to make my own canning recipes

Whoa! Skating on real thin ice there!! The first thing one learns in any canning class is that you can't safely make-up your own recipes. pH meters even the very expensive ones are only part of the testing process because the pH doesn't remain stable over time and there is no way to test once sealed. How do you plan to test for bacterial, fungal, and other contaminates?

But it is your risk to take so there are some previous discussions on pH meters linked below.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: pH meter discussions

Cheap one.

Here is a link that might be useful: pH meter

Please, do not try to test your own recipes ! Not only can you be off on the ph, but the density, too. Both are critical to be exact when canning.
I teach food preservation safety and I will not even do this myself. We leave that to the scientists in the labs.
Foods do change ph as they sit. You also have no way to determine safe density.
If you try this, just know you are risking your safety.

Digdirt: I am talking about recipes that go in water bath canners, ie pickles, jams and salsas.......

Linda Lou- there are loads of books with canning recipes out there. Are these published by 'scientists in the labs'? How do these authors come up with their recipes?

Take care,
stargazer_1118

Digdirt: I am talking about recipes that go in water bath canners, ie pickles, jams and salsas.......

And you assume there are no bacterial or fungal risks associated with them? Sorry but botulism, listeria, salmonella, e. coli, and several other bacteria can grow quite well in pickles and salsas and other BWB products when not done properly. USDA testing has well established that fact.

there are loads of books with canning recipes out there. Are these published by 'scientists in the labs'?

Yes there are loads of books out there - many of them patently unsafe. We spend a great deal of our time here evaluating them and discussing why they need to be avoided.

There are also some good books, written by authors with a background/training in food science and done in conjunction with lab testing of the recipes prior to publication.

You may find it helpful to review the "History of Canning" and other publications published by the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP - Publications

Not all books and recipes online are safe to follow. There are LOTs of folks with no food preservation safety training putting out this unsafe recipes.They try to use Grandma's old recipes that may contain vinegar that was up to 40 percent acidity compared to our 5 % stuff.
New forms of bacteria nowdays. New varieties of veggies with lower acid levels. Bacteria in fruits and veggies, as well as meats they did not have years go. Too many risky things out there.
This is why I stress using those tested by USDA standards only . Those will have been tested in labs by food scientists. They test before they go in the jars, in the canners with special meters, and after canning, several months later. They test, test, and retest recipes.

The fact that a book is published doesn't make it reliable or trustworthy. It only means that the author and the publisher believe it has a reasonable prospect of profitability. It's marketability that's pre-eminent.

There are many food preservation books extant which contain recipes of doubtful safety. The author may not be knowledgeable about food preservation issues or up-to-date. In other cases the author and publishers have not verified the food safety of the contents or invested energy in careful editing to assure accuracy. In this, as in so many instances, it's buyer beware.

Carol

I agree with Carol and Linda Lou, I've read "canning recipes" that make me shudder. You can publish anything you want and put any information on the internet that you care too, it doesn't have to be tested and safe.

Salsa I'd be VERY careful with, it has low acid vegetables and isn't heated before consuming. It needs a certain acidity level. Even mine that has been pronounced safe in the past by experts will get "tweaked" to up the acidity level when the NCFHFP updates their guidelines. Remember, just because we do it today, based on today's information and beliefs, doesn't mean that more or better information will become available tomorrow that changes our recipes or techniques.

Pickles need at least 50/50 vinegar and water brine, but truthfully, pickles are all pretty much the same as far as I can see Vinegar/sugar/salt/seasoning/vegetables.

Jams and jellies are a different animal altogether, as long as you don't add vegetables like hot peppers or onions. Fruit and sugar is pretty much safe to can, but if you don't get your proportions right you're going to have syrup or taffy, not jam or preserves.

Fruit is pretty much safe to can with nothing except water.

Vegetables and meat? Now there you need to be very, very careful. That's stuff that can kill you, or maybe just wish that it had killed you instead of suffering the after effects. Sigh.

Annie