I canned this year for the first time. How do I know if the process took
and that the tomatoes are not spoiled? I have heard that you have to
listen for a pop in the seal...but whether you get a loud enough pop is
relatively subjective. Are there other signs? Mold? Smell? Discoloration?

Thanks, Doug

>I canned this year for the first time. How do I know if the process took
>and that the tomatoes are not spoiled? I have heard that you have to
>listen for a pop in the seal...but whether you get a loud enough pop is
>relatively subjective. Are there other signs? Mold? Smell? Discoloration?
>
>Thanks, Doug
>

How long did you process them and at what pressure? The "pop" you hear only
tells you that the jar is sealed. It's important that you let let the jars pop
on their own and not try to hurry the process by pressing down on the lids.
Also you should carefully remove the rings from the jars after they have
cooled. If you don't they may rust or corrode and you'll have a difficult time
removing them later. Canned tomatoes are especially bad about this. If you
followed the directions properly and the jars sealed you shouldn't have any
problem. However any canned food should be cooked thoroughly before eating.

In article >, "doug ventura"
> wrote:

> I canned this year for the first time. How do I know if the process took
> and that the tomatoes are not spoiled? I have heard that you have to
> listen for a pop in the seal...but whether you get a loud enough pop is
> relatively subjective. Are there other signs? Mold? Smell?
> Discoloration?
>
> Thanks, Doug

Hi, Doug. If you acidified the tomatoes (added 2 tbsp lemon juice to
each quart jar before adding the tomatoes) and processed them properly
(a boiling water bath is ok when you've added the extra acid), you're
good to go. If the jars are sealed, the center of the lid will be down;
i.e., you will not be able to push it any further down. If there's mold
(I highly doubt it), toss them. If there's fermentation indicated by
actively moving bubbles (I doubt it), toss them. If they smell 'off',
toss them. If you're still edgy about it, cook them for 15 minutes
before eating (cooking them in a hotdish/casserole or in a sauce such as
red spaghetti sauce) will dispatch any nasties that may have been
present (though I doubt their presence).

You don't say how you processed them. I hope you did them according to
the NCHFP site instructions. Here's the link to the poop on that:
<http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can3_tomato.html>
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> Updated 10-04-04; Sam I Am!.
"Peace will come when the power of love overcomes the love of power."
-Jimi Hendrix, and Lt. Joe Corcoran, Retired; St. Paul PD, Homicide Divn.

doug ventura wrote:
>
> I canned this year for the first time. How do I know if the process took
> and that the tomatoes are not spoiled? I have heard that you have to
> listen for a pop in the seal...but whether you get a loud enough pop is
> relatively subjective.

How loud the pop is doen't matter. What matters is whether the seal
happens. Once the entire batch has cooled, check each lid. If any
lid comes off in your fingers, that one didn't pop. You can try
heating it again but each try is less likely to succeed.

> Are there other signs? Mold? Smell? Discoloration?

All of those are signs as well. They should only happen if the
tomatoes weren't sterilized before they were sealed/cooled.