The USDA method is a method for canning tomatoes which are considered low acid vegetables as acid vegetables by converting them to acid vegetables with the addition of acid. The pressure processing times are for tomatoes converted to acid vegetables with the addition of acid. That's the way I read the NCHPF statement. They also state that they can be processed as low acid vegetables but fail to give a processing time. Instead they give a range for low acid vegetables. Processing times are a function of temperature, time and acidity. More time and you need less temp or acidity. More temp and you need less time and acidity. More acidity and you need less temp and time. So one would assume that tomatoes would be towards the lower end of the provided range as they are borderline acid. While waiting for a certified lab to find out how much less than 100 minutes tomatoes require in a low acid processing procedure you could you use one of the tested recipes that allow for adjustment. The processing time for tomatoes and zucchini is 35 minutes. Zucchini is lower in acid than tomatoes so one would assume the time would be less for just tomatoes. However if you want to stick to the recipe you should use 35 minutes in a pressure canner. Note the recipe is for UP TO one pound zucchini for every three pounds of tomatoes. So you can eliminate the zucchini and still be within the bounds of the recipe. If you think you have to have the zucchini add an ounce or two and I doubt you'll taste the difference. I generally use a little zucchini in my marinara recipes if I have it on hand. http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09341.html Tomatoes with Zucchini or Okra (boiling water bath) not recommended (pressure canner) 30 min pts 35 min qts Use up to 1 pound of zucchini or okra for every 3 pounds of tomatoes. Wash, peel and quarter tomatoes. Wash vegetables and slice or cube. Bring tomatoes to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Add vegetables and boil gently 5 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to jars, if desired. Fill jars with mixture. Leave 1-inch headspace. Close jars and process. For variation, add 4 or 5 pearl onions or 2 onion slices to each jar

I am one of the "old ones who think they know things". However, I know things because I have changed how I preserve by keeping current with the wealth of knowledge exchanged in books, personal communiques, and wading through the internet (tossing junk as I go). More knowledgeable people than I (like scientists) figure out the why and I have to believe them because that is their job! What I did in 1975 makes me shudder when I think what could have been. Old people who get stuck in "the way it has always been done" probably have the same furniture they had when they got married and do not own a cellphone with apps. I am teaching my 40-ish daughter how to can, dry, freeze and tend a garden as she has lived far from me for more than 20 years but now is back "home". She was somewhat hesitant to preserve anything when I told her about botulism, fungi, bacteria, and mold, critters in dehydrated foods, let alone freezer burn, refreezing, and overly long term storage of foods (which SLOWS the decay of food but does not stop it). She actually believed that anything you buy in the store is good to eat. Then I told her about preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and the myriad of people with allergies that have cropped up in the last 30 years when the big food companies started altering plant genes and prepackaging junk with artificial and chemical everything. If left on her own she would have to re-learn what I can condense for her from my experience and from my accumulated knowledge. She said she does not remember me being so careful with food growing up. She is right, but 25 years later so many things have changed that I have had to become more careful. I do still consume refined sugar, and like it, so I am not a rabid total naturalist, just more thoughtful about what I stuff into this old body. Yes, I am old but I know what real whipped cream on a locally grown strawberry SHOULD taste like. It is NOT Cool-whip on a tasteless berry-thing shipped from across the country loaded with pesticide residue and only grown to be shippable, not for flavor nor for nutrition. How to preserve food starts with how it is grown - why preserve pesticides? Flavor, texture, and memories of /comfort food are important. Cooked to death homegrown green beans won't hurt you if you like them that way, but botulism home-canned in a water bath "the way it has always been done" might. Bottom line is that you should only preserve food worth preserving, using the current guidelines developed and refined over the last 20 years, to suit how you think the flavor, texture, and ease of end use should be. Nancy

Pixie Lou, and Caryl, Regardless of whether you detox the jars or not, they all must be thrown away. You never save the jars.... Within 2 days there can be enough botulism to kill you. It only may take that short of time. So, you even if you detox the foods you still should throw the jar and all away. It is up to you, just telling you what it safe. ******************************************** All suspect containers of spoiled, low-acid foods, including vegetables, meat, seafood and tomatoes, must be treated as having produced botulinum toxin and handled carefully in one of two ways: aIf the jars or cans are still sealed, place them in a heavy garbage bag. Close and place the bag in a regular trash container or bury it in a nearby landfill. aIf the jars or cans are unsealed, open or leaking, they should be detoxified before disposal. Improperly canned, low-acid foods can contain the toxin that causes botulism without showing signs of spoilage. Jars of foods that have not been properly processed must also be discarded, or if they are unsealed, open or leaking they must be detoxified and discarded as directed above even if there are no signs of spoilage. Low-acid foods are considered improperly canned if any of the following are true: aThe food was not processed in a pressure canner. aThe gauge of the canner was inaccurate. aUp-to-date researched processing times and pressures were not used for the size of the jar, style of pack or kind of food processed. aProportions of ingredients were changed from the original approved recipe. aThe processing time and pressure were not correct for the altitude at which the food was canned. How to Detoxify Canned, Low-Acid Foods Contact with botulinum toxin can be fatal whether it is ingested or enters through the skin. Be extremely careful not to splash or come in contact with the suspect food or liquid. Wear disposable rubber or heavy plastic gloves. Wear clothes and aprons that can be bleached or thrown out if contaminated. Step-by-Step Instructions for Detoxification: aCarefully place the jars, with their lids, on their sides in an 8-quart, or larger pot or canner. aWash your gloved hands thoroughly. aCarefully, without splashing, add enough hot water to the pot to completely cover the jars with at least 1 inch of water above the containers. aPlace a lid on the pot and heat the water to boiling. aBoil for 30 minutes to make sure the food and containers are detoxified. aCool and discard the containers, their lids and food in the trash or dispose in a nearby landfill. How to Clean Up Contaminated Surfaces: aWear rubber or heavy plastic gloves to clean up contaminated work surfaces and equipment, including can openers and clothing that may have come in contact with suspect foods or liquids. aUse a fresh solution of 1 part unscented, liquid, household, chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) to 5 parts clean water. aSpray or wet contaminated surfaces with the bleach solution and let stand for 30 minutes. Avoid inhaling bleach or contact with skin. aWipe treated spills with paper towels and place paper towels in a plastic bag before putting them in the trash. aApply the bleach solution to all surfaces and equipment again, and let stand for 30 minutes and rinse. aWash all detoxified counters, containers, equipment, clothing, etc. aDiscard gloves when cleaning process is complete.

Those Bormioli jars should be fine for high-acid product. They should be made in Italy (assuming those at your link are not a knock-off) and replacement gaskets are available, both Italian originals and Chinese copies. What you would have to decide is how much you're willing to invest and whether you plan to ship the empties back home if/when you return. For a few jars or small batches it should not be a problem. Can you obtain or have someone send to you citric acid? Perhaps a local pharmacy could obtain it. You need something to acidify those tomatoes and given where you are that's the easiest option. If mailed, make sure it's sent in the original sealed container. Obviously, white powder might elicit suspicion in customs. The pressure cooker will work if it's large enough to accomodate 4 1-quart jars. That's the size limit for a pressure canner as opposed to a cooker. With the citric acid it would not be an issue as boiling water bath would be an option. Carol