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Wait... you can't pressure can salsa?


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So I'm now thoroughly confused...

 

A question came up on a food preserver's facebook page about canning salsas, what's approved and what isn't. And someone pointed out that pressure canning salsa is NOT approved -- at all -- under current guidelines.

 

I'm floored. I mean, there are zillions of non-approved and unsafe **water bath** recipes out there, obviously... but why would a recipe containing, say, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and vinegar be okay for water bath but NOT pressure canning??

 

The rule in question, from the National Center for Home Preservation:

 

 

4. At this time, we can only recommend tested recipes as safe for boiling water canning, and we ourselves do not offer a pressure-canning process for a low-acid salsa. There is a Mexican tomato sauce that is less acid and pressure canned only, but it is not a chunky salsa; it is more sauce-like. http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_salsa/mexican_tomato_sauce.html.
The rest of our recipes noted as salsas have enough acid in them to make them safe from botulism when canned at boiling water temperatures only.

 

 

http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/factsheets/salsa.html

 

I thought I had a good grasp on all the rules with canning, and now this. LOL. I read it originally and was sure it just meant not to experiment with water bath recipes, and pressure canning was fine... but every time I re-read it I second guess myself a little more.

 

Help? :blush:

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A Facebook page? Was this just someone's opinion?

 

In the blue box up there it says, "we ourselves do not offer a pressure-canning process for a low-acid salsa". To me it reads as though that site doesn't say you can't pressure can salsa but that they don't offer up the directions. There are lots of sites with information but they don't give the dates. I found a couple I'll link.

 

1. This one is dated 2015 and says among other things that, "Most tomato-based salsas are a mixture of tomatoes, onions, peppers and spices. To home can in a boiling water bath, YOU MUST FOLLOW research-tested recipes to assure the proportion of acidic ingredients is high enough for food safety. If there isn't enough acid, the salsa must be pressure canned". http://www.extension.umn.edu/food/food-safety/preserving/tomatoes-salsa/home-canned-salsa-ingredients/

 

2. This one was updated 9/19/2015 and says among other things that, "Tomatoes have enough acid to require only a water bath for processing; but by the time you add the other ingredients which have no acidity, you've got a food that can spoil easily. That's why most salsa recipes include a couple of cups of vinegar or lemon juice (both very acidic). Even so, a pressure canner affords greater safety that a boiling water bath, and is more versatile. But if you follow my recipe and use vinegar or lemon juice as stated in the recipe, the boiling water bath will work fine. http://www.pickyourown.org/salsa.htm

 

3. This one was dated 2015 and says about canning tomato products, "Acidifying all tomatoes now is recommended because it allows for safe processing in a boiling water bath canner (and for a safe short process in a pressure canner)". Also, "Some procedures from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning offer both boiling water and pressure canning options for tomatoes". And, "These particular pressure canning options require acidity to ensure a safe product". http://www.clemson.edu/extension/food_nutrition/canning/tips/27tomato_products_acidify.html

 

I couldn't find the date on this one but it is a very good site and it says, "To minimize the risk of food spoilage, all high acid foods should be processed in a water bath canner or pressure canner and all low acid foods in a pressure canner." http://nchfp.uga.edu/questions/FAQ_canning.html#3

 

Personally, I trust the websites above and many others that were dated around 2010. Remember, even if pressure canning tomato products, you will still need to add vinegar, lemon juice or citric acid.

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THANK you!!

 

To clarify, the conversation was taking place on a facebook page, but that rule that I quoted is directly from the National Center for Home Preservation. Which is why the facebook poster insisted that pressure canning salsa is not allowed. Which is why I was all :shrug::huh::puzzledsmile: ...huh???

 

And this:

 

 

To me it reads as though that site doesn't say you can't pressure can salsa but that they don't offer up the directions.

 

 

is exactly what I said when I first read the NCFHP guidelines, but the gal who posted it was absolutely insistent that it meant that pressure canning salsa is not approved. Because they don't give canning times for it, so it's impossible to do. :shakinghead:

 

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who reads it that way, though. I didn't argue it out on FB (not worth it) but I did want to take it here to double check... if ANYONE knows what absolutely can and cannot be canned, it's the folks here! :D

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Well...I wasn't 100%. Like you, I thought I knew but with something as important as canning food I can easily second guess myself. So, I figured I'd look it up because I wanted to be sure too. And now we both know! :hug3:

 

I usually pressure can my meatless spaghetti sauce because I do pints and I can stack 2 layers in the pressure canner and only 1 in my water bath canner. I also like pressure canning because you don't have to sterilize the jars.

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Just checked my copy of the USDA Canning Guide...and it has tomato/tomato paste/salsa ... and it says "watter bath canning" in pint jars 15 min (1-1000 ft.) and more for higher elevations. Personally...I DO NOT water bath anything but jelly, jams and preserves etc. I pressure can ALL my other foods. I have followed both the Ball Blue Book and Putting Food By recipes and have wonderful tasting salsa's. Just always remember that you use the time for the "highest time requirement food" and if you add meat you MUST go by meat processing times in a pressure CANNER...75 for pints, 90 for quarts. (half pints are the same as pints). Even using a bulillion or stock that has meat diretives in it must be pressure canned just as you would meat. Sounds like the source you are quoting is in direct opposition to all three of the ones I would swear by.

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And that source is the National Center for Home Preservation, which is supposed to be THE experts. :blink:

 

The gal who quoted it at me was absolutely insistent that water bath canning salsa was THE ONLY APPROVED way. I really think someone needs to contact the NCFHP and ask them to re-write that particular rule. If one person misunderstands it, you KNOW others will.

 

Of course, I'm even more of a rebel in her eyes, since I make black bean and corn salsa, and since you can't safely water bath that (I pressure can it, obviously) I'm a HORRIBLE PERSON. :rolleyes::24: The funny thing is, I'm usually the one saying "um, guys, you can't can that" so for someone to say that to me, especially over something that I knew was okay, just really threw me for a loop. :008Laughing: Now I'm trying to decide if I should address it again, since on the one hand, she IS putting out inaccurate info, but on the other hand, she's also erring on the side of uber-safety (because if it's a recipe that can't be safely water-bathed, she insists it's unsafe, period). I don't really want to be the "SEE??? YOU'RE WRONG" person, lol.

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Babysteps, You could oh so subtlety post the links above saying, "Oh, look they have new guidelines and one dated 9/19/2015". Of course I'm not so much the subtle type. I'd post everything I just posted up above and have at it. :008Laughing:

 

Ahem, you have my permission to copy and paste my post anywhere. :engel-smilies-10-1:

 

 

Edited: I just noticed the NCFHP was written in 2008. :happy0203:

Edited by Jeepers
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I love "I'm Still Workin"s channel and she cans a lot of stuff other's shy away from. Linda's Pantry, Katzcradle and Bexarprepper as well as Perbain are my go-to's for youtube ladies who know their stuff. I watch a lot of different ones, but then I go search through these gals archives and check it out :-) Personally, I'd just post "Must disagree because......" and post the links, then tell them "adios" because you believe the information is not accurate. And..I wouldn't even waste my time going back.

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Hey, Babysteps. I haven't seen your posts in a while. Glad you're here!

 

MtRider :wave:

 

Thanks Mt Rider! Yeah, I keep falling into that trap called *life* that keeps me busy, and I think "oh, I'll pop back in tomorrow" and before I know it, tomorrow is six months later... :24:

 

And then I come back and wonder why on earth it took me so long. :hi::hug3:

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This all sounds about like the conversation I just had about the fact I am evidently doing a ktbl stitch instead of a knit stitch. ( knit through back loop)......... well heck, mom did that 40 years ago, she said it was the knit stitch...... uh huh, ok......... ok, so today I get a wild hair going and decided to go look up the plain knit stitch in the 99 knit stitches book you can get at Michaels. Cause it has diagrams not just stitch pattern instructions ( by the row). I had to look closely..... well, allrighty, so I was doing a swatch on some size 8 needles with some of that nice soft red heart yarn. Well I switched to the proper technique to do a regular knit stitch since, evidently I have been knitting wrong all this time. IT IS A PAIN IN THE HANDS AND ELBOWS TO DO A PLAIN knit stitch for me.

The only thing it does and this is if your purl stitch on wrong side rows is done just so........ the only thing is slightly more flexibility and shows a slight twist in the fabric you knit up. WEll, I am just not going to be anal about it. Luckily a bunch of the knitting group said don't worry about it and only one person got deliberately detailed about the purl stitch too. Hmm. Hey, mine is working for me, it has enough stretch, it looks fine too visually. Anybody I make a gift for as long as it fits and is made decently is not going to even know there is a difference. And I am not killing my elbows and hands and wasting about five times the time just to make a knit stitch when the other just flows along. Some of the others had also done this naturally at first.

I tried to do it but its really uncomfortable so I think the ktbl stitch is just fine most of the time.

I had seen posts made by some folks saying they literally get tennis elbow from their knitting. Uh huh........ I don't wonder why with the regular knit stitch and if you do the purl like I do, and some probably do, that could be why as it sets up the knit stitch too funky so it is more awkward.

 

 

Yea, usually stuff you are putting lemon juice or vinegar in and canning go in water baths. It is a preservative in itself , high acid.

 

K, no it doesnt have to be pressure canned. It still has to seal in 24 hrs.

 

In the history of home canning, it all started out as water bath. Ive seen my grandmas old canning book. I think it took 180 mins just to do pints of corn??

Also, it ended up not as safe as pressure canning is for Low acid foods.

Honestly it feels as if it takes that whole amount of time for me when I do pressure canning. But then I have been canning in awkward kitchens , so that makes me slow down, too. You can use your pressure canner pot to water bath but may need to vinegar clean it when done.

 

Everyone has different equipment and different situations. If it's not optimal , what can you do to change something or improve on to help you can faster? i want to set up an outdoor canning kitchen for summer use when i get to Nebraska and if I go to Idaho , we can set one up too. I don't want the house all hot and humid due to major canning feats, if I can help it. And if they don't set up a kitchen just so , it can be quite awkward. I have had it with awkward.

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