On 8/22/2012 5:55 PM, George Shirley wrote:
> On 8/22/2012 2:06 PM, Bunny McElwee wrote:
>> I just recently canned my first batch of homemade Salsa and
>> Spaghetti
>> Sauce. I was wondering, how long can i keep these items and should
>> they be
>> kept on the shelf or would I prolong the life of them if I keep them
>> refrigerated? The recipe I used for the salsa was from Taste of Home
>> http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Spicy-Chunky-Salsa and I BWB
>> canned it as
>> stated in the recipe.
>>
>> The Spaghetti Sauce was kind of a combination of many recipes
>> cooked for
>> 3 hours, canned and then BWB canned for 40 minutes. Ingredients in
>> the sauce
>> are as follows: 8 lbs. on the vine Tomatoes, 1 each gr. & red pepper, 2
>> Jalapeno pepper, onion, garlic, can tomato sauce, 2 can tomato
>> paste, 2 bay
>> leaf, black pepper, oregano, Italian seasoning (all dried) celery
>> salt, a
>> few splashes of red wine vinegar (maybe a tbsp or two), garlic
>> powder, sugar
>> (about 2/3-3/4 cup for what ended up being 5 pints of sauce) salt,
>> and I did
>> cook the veggies sans tomatoes in about 1/4 c olive oil and added it
>> in when
>> I added the veggies in. Oh, and the veggies and tomatoes were
>> pureed, if it
>> makes a difference. I cooked it all down, simmered for 3 hours then
>> BWB for
>> 40 and let sit on the counter overnight.
>>
>> All jars from both items are sealed. This is my first time canning
>> something not veggie or jelly related so I am just wondering what to
>> expect
>> from these jars and how much I can make to keep until the next time
>> I can
>> make some. Thanks in advance to all of you!
>>
>>
> I think you will be safe with your salsa, the recipe seems to contain
> enough 5% vinegar for true acidity and your processing time is what
> the U of GA recommends at their food safety site. Go here for further
> info:
> http://nchfp.uga.edu/
>
> I'm not sure about your spaghetti sauce though, modern tomatoes are
> not as acidic as the old time ones

More correctly, the pH of tomatoes is affected by several variables,
including variety, growing conditions, and degree of ripeness.
Contrary to folk wisdom, studies have not consistently shown that old
tomato varieties have a lower pH than modern varieties.

"In our study, all varieties had an acceptable pH for canning
(3.92-4.36) prior to adding and acidifying agents. Statistically the
heirloom varieties had less acidity than the hybrid variety Celebrity.
So, in our study the notion that "heirlooms" are more acid than
"hybrids" did not hold true."
-- "The Influence of Different Tomato Varieties on Acidity as It
Relates to Home Canning"
http://www.joe.org/joe/2010december/rb6.php

Current recommendations that call for the addition of an acidifier
such as vinegar, lemon juice, or citric acid to tomato products before
canning are based on prudence. Since so many factors affect pH levels
and it is impractical for home canners to test every jar's pH before
processing, it is simply safer and easier to ensure the product is
sufficiently acidic by adding an acidifier.