sorry": I fully agree. That's why I'm so insistent that people check with USDA/Ball recommendations on acidity and cooking times/conditions before beginning to learn home canning. Yes, it's pretty easy and straightforward, *but* if done improperly....

Cynthia

[hit or miss]

Be careful, once you get a pressure canner you'll be wanting to can anything and everything!

If you have any more questions just ask!