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.

[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!

[sheeshshe]

I can't decide whether or not a 16 qt or a 23 qt is better? is there a difference in how they perform or is it only a matter of size only?


and I"m wondeirng how these green beans will do. if they're going to be stringy in the canner..?


I think I'm going to have to freeze them for now until it arrives so they don't go bad.. thats ok right?

[sheeshshe]

but what is making them stringy when I boil them?

[LindsayArthurRTR]

If you get the smaller canner, you'll always say you wished you got the larger canner. some beans are just stringy. When you snap the ends off of them, pull the strings off with the ends. There may be strings on both sides. Usually the earliest pickings don't have any strings, second pickings have some strings, and later picking have tough strings. I usually let thaws go to seed

[applestar]

I'm jumping in because I'm also looking to buy a pressure canner at some point

I dunno... I can't see me processing whole 18 pints or whatever (reviewers say 20 pints don't fit in the Presto) of anything. What brand do you all have?
I have my eye(s) on the... All American? the one that's super expensive but is reputed to be precision built and doesn't need a rubber gasket. I think last year we had a thread going on this and jal said he has one of those, as well as someone else that has a large garden -- rootsy maybe? -- and tomf, I think, said their production quality is really good.

Are aluminum canners better? I have this "aluminum pans are bad" reflex that's kind of stuck in me. We have old (and inexpensive) aluminum pressure cookers that MIL gave DH ages ago. They're still buried somewhere in the garage, I think, but are pitted on the inside.

[sheeshshe]

well this bites. I can't get a pressure canner now because my stove isn't right for it I found out. it is a glasstop and the burners go on and off and on and off... apparently this fluctuation is bad for a pressure canner

[applestar]

Yeah. Mine does that too. But DH's gas grill has a side burner....

[sheeshshe]

hmmmmmm. I wish I had a side burner on our gas grill! I don't know what to do now. hmmph.

[LindsayArthurRTR]

TURKEY FRYER!!!!! haha plus you can use that extra large pot for large batch waterbath canning

I have a presto, and It says you can fit 20 pints, but I tried and the jars are crammed in there and I'm scared that when they expand it will make them crack, so I don't use it like that. It is nice when you're doing large batches of beans that take 40-60 minutes per batch. I did mine in quarts and I can easily fit 7 (8 if I squish but...the cracking scares me). We tried pressure canning on the glasstop at our old place, it was a disaster and it scared me to death. we did end up moving outside to the turkey fryer It works!

That is sole purpose of why we put the gas range in when we did our kitchen remodel. (that and I really was going for the gourmet look )

[sheeshshe]

sadly our turkey fryer doesn't work. something broken about it. I use the large pot for my laundry soap time to think of something else I gues...

[applestar]

Turkey fryer -- great idea!
Alton Brown did a comparison of models on his show Good Eats. Some he said was dangerous because of cheap workmanship or design that encouraged tipping over.

[garden5]

You know, I've thought about the idea of using a turkey fryer for waterbath canning as well. Glad to hear someone doing it with success.

[mansgirl]

Here's my salsa recipe that I've made for years without any problems.

BEST SALSA EVER
8 c. tomato, peeled and diced
3 sweet onion
4 jalepenos, diced
12 oz. tomato paste
1 c. apple cider vinegar
1 t. salt
1 t. minced garlic
black pepper to taste
2 beef bullion cubes
1/4 - 1/2 c. sugar (to taste)

Combine ingredients in a large pot over mid-high heat. Stir constantly until near boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. While still at near boil pour into jars and seal.

------
I like to add some bell pepper to this and extra jalepeno or even some cayenne. However, when I do this, just to make sure my acidity level is still okay, I add a scooch more vinegar. I've never had a problem with bacteria or any of the other nasty, funky, unwanteds. : ) Oh, and don't skip the bullion, it sounds weird but it adds a unique, yummy flavor!

Oh, one more thing.. you can double this recipe, but I wouldn't recommend tripling it. I tried that once, and it turned out very thin. I found it hard to control with THAT much.

[hit or miss]

On the subject of pressure canners:
I have a 21 qt Mirro that works wonderfully on my glasstop stove. I can put 8 pints in it or 7 quarts at a time.

I have a 921 AA canner, you couldn't pay me to try it on the glasstop! It weighs 25 pounds empty! I use a turkey fryer under it and have no problems. I can get 16 pints in it at a time. The quality is second to none and you'll never have to buy another gasket.

I had both going at one time canning taters last month!

All I can say is this, if you have a glasstop you are taking a risk on breaking the top from the weight and heat when canning. I'm willing to take that risk at this point as we both hate the glasstop. I've probably canned 350 pints on the glasstop this year alone, both water bath and pressure so.....

[applestar]

So Mirro is an aluminum? AA's stainless?

[jal_ut]

We use the AA pressure canners. They are the best as far as I am concerned. Not cheap, but they will last a lifetime. The kettles and lids are cast aluminum and the seal is machined into the kettle and lid. No rubber gasket to need replacing.

Here is the 19 pint one.

Gas appliances are best for canning. I have done it with electric, but many electric ranges won't hold up under the strain. Both elements and switches often go out.

[jal_ut]

The only drawback is if you are tiny and lifting a full 23 qt. canner off the heat is a strain.

Caution! Never try to move a hot loaded pressure cooker. When the time is up, turn the heat off and wait until the pressure gauge reads 0, then wait 5 more minutes, then open the cooker and take out the jars. Now you can move it if need be, but I still like to just let it sit there and cool off more before moving. Those things are big and heavy. No use risking an accident with hot scalding water and steam.

[LindsayArthurRTR]

HahaHa! Turkey fryer is not the norm for me, but I had something like 24 quarts of greenbeans that needed canned. We just couldn't keep the pressure constant on the glasstop. It wouldgo from the guage having no movement, to the guage shooting off in matter of seconds!!! I needed something quick, and that's the only thing I could think of at the time.

Gardengirl, I would seriously consider starting to pressure can your salsa.

Apple, aluminum is great to cook with. Especially to bake with

[garden5]

Gas appliances are best for canning. I have done it with electric, but many electric ranges won't hold up under the strain. Both elements and switches often go out.

What do you mean by this? Are you saying that the elements can't remain hot long enough to maintain temperature/pressure in the caner?

Also, does using a pressure caner drastically reduce to risk of botulism contamination.

[applestar]

Also, does using a pressure caner drastically reduce to risk of botulism contamination.

... I think this was covered pretty thoroughly on the 1st page of this thread (as well as few other recent threads, for that matter -- you folks are amazing!) Take a look and see what you think. Maybe if you have specific questions after reading the comments and the links, these wonderful canning experts could answer them for you.

... I'm thinking if a 15.5 qt can handle a single layer of quart and pint jars (7 qts or 10 pts ... or even 6 qts and 9 pts) at a time, it might be enough for me, just *might* be able to manage on the glasstop on the one burner with a regulator (or whatever it is -- it has a special function), and will take a smaller bite out of my wallet.... hmm...

[LindsayArthurRTR]

Oooooo! You could get one of those fancy- schmancy new electric pressure canners. They are SUPER slick!!! I think if anything ever happens to mine (god forbid) Imma get one of those

[shadowsmom]

Yeah. Mine does that too. But DH's gas grill has a side burner....

Ours does also, but I found that the pot didn't sit quite centered on it. I bought one of those gas operated turkey fryers (I have never fried a turkey! ) and use it ouside on the flagstone for canning. Heats up quickly and doesn't heat up the house. I really wish I had one 20 years ago.

[garden5]

....sorry Apps, I was kind of "typing out loud" when I did that . I'll try to practice what I say and use the search feature .

Lindsey, how does the electric caner work? Does it plug into the wall and supply its own heat?

[LindsayArthurRTR]

Yep. It does!

[jal_ut]

Gas appliances are best for canning. I have done it with electric, but many electric ranges won't hold up under the strain. Both elements and switches often go out.

What do you mean by this? Are you saying that the elements can't remain hot long enough to maintain temperature/pressure in the caner?

We had one electric range that we had to replace the switches and heating elements yearly at the end of the canning season. They would just burn out with the demands of canning. I got so disgusted with it that I found a gas range and had it converted to propane so we could get something done. No natural gas where we lived at the time.

Many sporting goods stores have nicepropane gas camp stoves with either two or three burners. Some of my friends are using those to can on. They do it out on the patio so the house doesn't heat up. Fortunately we have natural gas where we are now and a gas range.

Did I mention I had a large family? We used to can over 1000 jars a year. We have two of the 19 pint AA canners and two of the 7 quart/9 pint canners. It was great to have two of the same size for when we were doing large amounts of something. It takes quite a while to run a batch through a cooker and with two we could get two batches done in a little over the time it would take to do one. We used the small kettles when canning in quarts and the large ones for pints. All except one kettle we found at the second hand store for pennies compared to store price on new.

Edit to add: If you read the data sent with electric ranges, you may find a paragraph that says home canning will void the warranty. The manufacturers know their product will not hold up under the strain.

[garden5]

Gas appliances are best for canning. I have done it with electric, but many electric ranges won't hold up under the strain. Both elements and switches often go out.

What do you mean by this? Are you saying that the elements can't remain hot long enough to maintain temperature/pressure in the caner?

We had one electric range that we had to replace the switches and heating elements yearly at the end of the canning season. They would just burn out with the demands of canning. I got so disgusted with it that I found a gas range and had it converted to propane so we could get something done. No natural gas where we lived at the time.

Many sporting goods stores have nicepropane gas camp stoves with either two or three burners. Some of my friends are using those to can on. They do it out on the patio so the house doesn't heat up. Fortunately we have natural gas where we are now and a gas range.

Did I mention I had a large family? We used to can over 1000 jars a year. We have two of the 19 pint AA canners and two of the 7 quart/9 pint canners. It was great to have two of the same size for when we were doing large amounts of something. It takes quite a while to run a batch through a cooker and with two we could get two batches done in a little over the time it would take to do one. We used the small kettles when canning in quarts and the large ones for pints. All except one kettle we found at the second hand store for pennies compared to store price on new.

Edit to add: If you read the data sent with electric ranges, you may find a paragraph that says home canning will void the warranty. The manufacturers know their product will not hold up under the strain.

Thanks for going into detail, Jal. It looks like if I get into canning, I'll be going with one of Linday's electric models.

How long did it take you, Jal, to get all of your canning done each year? It must have been a few weeks, at least .

[jal_ut]

You can things when in season. The harvest and canning activities spread out over several months. That doesn't mean you can every day for months, it means you can tomatoes when you have them etc.