Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Sally PB]

I dehydrate tomatoes, too, to make tomato powder.

I might have to try this sometime!

I dehydrate cherry tomatoes as snacks. They're not as good as dried fruit, but in January, they make waiting for spring taste better.

 

[Chickin Fairy]

So, in the end, I did a combination of both and I like the result. I cored them and froze them, them used a strainer and dunked them in a boiling pot of water on the stove, used a small fork and the skins peeled off easily. I'll save the skin for dehydrating. I don't normally do this, but my daughter likes smooth pasta sauce and this will get us there.

 

[1muttsfan]

Pressure canned for salsas? I water-bath mine with a tested recipe.

I'm sorry to say that there is no way to make sure that a tomato product with other stuff added is safe. If you are testing the acidity before you cook it, once the ingredients break down that will alter the acidity. Pressure canning is the only safe way of putting up salsa.
I would not trust any source of information that did not follow established standards for food safety. That includes "tested" recipes.

 

[Chickin Fairy]

I'm sorry to say that there is no way to make sure that a tomato product with other stuff added is safe. If you are testing the acidity before you cook it, once the ingredients break down that will alter the acidity. Pressure canning is the only safe way of putting up salsa.
I would not trust any source of information that did not follow established standards for food safety. That includes "tested" recipes.

This is what I use as reference, and recipes from the Penn State extension.

https://extension.psu.edu/how-safe-is-your-salsa

 

[1muttsfan]

You may be able to follow their recipe if you are an incredibly cautious and precise person, but most people are not. And why take the chance when you can just pressure can?

 

[Chickin Fairy]

You may be able to follow their recipe if you are an incredibly cautious and precise person, but most people are not. And why take the chance when you can just pressure can?

I don't have a pressure canner and they scare me I am SO cautious and incredibly precise. Maybe that should be the way I go, tho, if it will take that pressure off me.

 

[Folly's place]

I don't have a pressure canner either, which is why I only can fruit, and tomatoes with only lemon juice, no other added ingredients.
And I boil the juice or sauce for fifteen minutes before tasting it in whatever I'm making. Nothing wrong with being a wimp! And botulism is really ugly...
Mary

 

[uchytil]

Cindy's been canning like crazy. Salsa has multiple things and always turns out great. Ever had Dilly Beans? Anyway, one of my many fridge and freezers died yesterday. In moving things I found a bottle of pickled "round items" made by Swampducks" who was a regular on here years ago. I "won" these at our Chickenstock raffle, again, years ago. Like her, and many others, where are they now? Too bad we couldn't get the masses back together for another reunion. Oh, my watermellons are looking so good. I planted too much corn also. Pigs are going to be having some sweet corn I guess. What a great growing season we had. Nothing did bad, not even the weeds.