New to canning

[jayinwww]

I am new to canning. I canned some pasta sauce but the lids popped out because I guess I didn't kill off all the bacteria because I didn't get the sauce hot enough. So I watched some youtube videos and I saw that everyone who cans uses some sort of pressure cooker to seal them? I was wondering what the best kind of pressure cooker to get.

Also is it true that you can't use the rubber lid once it has been used?

I like canning not for preserving garden veggies, but it just makes it easy. If I make pasta sauce or soups I don't have to spend a lot of time cooking. I just grab one of the jars and heat it up and eat.

 

[larry_stewart]

Im definitely not an expert, as this was my first year and I did it several times. Mostly tomatoes ( both quartered and puree). and then pickles.

I do not have a pressurized canner, just hot water bath.

I kept it at a low boil for the required period of time, and they all sealed.

Just wondering if you got it up to temp, didn't keep it at the temp for a required period of time or if it got contaminated.

ID wait for someone more experienced canning experience to give you a better answer.

 

[GotGarlic]

To can safely, it's very important to follow a tested recipe. You don't have to pressure-can pasta sauce - unless there's meat in it - but you do have to acidify it to prevent botulinum bacteria from growing and spoiling your food.

If you want to can soups and sauces that contain meat, you will need a pressure CANNER - not a pressure COOKER.

Yes, the lids can only be used once, but the rings are reusable as long as they're not bent or rusted.

Here are a few sources of reliable canning information:
- https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_home.html
- https://healthycanning.com/?s=Pasta+sauce
- https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/using_press_canners.html

 

[jayinwww]

Just wondering if you got it up to temp, didn't keep it at the temp for a required period of time or if it got contaminated.

ID wait for someone more experienced canning experience to give you a better answer.

Yes I didn't get it up to a temperature where it was fully boiling. I thought I did but I didn't.

 

[jayinwww]

If you want to can soups and sauces that contain meat, you will need a pressure CANNER - not a pressure COOKER.

Yes, the lids can only be used once, but the rings are reusable as long as they're not bent or rusted.

Here are a few sources of reliable canning information:
- https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_home.html
- https://healthycanning.com/?s=Pasta+sauce
- https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/using_press_canners.html

Thank you very much! I was to try and not add any preservatives if possible. Thank you for letting me know that I need a Pressure Canner. Do you recommend one by chance? I will check out those links. Cheers!

 

[GotGarlic]

Thank you very much! I was to try and not add any preservatives if possible. Thank you for letting me know that I need a Pressure Canner. Do you recommend one by chance? I will check out those links. Cheers!

You're welcome [emoji2] Usually citrus juice or vinegar are the only preservatives needed for safe home canning. You do have to use bottled lemon or lime juice, because they are diluted to a standard acidity level of 5%. Vinegars used also have to have at least 5% acidity. Botulinum bacteria can't grow in this environment.

I have never used a pressure canner, but Presto is a good, well-known brand.

By the way, welcome to Discuss Cooking [emoji2]

 

[taxlady]

You need a pressure canner for low acid canning, but you can use that pressure canner as a pressure cooker too. You can also use the pressure canner for foods that can be safely water bathed canned. Once I got a pressure canner, I used it for everything. With hot water bath canning, I would get the occasional jar that didn't seal. That never happened to me with the pressure canner. Also, the pressure canner doesn't seem to heat up the kitchen as much as a water bath canner does. Mine was a Presto and I was very happy with it.

 

[Bama-Rick]

Tips on hot water canning:

Before you place the lids on the jar wipe the rim of the jar with a damp cloth. Even the smallest food particle will not let the lid seal. Also any grease on the rim will hinder a good seal. Also gently wipe the rubber ring with a damp cloth before placing it on the jar. This step is usually unnecessary but it's added insurance toward a good seal.

Be sure you leave the recommended head space, not enough head space could allow the liquid in the jarsto seep out compermising the cleanliness of the jar rims.

Screw the rings down only finger tight, screwing them down to tight may damage the seal.

You start the processing time from the moment you reach a good rolling boil not a minute before. If you have clean rims and lids and a good boil for 10-20 minutes depending on the recipe 99% of your jars will seal.