AlabamaJack
eXtreme
I am not an expert but....from what I have read, you need a pressure cooker for canning low acid foods but a hot water canning method will work for high acid foods...please...someone correct me if I am wrong...
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- Thread starter Caustic Casey
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You are correct (I think 
) AJ
Waterbath canning is suitable for high-acid foods which are naturally bacteria-resistant: salsa, jam, pickles, asparagus in vinegar, mustard, etc. Low-acid foods, like fruit in syrup or very sweet tomatoes, can get botulism even if properly jarred at 200F. That's why you need to jar them at a higher temperature, which means pressure canning, which can go up to 250F.
For waterbath canning, you can use any large pot. I find that depth is more important than breadth, because with a sufficiently deep pot (I used food service stockpot which is 22" high) you can do two layers of jars (or even 3 layers of half-pints). Each jar needs to be completely surrounded by water on all sides, including the bottom and at least 2" of water on top. I use round cooling racks to space the tops & bottoms of jars. And get a non-slip jar puller, you'll be glad you did. Also, a candy or instand-read termometer is helpful for keeping the water at the right temperature.
Hope that helps Im not an expert as I just started and this is from what I have been told. I've been doing a lot of peppers (naturlly) pickles and tomatoes plenty of vinegar and lemon juice to go around in my house
) AJ Waterbath canning is suitable for high-acid foods which are naturally bacteria-resistant: salsa, jam, pickles, asparagus in vinegar, mustard, etc. Low-acid foods, like fruit in syrup or very sweet tomatoes, can get botulism even if properly jarred at 200F. That's why you need to jar them at a higher temperature, which means pressure canning, which can go up to 250F.
For waterbath canning, you can use any large pot. I find that depth is more important than breadth, because with a sufficiently deep pot (I used food service stockpot which is 22" high) you can do two layers of jars (or even 3 layers of half-pints). Each jar needs to be completely surrounded by water on all sides, including the bottom and at least 2" of water on top. I use round cooling racks to space the tops & bottoms of jars. And get a non-slip jar puller, you'll be glad you did. Also, a candy or instand-read termometer is helpful for keeping the water at the right temperature.
Hope that helps Im not an expert as I just started and this is from what I have been told. I've been doing a lot of peppers (naturlly) pickles and tomatoes plenty of vinegar and lemon juice to go around in my house
looks like a good little crop. I like the pickled peppers recipe - thanks.
from my experience (limited) with canning - I have canned tomatoes the past couple of years. I do pints - and just use the biggest pot I have. I add the jars and fill as full as I can get it. I have never covered the top of the jar with water, but my jars always seal. Oh since tomatoes are low in acid I add about 1 tablespoon of lemon or lime juice per pint. I think the reason you can do peppers/etc w/o a pressure cooker is because of the vinegar.
From what I have read a pressure cooker is probably safer - but you can get away with a water bath.
course i could be wrong about all this.
from my experience (limited) with canning - I have canned tomatoes the past couple of years. I do pints - and just use the biggest pot I have. I add the jars and fill as full as I can get it. I have never covered the top of the jar with water, but my jars always seal. Oh since tomatoes are low in acid I add about 1 tablespoon of lemon or lime juice per pint. I think the reason you can do peppers/etc w/o a pressure cooker is because of the vinegar.
From what I have read a pressure cooker is probably safer - but you can get away with a water bath.
course i could be wrong about all this.
AlabamaJack
eXtreme
peter pepper said:
I thought most tomatos were high acid?
Newer varieties are lower in acid and adding vinegar or lemon juice insures against any nasties
http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3320.htm
Acidification: To ensure safe acidity in whole, crushed or juiced tomatoes, add 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice or ½ teaspoon of citric acid per quart of tomatoes. For pints, use 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or ¼ teaspoon citric acid. Acid can be added directly to the jars before filling with product. Add sugar to offset acid taste, if desired. Four tablespoons of vinegar with a 5 percent acidity per quart may be used instead of bottled lemon juice or citric acid. However, vinegar may cause undesirable flavor changes.
Bottled lemon juice has a higher acidity than fresh lemons by the way -- I add 1Tbsp per quart and it didnt change the flavor much -- I mean you could do it with out but I went with the side of safety.
http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3320.htm
Acidification: To ensure safe acidity in whole, crushed or juiced tomatoes, add 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice or ½ teaspoon of citric acid per quart of tomatoes. For pints, use 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or ¼ teaspoon citric acid. Acid can be added directly to the jars before filling with product. Add sugar to offset acid taste, if desired. Four tablespoons of vinegar with a 5 percent acidity per quart may be used instead of bottled lemon juice or citric acid. However, vinegar may cause undesirable flavor changes.
Bottled lemon juice has a higher acidity than fresh lemons by the way -- I add 1Tbsp per quart and it didnt change the flavor much -- I mean you could do it with out but I went with the side of safety.