Shelf life question of canned tomato sauce

[larry_stewart]

Using the water bath canning technique, I processed a bunch of 1 quart jars of tomato sauce. I followed all directions as far as acid, time ...
A seal definitely formed and is still present.
Jars have been stored in aa cool basement on a shelf.

Assuming everything was done properly, what is the estimated shelf life ? Right now , its about 1 1/2 years its been down there .

 

[cookwewill]

We used to do a lot of water bath canning when I was a child and there was a rule my mother used to go by... the canned foods had to be used within 2 years. She said that after 2 years the quality starts to go down. So that's been my go-to rule since

When sealed and stored properly, it can definitely last longer though. Check a similar discussion we had a few days ago: https://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f12/unopened-but-expired-food-107025.html

Here is a good resource if you wanna take a science backed approach: https://nchfp.uga.edu/

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Larry, in the future, instead of canning, process you fresh tomatoes and use a dehydrator to make tomato leather, or tomato powder. put the leather, or powder into an airtight, sealed container. Both last a long time. When you need a sauce, you simply rehydrate with water. You can add seasonings before drying, if you want. You can also make it chunky, as well as smooth. Another bonus, it uses much less shelf space.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North.

 

[blissful]

Larry, we rotate our stock when we can.
We also put the year on the label on the jar.

Our tomato sauce is from 2020.
Our diced tomato is from 2019.
Pickles and beans are 2 years old and some gr. beans at 1 years old.
Corn is 1 year old.

Jams are all 3-6 years old.
Fruit purees and fresh canned fruit are all 1 year old.
Meats are all 2-4 years old (we aren't eating them but son is).
Legumes are all 1 years old.
Ketchups and salsa are all 1 year old.
Hot and mild pepper sauces are only a month old.

Brown sauces, pepper sauces, canned onions, are 2-3 years old.
There are probably odd man out cans, pickled beans, grape leaves, fruit salsas, soups, pie fillings, and I'm sure much more.


As long as the seal is good, makes a suction noise upon opening, it is not discolored, does not taste off, does not smell strange, I'd eat tomato sauce for 5 years. Also, if at any time, any year, anyone gets sick in the family and you suspect any of your canned food, it's probably best to throw out that whole batch.

 

[pepperhead212]

A long time ago I also came to the conclusion that if home canned tomatoes got past 2 years old, the quality had deteriorated. I try to use them up well before that. I do dehydrate a lot, and probably freeze more than I can, because there are so many things I use fresh tomatoes in, where they are only slightly cooked, or, things like salsa fresca, or, what I am eating right now, guacamole. It is almost as good using frozen tomatoes and peppers as that I make in the summer! Dried tomatoes I just leave halved, or whatever they were, then re-hydrate, and grind in the VM with the soaking water, wnd maybe with other ingredients, and it is more like using paste, in a recipe.

BTW, my beeper just went off, and I have to bring in my tomatoes! They are out hardening off for the first day - another week, the planting begins.