topic Re: Question for Home Canners in Recipes

Question for Home Canners

Allegheny — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 19:27:38 GMT

I don't can, but my parents did, so I grew up eating a variety of canned & preserved items. How long can you keep home canned tomatoes and still safely use them?

I googled. The answer and came up between 12-18 months. However I want to hear from those that actually can their own produce. Somewhere in the back of my mind I am thinking they can be kept longer though there may be a change in flavor quality.

My uncle grew and canned his own Roma tomatoes into a puree. He has recently moved into a memory care center and I am responsible for getting rid of tomatoes. I would like to cook some jars down into pasta sauce and then freeze. I can pretty readily recognize bad canned product, and would never chance using a jar that even remotely seemed amiss.

Thanks

Re: Question for Home Canners

KitTkat — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 19:41:23 GMT

I am a canner, my mom also, and her mom before that. Grandma kept them forever, claiming canned goods never go bad, mom was more skeptical of that and tossed stuff after 5 years or so. I have never come across any bad canned goods, unless the seal has popped on its own. Even though the suggested shelf life of ball or Kerr says 12 - 18 months, most home canned goods last for years. Depending on where they are stored, (darkness is best) some of the coloring may change over time, but that's about it. I've always experienced the flavors holding true. My tomato sauces are different than canned tomatoes, but I find no taste difference whether it's opened a few months after canning or a few years. Hope this helps you and that more opinions chime in.

Re: Question for Home Canners

lork — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 19:49:38 GMT

I have canned for about 40 years and come from a long line of gardeners/preservers. . . Of course it is best to use freshly preserved food, but I have often used home canned food that is several years old. Always check the jar's seal and NEVER use anything that is discolored or has a lose lid. If there is any doubt, toss it out!

Re: Question for Home Canners

Allegheny — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 19:52:37 GMT

@KitTkat and @lork

Oh thank you so much. What you told me was pretty much my thinking. My uncle kept the tomatoes in his basement on shelving which he kept covered from light. My sister still has apple butter she made over 25 years ago. That is a little long for me.

Re: Question for Home Canners

Kitlynn — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 20:36:14 GMT

If the jars make a popping sound when you open them then they are good. I know growing up we used home canned jars for three to five years with no problems.

Re: Question for Home Canners

Tuppermore — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 21:07:05 GMT

I can a lot. The quality and color of fruit deteriorates faster because it is canned in a water bath. I never have had a problem with something that has been pressure canned. I always try to manage how much I can with how much we use. Three years seems to be the limit for how long it takes to use things up. I keep all of my canned food in a dark room in the basement that stays cool. In fact, it is down right cold in that room this winter. Very sugary items like jams, jellies, or syrup last a longer time. I am currently using apple butter that is 4 1/2 years old. Sugar helps to keep bacteria from growing. If you still have questions, the local county extension office is a good resource as well as Ball. However, I do think those sources are very conservative in their estimates.

I reread your question and wanted to add that I always use a pressure canner for my tomatoes. I put up a lot of Roma tomatoes last year. I know that some people use the water bath method for tomatoes, but that isn't really recommeded anymore. Try to find out how they were canned.

Re: Question for Home Canners

RedTop — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 21:14:52 GMT

The acid in tomatoes helps them keep longer. I wouldn’t hesitate to use canned tomatoes up to 5 years old, as long as the seal is tight and the tomatoes look and smell good.

Re: Question for Home Canners

Skididdy — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 21:44:54 GMT

@Allegheny, you bring back memories of my grandmother canning.

She would always say that if the seal is not harmed or tampered with, it can be good for ages and ages. I dont know her definition of ages, but I would think a very long time. She would always say that fruit lasted forever more than the veggies.

Re: Question for Home Canners

Lilysmom — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 23:06:01 GMT

@Allegheny, I have been canning for more than 30 years. I make chow, relish and pickled beets mainly. I don't think I would use anything over two years old. If the color has changed, get rid of it. If the top is darker than the bottom, I would get rid of that as well.

I try to manage our consumption to match production. What usually throws me off is giving too much to family and friends. I always hide a bottle or two for Christmas. LM

Re: Question for Home Canners

Allegheny — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 00:00:06 GMT

@Tuppermore Thanks for your tips. I am almost positive my uncle used a water bath system for processing his jars.

I pitched out all 2017 jars because his dementia was getting too advanced for me to trust. In the past he was meticulous and methodical about his canning procedures.

One question I have is should there always be a distinct "burp or pop" (release of pressure) when a jar is opened or does it vary by the method use or product canned?

Re: Question for Home Canners

RedTop — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 01:29:04 GMT

@Allegheny,

Regardless of canning method, there should always be a distinct sound when the seal on the can lid is broken.

Re: Question for Home Canners

Tuppermore — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 03:46:45 GMT

Allegheny ~ There should definitely be the sound of pressure being released when the flat is removed. Also, I always check the color of home canned tomatoes. If air has gotten into them, they will turn dark.

I also noticed that a comment was made regarding the acidity of tomatoes. They are generally a high acid food. However, many of the new hybrid varies are lower in acid. All of my newer recipes recommend adding lemon juice or citric acid to each jar of tomatoes to bring up the acid level as well as using a pressure canner which gets up to a much higher temperature than boiling water. Many of the new GMO and hybrid tomatoes are bred to be sweeter and have a lower acid content than when I first started canning in 1978.

It's interesting to consider how much home canning has changed through the years. When I first started canning, low acid foods like green beans were to be boiled in an uncovered sauce pan for 10 minutes before tasting just to be safe! With the new guidelines, I can all of our dry beans, many soups, and meats along with all of our fruit, jams and jellies, relishes, syrup and fruit sauces. I basically can all year. The winter is for dry beans, meat, and soups. The summer is for all the seasonal produce. I really enjoy going to the basement and enjoying my hard work.

Re: Question for Home Canners

waha — Sun, 14 Jan 2018 07:52:06 GMT

Having to toss out home canned items because the person who canned them had progressed to a point it might not be safe to eat is hard to do! Mom was put in a memory unit 2 years and 2 weeks ago and my husband, grandson and myself loaded a 16' car hauler trailer 4 cases high with home canned foods and we still have the main storage room to clear out. Some of the items were from the late '90s and still looked good but, she kept her house near 100 degrees near the end of her living there and I didn't feel good about using them. We hauled them to a woman who had a batch of hogs and could use all those jars! She said it took her a month to empty them all. As far as safety and longevity, I've canned for 60 years and it does keep for years. I have green beans, carrots, etc. that I canned about 5 years ago that we are using and they still taste fine. As far as darkening some on top, that is normal. Especially if the liquid boiled up and out when canning which is normal. I just skim that portion off. I do watch for bubbling since it is a sign of bad food.

Re: Question for Home Canners

Allegheny — Sun, 14 Jan 2018 21:02:29 GMT

@waha

Thank you for sharing. My your Mom was a canner. I hope she is doing well in the memory care center. My uncle is adjusting and is developing some friendships with the other men there. It is difficult for me to see him there; aside from losing his short term memory, he was relatively self sufficient at home with caregivers. Because of his social and professional demeanor many people who conversed with him for brief periods didn't realize he had a dementia problem. However, his being a bachelor with responsible family members living out of state, the decision to place him had to be made for future safety issues.

But I degress.....I shared half the jarred tomatoes with an old friend who is quite experienced in canning. Of the twenty quarts I passed on, she only found two that didn't seal properly. That makes me more comfortable using the jars I kept. Thanks to everyone here and my friend I am confident in knowing how to recognize a spoiled jar.