Is my self canned tomato sauce safe to eat?

[Beekissed]

8 year old tomatoes????
Was that using pressure canning or regular canning?
I’m new to canning and so this was a project to preserve ample tomatoes from the garden in a new way. I typically make tons of “sun” dried tomatoes in a very low oven, but then freeze them in ziplock bags.

BWB tomatoes....we never PC tomatoes. We've also consumed 30 yr old raw honey...best honey I've ever eaten.

 

[tortoise]

water bath canning for tomatoes has such a long processing time that I pressure can. I don't can with spices because they can give off flavors. I don't know which can do it, I just don't use any. Easier that way.

 

[BarredBuff]

2009????
Oh my god! I’m freaked out about trying things just a couple of years old. I’m amazed canned items hold up that well for that long!

If home canned foods are preserved right and stored in a cool, dry place they will keep for years. If not, when you open it you will know it!! My biggest problem is moisture in the pantry.

 

[Britesea]

Here ya go. I remember coming across this article, and decided never to worry about how old my canned goods were. Fruit can get kinda weird in texture, but otherwise...

1865 Canned Food Still Edible in 1974 | FunFactz

When a Civil War-era steamboat's cargo was recovered and tested 109 years later, scientists made a remarkable discovery about food preservation.

funfactz.com

 

[flowerbug]

Here ya go. I remember coming across this article, and decided never to worry about how old my canned goods were. Fruit can get kinda weird in texture, but otherwise...

1865 Canned Food Still Edible in 1974 | FunFactz

When a Civil War-era steamboat's cargo was recovered and tested 109 years later, scientists made a remarkable discovery about food preservation.

funfactz.com

the fun thing is that while the calories might be safe they may not taste all that great and a lot of the nutrient value of certain vitamins are lost (others are more shelf stable).

i am sensitive enough to tastes and off tastes that i don't use any spices in the tomatoes we put up either. when we did salsa for a few years Mom is such a wimp on hot peppers that it barely had any heat so the only spices in there were from the garlic and onions which store well (we are both rather immune to garlic and onions in any quantities ).

after about 3yrs the tomatoes may be edible but i don't like 'em so we can use those in other things where there are more spices like a chili. we don't pressure can anything here.

 

[DelcoMama82]

BWB tomatoes....we never PC tomatoes. We've also consumed 30 yr old raw honey...best honey I've ever eaten.

30 year old honey sounds amazing. Like wine. I could see that selling in high end natural foods stores...

 

[DelcoMama82]

Here ya go. I remember coming across this article, and decided never to worry about how old my canned goods were. Fruit can get kinda weird in texture, but otherwise...

1865 Canned Food Still Edible in 1974 | FunFactz

When a Civil War-era steamboat's cargo was recovered and tested 109 years later, scientists made a remarkable discovery about food preservation.

funfactz.com

Amazing.
That wasn’t my canning though! Haha.
I’ve only done it a handful of times so I’m still not 100% confident in my abilities to not kill whoever eats what’s inside!

 

[Britesea]

I believe the oldest honey they've ever found was in one of the pyramids in Egypt. It was still perfectly good.

 

[tortoise]

Amazing.
That wasn’t my canning though! Haha.
I’ve only done it a handful of times so I’m still not 100% confident in my abilities to not kill whoever eats what’s inside!

The seals are different now. Only made to last 18 months. Although the food is safe for as long as the seal holds (if it has been packed and processed correctly). If you stock up on canning lids, keep them rotated. They degrade in storage and should not be stored for over a year.

@DelcoMama82 your confidence in your canning will grow with experience. Follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation, check your processing time each canning season because they may change, if you use a dial gauge pressure canner get it calibrated yearly. Follow recipes exactly, and if you ever decide to forge your own path for water bath canning acidic foods you can buy pH test strips specifically for canning to be sure your food will turn out safe.

 

[DelcoMama82]

I believe the oldest honey they've ever found was in one of the pyramids in Egypt. It was still perfectly good.

Yeah I read that too. Incredible.