Any unconventional canners out there?

[old fashioned]

This question may belong in the "unconventional" category, not sure.

I was given a couple of gallons of enchilada sauce and bbq sauce. I know that I can break it down and can it in usable portions, but I don't know how long to process it. Both are tomato based, neither have meat. I have no clue how long to process.... Can anyone help?

I've not done those kind of sauces yet, but if I had gallons of sauces, I'd put them in a big pot, bring to a boil, turn down to simmer 5 min, fill jars and run thru a water bath-30 min for pints, 45 min for quarts. This is usually my standard times for high acid stuff, but assuming there is vinegar in these tomato based sauces and you're an experienced canner, you probably could process for less time.

 

[me&thegals]

This question may belong in the "unconventional" category, not sure.

I was given a couple of gallons of enchilada sauce and bbq sauce. I know that I can break it down and can it in usable portions, but I don't know how long to process it. Both are tomato based, neither have meat. I have no clue how long to process.... Can anyone help?

I've not done those kind of sauces yet, but if I had gallons of sauces, I'd put them in a big pot, bring to a boil, turn down to simmer 5 min, fill jars and run thru a water bath-30 min for pints, 45 min for quarts. This is usually my standard times for high acid stuff, but assuming there is vinegar in these tomato based sauces and you're an experienced canner, you probably could process for less time.

Just curious as to why being an experienced canner would lead to a lower processing time...

 

[old fashioned]

This question may belong in the "unconventional" category, not sure.

I was given a couple of gallons of enchilada sauce and bbq sauce. I know that I can break it down and can it in usable portions, but I don't know how long to process it. Both are tomato based, neither have meat. I have no clue how long to process.... Can anyone help?

I've not done those kind of sauces yet, but if I had gallons of sauces, I'd put them in a big pot, bring to a boil, turn down to simmer 5 min, fill jars and run thru a water bath-30 min for pints, 45 min for quarts. This is usually my standard times for high acid stuff, but assuming there is vinegar in these tomato based sauces and you're an experienced canner, you probably could process for less time.

Just curious as to why being an experienced canner would lead to a lower processing time...

An experienced canner usually knows the precautions, procedures, things to watch out for, etc Whereas someone just starting canning with little or no experience is more likely to make mistakes that may cause problems.
I've noticed from other posts, here and other threads, that I may tend to "overcook" my stuff both before and during processing in comparison to other water bath canners. This was how I was taught and it helps me to ensure safety. I'm using the times I would do if it were me. Which is to say I would heat it first, then process. Other canners may put those sauces straight into a jar without preheating and process for the time they think it would take to seal. Or even if preheated, process for less time based on their experiences with other high acid foods.
From what I gather, Ldychef is an experienced canner, just not those sauces. So if she has ever water bathed plain tomato sauce for less times, she may process those at less times than what I suggested, based on the ingredients and her own "other" experience.
Everyone has their own ways and times for processing.

 

[Ldychef2k]

I think I get what you are saying. For example, with those sauces, I cold packed them, but then put the jars in the canner and slowly brought the heat up over about an hour to boiling, then let it slowly boil for 15 minutes, and THEN put the lid on and vented the canner. That's what I do when I have put food in the jars and it's too late in the day to can it, and I put it in the refrigerator overnight. Actually, I remove it from the fridge first thing in the morning, and don't put it in the water at all for a few hours.

 

[Sunny]

When I was young my grandma only wather bathed all her canning. We ate it and lived. I thought it was time to revive an old thread. Maybe get some new stuff added.

Like the recipes and times for your waterbathed stuff.

People used to water bath can all the time.

I think the FDA only said you have to pressure can is because, I bet they own stocks in the pressure canner making business. The FDA has been very wrong before on what is good or bad for us.. So how do we know they are right on this.

Oh and my grandma never used to can her jams and jellies either. She poured perafine wax over the top..

When we entered stuff in the fair. It all had to be pressure canned. But we water bathed it all. And just put the times on it for pressure canning. You couldnt tell the difference. Actually we won many blue ribbons over the pressure canned stuff.. For looks and taste..

Please add more stuff to this thread.
There are a few other threads out right now talking about the canning methods. Decided to put this one back on top.

 

[Beekissed]

Well, Sunny, I got my steam canner and plan to do all my meats, veggies and fruits in it this year. Less water and steam heat is supposed to be hotter than just boiling water....I'll let you know how it turns out.

Here's a little trick my Mom always used for water bath canning her sweet corn. She always put a slice of green tomato on the top of the corn in the jar....keeps the color and texture what it should be with just that little touch of acid.

 

[pioneergirl]

Glad this was revived.....I have a pressure canner and use it all the time. I guess it all comes down to safety, although for me its time. I groan at the 90 minute time for meat, even after I cook it!

My question is this....

Using the waterbath method, will the food last as long as when pressure canned? What I mean is, does it need to be consumed in a few months, or can they wait a year or 2 like my pressure canned stuff?

I pre-cooked my meat (pork, chicken, and beef) and poured in its own juices and processed for 90 min. Opened one from 2 years ago and boy oh boy was it yummmmmy!!

 

[2dream]

My grandmother waterbath canned as well. And yes they all lived through it. My mother pressure canned because of the FDA even though she grew up with the waterbath canned food.

And like you I felt like maybe the FDA was being overly cautious.

However, being the reach hound that I am I had to look up botulism. After reading how it sometimes killed whole families, or how it affected those who lived through a case of botulism. I decided I would just use the pressure canner.

 

[Beekissed]

I would say its no less risky than climbing in your car each morning and heading to work. Its all about accepted risks. You know that millions of people are killed in car accidents~sometimes whole families~but you still do it anyway because you have accepted that risk and because it hasn't happened to you. Same thing.

My mom used a pressure canner also and also learned to water bath things like corn after the corn she pressure canned came out brown and tasteless.

After living out of a jar for nine years while we were homesteading and occasionally there after, I have lost my fears of home canning and the products thereof.

I would think, with the advent of pop down lids/rings, the incidence of food borne illness or death caused by home canning has probably decreased. The old rubber and bale jars were prone to failure because of reuse of the rubber and not getting a proper seal. Also..you couldn't really tell if their seal had been compromised unless there was bad color or smell to the food.

There is no time difference in the canning time for me as I can the same amount of time as the pressure canner....just don't have to fool with pressure guages and such.

The food seems to last as long, according to my Mennonite friend, as she is eating from some things she canned 3 years before.

 

[PunkinPeep]

I love this thread.

Especially since (after i spent $200 on a pressure canner), my aunt tells me that when she raised rabbits and canned them, she never used a pressure canner because she was scared of them.

She water bathed.

And i think she did it raw.


I still plan to use my pressure canner, but it's nice to have the information in my head in case i need to can sometime and am not able to use the pressure canner.

Not everything the rules say is really the only way to do something.