Canning Marinara...Do I have to throw it out?

[mrbstephens]

I made two batches of marinara sauce. I used fresh lemon juice in each jar to add acidity and come to find I was supposed to use bottled lemon juice. The explanation for this is that the bottles lemon juice has a controlled acidity level and the fresh lemons vary in acidity. So what do you think? I just made it last week. Can I have a redo? Dump it back in the pot, reheat to a boil and can with the bottled lemon juice? Or do I have a lot of wasted tomato sauce in my cabinet?

 

[TipsyDog]

How many pints/quarts are we talking about? I'm not sure what the answer is, but you could probably put the jars in the fridge or open, bring to a boil, taste and then freeze?

I'll be watching to see if someone knows what to do....

 

[mrbstephens]

They sealed fine, but the acidity in tomatoes is low and that's why the lemon juice must be added to avoid botulism. I have 14 Pint jars.

 

[TipsyDog]

I don't know if you can open the jars, boil and re-can them.

If it was me, I'd open them all, bring to a good boil (to be sure IF anything was in there it's killed) and then just freeze the sauce in freezer bags. At least you won't waste it and you'll have piece of mind that you're not poisioning yourself!

The lemons you used were probably fine. I'm just saying what I would do if I had doubts about it.

Good luck!

EDIT: You canned them in a water bath, right? Or did you pressure can?

 

[mrbstephens]

Processed in water bath for 35 minutes. Why wouldn't you can it again with bottles lemon juice? What about that powdered citric acid?

 

[ScoobyRoo]

My first step would have been to ask all the 'older' generation ladies around here and they would have told me, "I've never done that before"
Then I would go the next step and call the extension office or like you did, get on here at BYC.
IMO, If it is sealed and I was concerned about the acidity level, I'ld open them up heat them to a boil again and put back into clean jars and process after putting in the lemon juice.

My recipe for just plain psegetti sauce doesn't call for lemon juice but then again I pressure cook it.
good luck
BTW some recipes do say if it didn't seal, go through the process again

 

[PortageGirl]

You can do it either way you want, but.... back in the day, there was no bottled lemon juice!!! you're probably fine!

If you're worried, you can absolutely re-do and re-process or freeze it as was suggested. I'd leave it, but that's me.

When I was first learning to can on my own, I used to call the county extension office rather than admit to my mom or aunt that I wasn't an 'expert'. Then I realized my mother alread knew I wasn't one, and I should ask her or my aunt. LOL