First time tomato canner... May have ruined everything!

13 years ago

I grew roma tomatoes this year and ended up with about 20 -30 lbs. I bought quart jars and a canning kit (has the tongs, jar lifters, etc) but didn't buy a water bath canner since I figured my giant stock pot would be good enough. Boy, was I wrong. While I was able to sterilize the jars okay, the stock pot was not high enough. When I went to seal and sterilize the filled jars, there was maybe a half-inch of water over the jars and by the end of 45-50 minutes, the water had boiled down below the lids.

Plus, the wire rack that came with the canning kit was not large enough to fit the quart jar's bottoms, so I ended up just plunking the jars down into the boiling water, and had them sit on the pot's bottom.

Plus plus, there seems to be not as much liquid in many of my jars, they look as though there's air in them. The tops of the cans are flat, no buttons have popped up.

Check 'em out! Pictures of the jars up here.

Your help and advice is greatly, greatly appreciated!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

readinglady
13 years ago
OK, take a deep breath.

Actually, those are beautiful tomatoes. Tomatoes packed that way will tend to float above the level of the liquid, so it wouldn't be unusual to see what you observe as long as the water you processed them in remained clear. That would indicate there was no siphoning of liquid from the jars.

But, not having water above the jars is an issue. I will say that even with a standard canning kettle, managing the level of water above quart jars with a rack is a difficulty. I ended up switching to a large deep stockpot for that reason.

Now, you have several options.

1. Refrigerate or freeze your canned tomatoes. Refrigeration is for the short-term. For long-term storage you would need to freeze.

2. If it's within 24 hours, you can re-process. That basically means starting from scratch with hot clean jars, new lids and re-heated product if you want to hot pack. If you don't have another deeper kettle, you would have to locate some pint jars and re-can your tomatoes in those so that water does cover the jars sufficiently.

It's messy and frustrating but anyone learning to can has at least one re-processing session under their belt. It's just part of learning and figuring things out.

As far as a rack is concerned, leaving a rack out isn't a food safety issue. It's a jar breakage issue because direct contact with the bottom of the pan can cause jars to crack during processing and that means your hard work is totally wasted. Instead of a rack you can put a towel in the bottom (messy but doable). I use a silicone hot pad of similar diameter to the kettle.

Good luck and let us know what you decide and how things go.

Carol
digdirt2
13 years ago
Not bad at all for a first try. :) They look great and the processing is the only problem.

As Carol said, it happens to all of us so hang in there. As she suggested, just reprocess with a deeper pot or use pint jars. Three layers of toweling cut to fit the pan or a big old pot holder works fine.

Dave
Related Discussions
First time canner (This is long)
Q
Comments (22)
I have not heard of anyone using Pickle crisp in fruits, just pickled vegetables. To me, the taste of it would not be something I would like in fruits. I can taste it, sort of a bitter taste. It does make the pickles crisp, though. From the Ball company on Pickle Crisp: Pickle Crisp is a natural mineral salt that keeps cucumbers and vegetables firm; yields crisp "fresh pack" pickles. Not recommended for "fermented" pickle recipes. This product replaces the need for old-fashioned firming agents but it does not replace "pickling salt" used in pickling liquid recipes. Pickle Crisp is a dry granular product that is added to each jar after vegetables are packed and before the hot pickling liquid is added - before heat processing. Add 3/4 tsp (4 ml) Pickle Crisp to each 500 ml jar; 1 1/2 tsp (7 ml) to each 1 L jar and 2 tsp (10 ml) to each 1.5 L jar of fresh pack pickles. Each 78 g package yields 18 - 1 L jars. Each package contains three 26 g pouches, each yielding six 1 L jars, for a total of 18 1 L jars. Available in stores selling home canning supplies, also available online. Yes, if you use part fruit that is under ripe you will get a firmer gel due to the higher pectin. Here is a description of the different types of fruit spreads: KINDS OF FRUIT PRESERVES -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JELLY: is made from strained fruit juice. The product is clear and firm enough to hold its shape when turned out of the container, yet soft enough to spread. BUTTERS: are made by cooking fruit pulp and sugar until thick enough to spread easily. Spices are added depending on personal taste. The butter needs to be cooked slowly after the sugar is added to prevent scorching. Finer butters can be made by straining the pulp through a food mill and then through a fine-meshed sieve. JAM: is made from crushed or ground fruit and tends to hold its shape but is generally less firm than jelly. Jams are cooked until they round up in a spoon. They should be made in small batches and cooked rapidly until the sugar dissolves. CONSERVES: are jams made from a mixture of fruits, usually including citrus fruit; often raisins and nuts are added. Conserves are cooked until the mixture will round up in a spoon. They should be made in small batches and cooked rapidly. MARMALADE: is a tender jelly with small pieces of fruit or peel distributed evenly throughout. It should be cooked in small batches and brought quickly to the jellying point after the sugar is added. A marmalade commonly contains citrus fruit; part of the white rind should be cooked with the fruit for most of the pectin is found there. PRESERVES: are whole fruits or large pieces of fruit in a thick syrup, often slightly jellied. Preserves should be cooked in small batches in wide pans. If the syrup gets too thick before the fruit is tender and clear, add boiling water. If the fruit is clear and tender but the syrup is too thin, remove the fruit and cook the syrup rapidly to the desired consistency.
...See More
My First time canning stewed tomatos does all sound well?
Q
Comments (8)
ok sorry for the confusion, the recipe is from Ball complete book of Home Preserving p.357 and it is called Cruched Tomatoes and i added the Italian spice blend (on the next page) so it is not "stewed tomatoes" my mistake. As i check this morning looks like one can lost a little liquid. all of the tomatoes have fallen and mixed with the liquids. They all look good seals are great but the one can has less liquid but the seal is good, you think that happened in the bwb process. I did fill all of the jars and left one half inch head space. Can i add any spice i want as long as it is dried like mushrooms and dried peppers?? i see not to use fresh if it is not pressured right?? thanks, yoshi
...See More
First time canning tomatoes, did I ruin them?
Q
Comments (14)
today was first time using one. I don't know anything about the difference between weights and gauges Then could I suggest that rather than just jumping in with foods you first take the time to learn about pressure canning and pressure canners and how they work. Pressure canning isn't like BWB canning, It has a learning curve and takes time and practice and familiarity with the stages of the process before doing it. Otherwise what often happens, as other discussions here show, errors are made and food is either improperly processed and has to be tossed or time and effort are wasted. Start with the link below from NCHFP. Especially note the 10 min wait between removing the weight and removing the lids. Then take the time to learn the parts and names of the various parts of your particular canner and how they work and what the signs of problems are. Read through the various recipe instructions at NCHFP and determine what pressures you will be using most often at your altitude. Then do several practice runs using only jars of water in the canner (you can add food color to the water) until you learn exactly how to bring it up to pressure and maintain that pressure by careful adjustments to the heat and prevent siphoning (clear water in the canner and clear water when finished in the canner). Unlike other brands your canner comes with a gauge and a counterweight. That counter weight needs to be replaced with the 3 piece (5-10-15#) weight set (Part # 50332) that is NOT available from Presto but is available online at amazon and many other sources. There are numerous discussions here about out this and I linked a few. http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/harvest/msg0916184818540.html http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/harvest/msg070835471337.html http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/harvest/msg081947018331.html http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/harvest/msg0817160620197.html If you choose to continue using the gauge then note that it must be tested annually and that it can be off by several pounds. Most importantly, slow down. We all have to learn to swim before we jump into the deep end. :) Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Using Pressure Canners
...See More
First time gardener needs tomato advice
Q
Comments (1)
First, the yellowing in the pots may have been due to poor drainage. You should never use garden soil in a container, it is just too dense and does not drain well. Second, BER can't be cured, you just have to edure it and it usually goes away completely with time. Some varieties (especially paste tomatoes) are more susceptible. It is not a lack of calcium in the soil or plants, but a problem with distribution within the plant which can be caused by stress, too much nitrogen, uneven watering, and anything that can stress a plant. Older plants can handle the stress better so are less susceptible. Third, it is pretty normal for the lower leaves to turn yellow and die. If it is leaves that are higher up, there is something else going on, which could be the fourth item (which is the most common problem new gardener have) or something else entirely. Fourth: As a general rule, tomatoes need an inch of water every week. An inch of rain is exactly that, water that is one inch deep. One inch of rainfall equals 4.7 gallons of water per square yard. Cool weather needs will be less, hot weather more. Dig down with your finger about 4", is the soil wet, dry, or just right? If it is wet, don't water, if dry then water. If it is just right, check again the next day. Water deeply once or twice a week. Watering daily encourages shallow roots which means the plant is affected more by variations in soil moisture. In my garden during the heat of the summer, I water deeply every 4-5 days, early spring I may only water every 8-9 days and when the weather is moderatly warm (70-80Â°), about once a week. Mulching heavily (to a depth of 6 - 8 inches) with compost, straw, hay, rotted leaves, grass clippings, even shredded or sheets of paper and cardboard helps maintain a consistent moisture level. Hope that helps. Betsy Here is a link that might be useful: FAQ page on Blossom End Rot
...See More
dgkritch
13 years ago
Boy they sure are pretty!

Completely agree with Dave and Carol on the reprocessing.
Sigh loudly, start popping tops and try it again!

Did you boil with the lid on your stock pot? I leave my lid just slightly ajar so the steam drips back down into the pot and you don't lose so much.

Your lids are fine. There is no button that pops UP. The lids are sucked down during processing. After the jars have cooled, you should be able to press down in the middle and have NO sound. If the lid clicks, it's not sealed (refrigerate and eat within a couple of days or reprocess).
You can also test AFTER 12 hours or so by removing the rings and holding the jar upside down (do this over a bowl just in case...). Give it a light shake. If the lid stays on, all is good!

Keep trying! It really is fun and rewarding once you get the hang of it.

Deanna
calliope
13 years ago
They are BEAUTIFUL and you did a great job, other than proper processing. You can find some perfectly good BWB canners in yard sales, auctions, on sales sights and in advertising. Unlike pressure cookers, there is nothing to go wrong with them and is a good investment on the cheap.

The moral of the story on boiled down liquids is to keep an eye on the jars once in a while. You can keep a kettle of hot water handy and bring it to boiling and add to the pot if necessary. As long as it's boiling going in, it shouldn't affect processing time. I think you have the 'knack' don't give up...........like said we have all reprocessed at one time or another.
kr222
13 years ago
I bought my Granite Ware 21.5-quart water bath canner at Walmart for less than $20. It came with a rack for quarts as well. I'm new to canning and it works great for me.
Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: My Garden
calliope
13 years ago
I bought my first BWB canner at a farm auction in the middle of winter. I was the only woman there and I got it (almost new)for fifty cents. I am still using it thirty years later.
2ajsmama
13 years ago
Those tomatoes look great to me. I'm still waiting for mine to ripen - picked 2 Mr. Stripey the other day and put them in paper bag b/c they were so huge and we have so many I didn't want the vine to break. Planted too many beefsteak.

Kim, can you post your recipe for garlic pickles using the salad cukes?

First time tomato canner... May have ruined everything!

Comments (7)

readinglady

digdirt2

Related Discussions

dgkritch

calliope

kr222

calliope

2ajsmama

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US