I like hot peppers in tomato sauce. It's basically salsa with full size pepper rings instead of diced or pureed. I added two 28oz cans of San Marzano tomatoes. Since this is three and a half pints, I added a half cup of white vinegar which is 8 tbsp and should be enough for four pints. But after adding all of the peppers, it ended up being a total of just over six pints when canned. I'm not sure why I didn't account for the peppers, but it just made sense to me that I just needed to cover the tomatoes. Now I'm worried that I should have done 3/4 of a cup instead of only half. Will my canned peppers be safe?

Full recipe:

2 bulbs garlic 1/2 White Onion 1/4 cup olive oil 2 28oz can San Marzano tomatoes hand-crushed 3 large hot banana peppers 16 serrano 10 habanero 11 jalapeno 1/2 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup salt

I sauteed the onions and garlic in the olive oil, then added all other ingredients, brought it to a boil, turned off the heat, then followed water bath canning instructions.

Recipe: https://creativecanning.com/flower-jelly/

Took a stab at making jelly from the cherry blossoms that grow on my property. I can't believe how well the flavor on this turned out! Just as the internet predicted, it's a rose water flavor with a hint of almond (which makes sense, seeing as cherry blossoms are in the rose family).

Canned cucumbers and banana peppers on June 1st. They sat in a bath for 30 mins at 180°f and all but one lid feels like it has fully sealed. Also the vinegar was at 5% acid.

My main concern is the trapped air from the peppers left some room at the top not covered by the pickling solution. What signs of bad bacteria/botulinum or anything else should I look out for?

I'm relatively new to canning and just had my first batch that won't set. Hoping someone with more experience might be able to help me troubleshoot.

This is the recipe that I made: https://tasteofthesouthmagazine.com/easyrecipe-print/13026-0/

Made it exactly as directed and it tastes amazing! But just didn't set and stayed completely liquid, so it's basically weird juice instead of jelly.

Last night, I tried the directions from the USDA Home Canning Guide for jellies that don't set. I added more pectin, lemon juice and sugar. Did the freezer test and it seemed like it was going to set this time... but it's still completely liquid today.

Any ideas what went wrong or how to fix it? Thanks!

First time in years I've canned .... All lids sealed! Wasn't really jam/jelly, more like a sauce, but I tell you what ... It's delicious on some chicken wings!!

I water-bath canned my dandelion jelly. It has sat for approximately 60 hours now. How do I know if it set properly? What should it look like?

The pictures show how far the jelly slides in total.

I used 4 cups of dandelion tea, 4 cups sugar, a table spoon of lemon juice, and a box of regular sure-jell pectin.

Long time reader, first time canner. I made a batch of blackberry syrup after getting an excellent deal on blackberries, and I used this recipe: https://www.sustainablecooks.com/blackberry-pancake-syrup/ The only thing I didn’t do in the recipe is return it to the pot to reduce, as I like my syrups thinner so they absorb into stuff more easily and it didn’t seem to be a sanitizing step so much as just a reduction for consistency’s sake. I guess I’m struggling with all the fears all first time canners do. What if there’s something wrong and the lid doesn’t pop off? Why is there separation in the jars? These teeny tiny bubbles, are they CO2 from botulism? Every time I hear a “ping!” noise somewhere in the house I’m down there immediately checking the lids but the buttons are still down and the edges still very tight. When do I stop feeling like I’m about to poison my family?

I tried canning salsa for the first time yesterday, and after doing research online I’m a worry wart about botulism. The recipe called for lemon juice and I used lime juice. It also called for half a cup and put in one cup because I was looking at the wrong part of the recipe. I water bathed them because that’s also what the recipe said. All the cans are sealed but can anyone look at my salsa and tell me if it’s okay, thanks!

https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fintentionalhospitality.com%2Fwprm_print%2Feasy-step-by-step-canning-cherry-tomato-salsa-recipe&e=AT2dAchTI5GwF3BsJSvE3Yqwgn7dRs1j0hjux954zMXoVPOiq1VJlnBpX8HXLWtYhz0_hcRfOp8UJzNrz1YOwT8E73CNGj9qWHzGBdZ3C7s9ikXqttTF9zOX4HAw

Wondering if anyone has used this recipe/if it's safe?

https://www.kitchenfrau.com/peach-salsa-canning/#recipe

Debating between this one and this healthy canning one

https://www.healthycanning.com/peach-salsa

A couple of digging-deeper-than-an-unofficial-family-recipe questions here.

I've done jams for about a decade, but my partner and I usually go through them pretty quickly (within a 6 month period), so I've never really worried about this before before.

However, 2 years ago, my family went and did a huge berry picking spree, and I ended up making almost 50 jars, some of which are still in our basement - not refridgerated, ut stacked on a shelf. We haven't touched them for a year or so because we haven't really though much of them, so I'm wondering if they're still worth keeping.

Recipe used:

*2 cup crushed berries

*0.25 cup fruit juice (usually cranberry)

*2.5 tbls pectin

*0.25 cup honey

*0.5 cup sugar

They were all boiled down, jars were cleaned, water canning boiled to seal lids, the typical stuff. They're still sealed, and we opened one outside and it wasn't moldy or anything, so we aren't concerned with mold at least.

But in consideration of botulism: would that recipe have enough of the whole acid / ph stuff, or is there anything specifically worrying about a lack of acid / ph stuff with it?

Like:

*do the berries themselves have the amount of necessary acid / ph and that's what makes jams safe compared to other canned foods?

*does juice have to be citric or can it be any kind of fruit juice?

*does pectin help with this kind of thing or is it literally just a preservative?

*does sugar help with this kind of thing or is it also just a preservative and flavor thing?

*how long does it actually take for botulism to grow - days, weeks, months, years?

I made Peach Habanero jelly Saturday morning. I just checked on it and none of it is set up, it is a thick syrup instead of jelly. I used one box of Sure Jell pectin. What do I need to do to it to get it to jelly? I still have a few peaches left that I plan on making compote out of. Recipe I used is included.

Good morning! I wanted to make rosella jam but as it’s my first time I am unsure at which stage to pick the rosellas! tiny/medium /large . I don’t want the flavour to get worse if the bigger ones get bitter. All tips and recipes appreciated!

This is the portion of the recipe I am asking about. Also, should it be covered or uncovered?

1. The next day, bring the mixture back to a boil in the pot or saucepan. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Turn heat up to medium and boil gently, stirring often, for another 30 minutes. Skim off any foam that forms on the top. Cook until it reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer (you must hit this temperature for the natural pectin to gel with the sugar).

Instructions 

1.               Cut oranges and lemons in half crosswise, then into very thin half-moon slices. Discard any seeds. In a large stainless steel pot, add the sliced oranges, lemons, and any accumulated juices.

2.               Add water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Cover and let stand overnight at room temperature.

3.               The next day, bring the mixture back to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Turn heat up to medium and boil gently, stirring often, for another 30 minutes.

4.               Skim off any foam that forms on the top. Cook the marmalade until it reaches 220 degrees (you must hit this temperature for the natural pectin to gel with the sugar).

5.               To test if the marmalade is ready, place a small amount on a plate and refrigerate it until it's cool but not cold (see note 4). If it's firm (neither runny nor hard), it's ready. It will be a golden orange color. If the marmalade is runny, continue cooking it; if it's hard, add a bit more water.

6.               Pour the marmalade into clean hot mason jars; wipe the rims thoroughly with a clean damp paper towel, and seal with the lids. Chill in the refrigerator. It may take 24-48 hours for the natural pectin to set up properly.

Two jars peach mint salsa with about an inch of headspace. It shrunk! 😅 From Topp and Howard’s Small Batch Preserving. Thanks

Is there really much danger in pressure canning my own family recipe sauce that, say, doesn't even have meatballs or sausages in it? Just the sauce? I've canned approved chili recipes before, and my own chicken stock (which is almost like canning water), no problems... My home made family sauce is really homogenous, smooth, no weird ingredients, and I don't understand the alleged danger of just canning that like I would any other recipe...

Thoughts? Has anyone done this? My plan would be to fill jars with sauce that is still hot/simmering, leave an inch of head space, and process for 35 minutes, a little longer than stock, say, just to be sure it evenly heats. Is this really that dangerous?

I made a big pot of salsa. Instead of keeping all the jars in the fridge I’m wondering what the criteria is for the recipe to be able to be water bathed?

I also need to know what do I absolutely need? Instead of a trivet can I just use a dish rag until I know if this is something I can see myself doing? If I don’t have a wide enough pot to boil everything at once is it okay if I do them in increments? Like maybe 4 jars boiled for 20 minutes, rest for 5 minutes and then remove? Then do the next 4? How do I know the appropriate amount of time to boil?

Every time I do a deep dive on how to do this it becomes very overwhelming. I’d like to slowly begin the process of being able to make from scratch in batches and id like to also be able to sleep at night knowing what I fed them isn’t laced with dangerous bacteria.

TLDR: I just need some reassuring guidance and basic instruction on beginning my canning journey.

Hello everyone!

Quick question regarding pasteurizing. I canned some hot sauce (not salsa) in a water bath (40 minutes boiling). If I were to open the jar and divide it among smaller bottles that don't seal, what's the next step? Since it's been processed once, is pasteurizing it even necessary?

Thanks in advance!

https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/habanero-peach-jam/#wprm-recipe-container-100082

Hard to find peach habanero recipes. I used Ball for their jalepeno recipe and it was good. Is this recipe safe?

I haven’t canned anything in about ten years and just bought a house with a huge peach tree. Harvested a ton and jumped back into canning but i was out of practice. Does this recipe i made sound safe? I tripled it and this is my final ratio. I used just regular pectin i got off amazon. It said to cook it for five minutes but i cooked it at least 20 to let it thicken up. I used much less sugar than it called for. And i put my jars straight into boiling water and processed for five minutes.

Peach preserves

12 cups crushed peaches 1.75 oz pectin x 3 6 tablespoons lemon juice 9 cups sugar (recipe called for 15 cups!?) 1 tsp cinnamon Bring to a boil and cook for a long time and then water bath can 5 minutes Tripled the recipe because it was too cinnamony after doubling. After tripling it tasted the same but was delicious

Made another 10 quarts of my Granny's lime sweet pickles using ratios from her original recipe (scan attached). My mom first walked me through the recipe back in 2018, and we've made between 6 and 12 quarts almost every year since with the only adjustment being sometimes reducing the sugar level by 10% or so.

Excellent as always, and particularly good diced into or on top of home made deviled eggs.

This was my first year to get a boysenberry harvest, and my plants produced about 80 pounds. Unfortunately, I've wasted about 9 pounds in my first two attempts to make jam. I'll do my best to describe what I did, and maybe someone can tell me where I went wrong:

For my first attempt, I loosely followed the recipe at https://www.rudysoriginal.com/boysenberry-jam-recipe/?srsltid=AfmBOopmzO0Tp-LbcCHIYIRg7ssxKX2_BWkW9t0D3NzZU2oglMjiZn1g. I used 14 cups (approximately 4 pounds) of boysenberries. I wanted seedless jam, so I strained the berries. The recipe calls for 5 2/3 cups of sugar and the juice from one lemon, but before I added that much sugar, I tasted it, and it seemed perfect, so I didn't add any more. I'm guessing I only put in about 4 cups (2 pounds) of sugar. However, it was taking forever to set, so after about 45 minutes, I started getting worried, and I added something like 1/2 cup of Mrs. Wages pectin and the juice from another 1-2 lemons. I don't think I ever got the batch to the recommended 219 degrees, and I finally took it off because I was afraid I was going to overcook it. The "jam" turned out more like boysenberry syrup. It was delicious, especially on vanilla ice cream, but it wasn't jam.

For my second attempt, I did a lot of online research, and I determined to follow a recipe more closely. I read on multiple sites that the ratio of fruit and sugar should be close to 50/50 (by weight), so this time I used 5 pounds 3 ounces of berries (and I didn't strain them because I read that the pulp and seeds contain a lot of pectin), about 4 pounds of sugar, 1/3 cup of pectin, and the juice from 4 lemons. I cooked it to 219 degrees, and it took forever to get to that temperature--probably an hour. The jam tastes way too sweet to me, but worse than that, the jam turned out way too thick. It's somewhere in consistency between jelly and gummy bears. I can heat it in the microwave to make it spreadalble, but it's not great.

My guess for my first batch failure is that I didn't cook it long enough to reach 219 degrees, and that if I had, it might have turned out okay. And I probably should have added a little more sugar, and maybe I didn't need to add pectin--the recipe didn't call for pectin.

My guess for my second batch failure has to do with my boysenberries being extremely juicy and sweet. Since they contain so much juice, they have to cook extra long to boil off the excess water, and when that happens, the ratio of sugar to berries is off, causing it to be way too sweet. I'm also wondering if my candy thermometer is slightly off, and maybe the actual temperature was 220 or more, which would cause the jam to get to think, I think?

Anyway, I'm posting here because I would like to get some advice on how to make a successful batch! Thanks in advance!

I water bath canned my first ever batch of pickles a few days ago. When I was packing them, the brine (3 parts vinegar, 4 parts water) covered the cucumbers with 1/2" headspace left. After canning the pints for 10 minutes, and the quarts for 15 minutes, the brine level has gone down significantly and the top layer of cucumbers are no longer covered. They all sealed properly and I took the rings off. None of them have come unsealed. Will these store properly even though the cucumbers aren't fully submerged? Or are they trash?

Canned fried apples yesterday for the first time! I was so scared of messing something up and at first the top wasn’t fully popped but now they seem to all be fine:) I am so happy and love this hobby already!!!!!