Preserving Your Harvest

[wyoDreamer]

@BReeder! It doesn't sound like a canning process issue - sounds like you did everything right. The jars must have been damaged or had a weak spot. It happens to the best of us.

Luckily, I have never had a jar break in the canner, but I remember my mom having jars break when making pickles when I was a kid.

I was canning some tomato sauce the other day and found a jar with a slight chip on the rim - external edge and was only about 1/4 of the thickness of the jar. I set it aside, but it turned out that I needed to use it for the last of that batch of tomato sauce. (it was clean, sanitized and hot - any other jars were down in the basement, dirty and cool). I marked the lid as chipped before I put the jar in the canner, so I would know which jar it was after I unloaded the jars. It sealed fine, but is sitting in my fridge to be the first jar used - just to make sure it stays good.

 

[vall]

I'd guess either cracked or defective jars. I have some old aqua quart jars, so many of them have air bubbles in the glass or chips around the rim I won't use a single one for canning. They go in the fridge or I use them with chick feeders.

I had a non-canning jar break around the bottom when I put something too hot in it while the jar was at room temp.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Canning question:
Recipes always recommend leaving X amount of head space when canning stuff.
The "experts" always stress that you follow that recommendation.

What happens if you leave more headspace?

IE - recipe says leave 1/2 inch headspace and I leave 1" headspace. I know that less headspace will probably cause the contents to expand out of the jar, but what happens if you have more headspace?

 

[BReeder!]

Canning question:
Recipes always recommend leaving X amount of head space when canning stuff.
The "experts" always stress that you follow that recommendation.

What happens if you leave more headspace?

IE - recipe says leave 1/2 inch headspace and I leave 1" headspace. I know that less headspace will probably cause the contents to expand out of the jar, but what happens if you have more headspace?

It may not seal properly is what I've read regarding excess headspace.

The headspace is to allow contents to stay in the jar and creates a vacuum seal when some of the air in the headspace is forced out the jar during processing by the high temperature (air expands is has no where to go but out) and when cooled a vacuum is created as air in the headspace contracts.

 

[Sally PB]

There's a natural weak spot in the curve at the base of the jars but that's also a place where a chip or hairline crack could easily occur from impact.

jar break around the bottom

The point where the straight side meets the curve (called the tangent point) is a weak spot in a jar. I've had canning jars break there (2 at the bottom) and a jar of store bought spaghetti sauce (at the top "shoulder").

 

[WthrLady]

Went to a farm store I only get to about 3 times a year, saw there. On sale, no one really wants them, 9 palettes of them, Chinese made. Ball jars there too, but only in half gallon size.

 

[BReeder!]

Making green tomato ketchup. Made another batch of green tomato salsa too, but hotter this time with the addition of some green habaneros. That's all the green tomatoes used up finally.
Now I'm just going nuts because nothing wants to boil for some darn reason! The power burner cranked up to 8 (out of 10) and I'm still not getting a boil to get the jars sterilized. I'm wondering of the humidity in the house is to claim. I've had lots going for a while now and was coming dinner at the same time plus it feels a bit humid (although cool) outside. Whatever the case, I might just put all the ketchup and salsa in the garage fridge and can it tomorrow night because I don't want to be up until 2am canning again.

 

[BReeder!]

Yes, please!
What is the taste like?
I want to freeze some green tomato casseroles, but I suspect will have more green tomatoes.

I finally figured out a fruiting bush we have to be a Washington hawthorn bush. I want to try making hawthorn ketchup. Anyone made this or tried it? I’m guessing the flavor will be somewhere along the lines of sweet and sour sauce or fruit bbq sauce or something?

Alright, I just made this ketchup (or catsup as it's spelled in the name I recieved) recipe. Truth is, it's actually thickening still in the pot but is getting really close to what I'm looking for.

@muddy75 adding you to this for your input and thank you again for sharing a family recipe with me.

First off, I cut the recipe in half because I only had a half of a 5 gallon bucket (roughly a quarter bushel) of green tomatoes left after making another batch of green tomato salsa today as well.

A few key notes on ingredients:
For a hot pepper I used two small jalapenos - really small since they were harvested early to avoid frost - half of a store bought jalapeno would be about the same amount. For vinegar I used apple cider vinegar (5% acidity). Salt was pickling/canning salt and I added a but extra (probably double actually as I started at a 1/4 cup and then snow in nearly another 1/4 cup be my estimate). I cut the horseradish out all together because I detest the stuff and couldn't bring myself to add it, let alone buy it. Lastly, I used gala apples - they were on sale and I didn't want to go too sweet or sour.

A few notes on process:
I missed the part on letting the mixture sit over night and draining off the liquid. Instead I just simmered it for a long time to cook off the excess water.
I want sure how to prep the green tomatoes so I just cut them into chunks about 1" square. After everything was cooking a bit I blended it all in batches. Even though I have a hefty Ninja blender, the texture/consistency was a bit rough for ketchup. I decided to run it all through my food mill (by hand, which was a but if a workout). The taste before running it through the food mill compared to after improved greatly - likely because the flavors were able to blend quickly/easily after everything was completely pulverized. This also removed many of the seeds and skins which could throw off the flavor possibly.

Now I'm cooking down the mixture after having milled it. It tastes great! I would put it on fries for sure.

If I make it again next year, there's a few things I'd be interested in experimenting with:
Dark bown sugar instead of normal white sugar would add some notes of molasses that I think would be a nice touch. Substituting some sugar for molasses might even be interesting. Another option for a sweetener that I would try is honey. Worcester sauce would introduce some interesting flavors - a tablespoon or two perhaps. A touch of liquid smoke or using a smoked pepper would create a different flavor profile too that would be right up my alley.

Overall so far:
Great taste! A but manure intensive and time consuming in my experience, but anything worthwhile is. A full batch using a 1/2 bushel would make a LOT of ketchup, so I'll be writing this in my recipe notebook with the measures cut in half like I used today. Last note, it should be shelf stable after canning since the ph is 2.27 (I tested it).

Thanks again @muddy75!

 

[muddy75]

Alright, I just made this ketchup (or catsup as it's spelled in the name I recieved) recipe. Truth is, it's actually thickening still in the pot but is getting really close to what I'm looking for.

@muddy75 adding you to this for your input and thank you again for sharing a family recipe with me.

First off, I cut the recipe in half because I only had a half of a 5 gallon bucket (roughly a quarter bushel) of green tomatoes left after making another batch of green tomato salsa today as well.

A few key notes on ingredients:
For a hot pepper I used two small jalapenos - really small since they were harvested early to avoid frost - half of a store bought jalapeno would be about the same amount. For vinegar I used apple cider vinegar (5% acidity). Salt was pickling/canning salt and I added a but extra (probably double actually as I started at a 1/4 cup and then snow in nearly another 1/4 cup be my estimate). I cut the horseradish out all together because I detest the stuff and couldn't bring myself to add it, let alone buy it. Lastly, I used gala apples - they were on sale and I didn't want to go too sweet or sour.

A few notes on process:
I missed the part on letting the mixture sit over night and draining off the liquid. Instead I just simmered it for a long time to cook off the excess water.
I want sure how to prep the green tomatoes so I just cut them into chunks about 1" square. After everything was cooking a bit I blended it all in batches. Even though I have a hefty Ninja blender, the texture/consistency was a bit rough for ketchup. I decided to run it all through my food mill (by hand, which was a but if a workout). The taste before running it through the food mill compared to after improved greatly - likely because the flavors were able to blend quickly/easily after everything was completely pulverized. This also removed many of the seeds and skins which could throw off the flavor possibly.

Now I'm cooking down the mixture after having milled it. It tastes great! I would put it on fries for sure.

If I make it again next year, there's a few things I'd be interested in experimenting with:
Dark bown sugar instead of normal white sugar would add some notes of molasses that I think would be a nice touch. Substituting some sugar for molasses might even be interesting. Another option for a sweetener that I would try is honey. Worcester sauce would introduce some interesting flavors - a tablespoon or two perhaps. A touch of liquid smoke or using a smoked pepper would create a different flavor profile too that would be right up my alley.

Overall so far:
Great taste! A but manure intensive and time consuming in my experience, but anything worthwhile is. A full batch using a 1/2 bushel would make a LOT of ketchup, so I'll be writing this in my recipe notebook with the measures cut in half like I used today. Last note, it should be shelf stable after canning since the ph is 2.27 (I tested it).

Thanks again @muddy75!

It sounds like everything went amazing!!!!! I’m glad you liked it! The original recipe was more of a relish than a catsup and used on soup beans. I had to cut the recipe and make some minor changes as well. Your ideas sound awesome! I’m not exactly sure when the recipe originated but my grandfather would have been 101 in August.

 

[JesusisGod]

Mum dehydrates and uses a sealer machine