Don't know that I'm a "guru" but as long as the onions are thoroughly heated through, I don't see a problem.

Looking at this recipe, though, and comparing it with similar low-acid relishes, I'd increase the vinegar. There's a density issue and this relish looks fairly dry. 2 1/2-3 cups is the amount I'd use, which is consistent with other safe-tested recipes. With all that brown sugar, I doubt the flavor would be compromised.

Carol

What is the saftey issue?

that makes sense about the added liquid ... the final jar never has enough liquid in a couple of recipes I have used ... the last jar always ends up in the fridge for expedited consumption...

I think you qualify as a guru because....

Wikipedia: In contemporary India, "guru" is widely used within the general meaning of "teacher"...

and I'm learning a lot

thanks

I agree with Carol, I think the amount of low acid vegetables in this recipe may require a greater amount of acidity (i.e. vinegar) to appropriately preserve them.

scrappyjack, the "safety issue" is whether there is a sufficient amount of acidic ingredients (vinegar, lemon juice, etc.) to "pickle" the low acid vegetables and make them safe from botulism.

Annie

I agree with Annie and Carol. I think you need a 4:1 ratio of low acidic to high acidic contents. You have (roughly) 10 cups of low acidic veggies to 2 cups vinegar. Up the vinegar like Carol suggested.

Thanks, Annie,

I'm learning a lot here too! :)

Jackie

Jackie, in addition to Annie's comment about pickling, if you have too dry (i.e. dense) a mixture, there's no guarantee the heat will penetrate sufficiently during processing.

For both those reasons, if you're canning something like dilly beans, it's not recommended that you jam every last single one you can in the jar. It may not look as pretty to have a little float, but it's definitely safer.

People talk a lot about pH and acidity, which is definitely important in canning, but density of the product is also important. It just gets a lot less attention.

Carol

if you were canning corn relish... filled the jars and found you did not have sufficient liquid what would you do?

Carol ... guess I'M dense... but it took the discussion of density (here and in the Salsa thread) for me to finally begin to put some of the puzzle pieces together. Of course, it takes longer for heat to penetrate a thick mixture, something I had totally missed (DUH).

It depends on how much is left over. If it's a partial jar I'd probably just refrigerate it, stir it into a salad or sandwich filling or use it in some other way.

But often what I do is once I've made a recipe and gotten an idea of the proportions is make 1 1/3 or 1 1/2 times the syrup so I have plenty. It's not a big expense or I can take leftover syrup, refrigerate and then reheat with the next batch if I'm planning to can more of the same thing later.

Another option is just to top off with additional vinegar (heated) if you're talking about a small amount near the top of the jar. That jar may be slightly more tangy, but in a recipe like this the difference will probably be negligible.

From my experience, these things almost never work out evenly; you can go nuts trying to make it happen. So I don't agonize if I have a little pickling liquid left over. I'd rather that than the product.

Carol

I had thought of adding heated vinegar, but refrigeration is what I had done. Now that I'm studying things a lot more and keeping notes I think uping the amount of syrup of the git-go is the best solution.