Dave - I have no problem with some elbow grease - as long as the job gets done. I remember buying one of those made for TV things years ago and I do remember that it sucked. But back then, I was using it to chop leaves - not solid things. I'll give it a shot. Ken - I have a Cuisinart Duet - A blender and food processor in one. But I still find that it liquifies and leaves small chunks rather than gives me a good chop. Here is the link for it: http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-BFP-703R-SmartPower-Blender-Processor/dp/B0001540BY Not sure which way to go, but after this last batch, I have another issue which I will start in a new thread....

Assuming that there are no spores in the acidified food, why is underprocessing an issue? Because there is no way to make that assumption safely. You have no way of knowing if they are there or not. And given that spores are in the air and in foods and on surfaces all around us, the functioning assumption for safety is that they ARE there. Plus you are putting the cart before the horse. Under-processing is a safety issue period. It isn't acceptable. It can't be justified after the fact. It can only be dealt with either by reprocessing within 24 hours or refrigeration or freezing, or by pitching the food. This, regardless of what may or may not be in the food. 'm just trying to figure out why you recommended refrigerating the underprocessed (but sealed) jars. As I said above, In this particular case of under processing it is the air that remained in the food and in the jar because the water wasn't hot enough to bring the food inside the jar to a boil and force the air out. So while you have a seal, it is a compromised seal and there is still air and an incomplete vacuum inside the jar. Can't say it any plainer. Under-processed jars still have air in the jar. If there is bacteria in the jar that air allows it to grow. And the jars have compromised seals, that are easily broken. Refrigerating the jars retards the growth of any contaminants inside the jar and allows you a brief time to to consume them safely just like anything else you buy at the store and bring home to stick in the fridge. We are beating a dead horse here. It all comes down to do it right so it is safe or pitch it. Don't try to reason around mistakes or come up with compromises unless you are willing to accept the associated risks. I offered you what is considered by most to be an acceptable compromise - a short but safe life in the refrigerator for under-processed foods. If you aren't comfortable with it then just pitch the food. Also why rolling boil is required instead of gentle boil, etc. The simple answer would be because that is what the research shows is needed for the processing time allowed. But yes, NCHFP does explain it - so did basic high school chemistry class on the molecular action of boiling water. ;) A full rolling boil at 220 degrees is approximately 10 degrees higher than a gentle boil and all the extra molecular action, the increased friction between the molecules, within the water allows for faster heat transfer to the food inside the jar so that food is brought to 212 degrees in less time and for a longer amount of time than would happen with less activity in the water. In other words, when a gentle boil is used, food in the jar doesn't get as hot as quickly or remain hot for as long a period of time as it would at a full rolling boil. Since it is the heating of the food that forces the air out of the jar to create a vacuum you need it to get as hot as possible in as short a time as possible. Don't sell NCHFP short. There is months and months of reading and learning there both on the site itself and in it's many publications linked from the site. Dave

When making salsa I use a salsa screen on my Victorio tomato mill, which allows a small amount of skins to get through, but it is barely noticeable. Changing or cleaning the screen after each 15 pounds of tomatoes helps, as the skin pieces tend to get caught in the holes of the screen. Be sure not to rub the screen clean into the batch as you would be adding back skins. To reduce bacteria, I spray down all counter tops and sinks with a dilute bleach solution and dry with clean paper towels. I then soak all tomatoes under tepid water for at least ten minutes to loosen any dirt on the surfaces. After soaking, I scrub the tomatoes thoroughly under running water with a vegetable brush, then cut out the cores and any imperfections and place them on the clean counters. I mill them raw and add the juice to the cooking pot. Saves hours of work for large batches compared to the hot dip and cold soak method of skin removal. TomNJ

You can safely reduce the onions. In fact, reducing the onions will actually make it more acid (i.e. "safer"). Normally green tomatoes are just cleaned and chopped. Right now I can't think of any recipe that calls for peeling them. Carol