Hey....I am with you on this one!

I wanna KNOW what is in my food. And that is why I cook/bake from scratch, can, freeze, buy locally grown meats and vegetables, etc. whenever possible.

Now granted, I can't always, but whenever possible.

And I talk to all the young moms that I work with and bring in home made stuff. If even one of them starts making something from scratch, or starts shopping at the local farmers market, or starts reading labels at the grocery store....well....my work is done.

LOL

Linda

Soy sauce is not from a spice plant. Soy beans are fermented and mixed with water and salt. Nothing unnatural about the product at all. Soy beans are also made into tofu. Nothing unnatural about that either.

Teresa,

It isn't my words it is the words off the Hunts Spaghetti sauce. It lists spices (contains soy sauce) I am living in one of the areas of the most soybeans grown in the nation, and grow them in my garden. My comment is about it lists no other spices, and I don't consider it a spice at all.

Stacie

Gosh, Stacie. You asked the question Spices (including soy sauce, what spice plant does that come from) and Teresa answered it for you, that's all. I'd say soy sauce is more of a seasoning than a spice, and yes, I think you were being facetious.

I know what you mean about "Spices" in the ingredient list. I always wonder what spices they mean, too. Maybe "Spices" is code for "secret ingredient so you can't duplicate it".

"Maybe "Spices" is code for 'secret ingredient so you can't duplicate it'."

I think you are onto something, Sherry. Or maybe it is "so our competitors can't duplicate it."

Jim

... Jim, it might be so they can change the spices if a shipment is late....
kay

Yes, there is a poster on Harvest who is becoming pretty obsessive about following "the rules". I think I should be allowed to choose my degree of risk and then can to those specifications, something about good sense and free will, LOL. Plus, those are actually GUIDELINES, not rules, but that seems to have been overlooked. I still go to Harvest, though, because I get some darned good canning recipes there and most of the people are really pleasant. My response to that one poster is usually something like "thanks for your input". (shrug)

And the point, I think, is that we should know what we're eating. At least read the labels and then choose your own personal threshold. I grow a lot of my own food and obtain as much of the rest locally as I am able to. I can and freeze, I cook and bake from scratch and I have homegrown onions in the dehydrator right now.

I like to avoid the presticides and herbicides, the fungicides and nitrates and nitrites and preservatives and antibiotics and hormones.....heck, is there any food in that food anymore?

I LIKE to can and I like to garden and I like to cook. Other people like to play golf or watch television or knit or quilt or shop or whatever. Canning is my "diversion" and I enjoy it, plus there's a tangible end result.

Jim, there's the big difference between us and the big companies. They don't want their stuff duplicated and here we share all our recipes so that people CAN duplicate them! I guess that's why we don't make billions of dollars, LOL.

Annie

"I think I should be allowed to choose my degree of risk and then can to those specifications..."

I agree Annie. But last night Stacie's post got my interest so I went over to Harvest for the very first time, I believe. What I found out is that Stacie is planning to sell this sauce. I don't know any of the personalities over there, but if she's planning to sell it then I think it's reasonable to question if she was using a proven recipe and/or making accepted substitions.

The question becomes, what risks are you willing to take for yourself. Friends and family to whom you gift your goods? Customers?

Stacie - I'm not questioning your expertise. I know NOTHING about it. I just think perhaps you took the others' questions a bit too personal. Good luck with your venture!

You realize this yourself: but seriously we all need to watch what we put in our mouths, let alone our kiddos:) Especially if you are planning to sell your goods, you need to be mindful of precise canning techniques. Though I am a sucker for any and all homemade jars of jellys, jams, sauces, etc., my husband absolutely will not eat any of my finds because he doesn't trust the home canning methods of people he doesn't know. I wish you well, and hope you sell everything you make.

Sherry

FOAS - I went over and read the thread also. I find it odd that the recipe is Annie's Salsa subbing oregano for cilantro as one of her responses clearly states. Wonder if dear Annie will be getting any credit?

Teresa

Stacie, I just wanted to say welcome back and I hope you are doing well and staying strong. I know the past year has been a hard one for you and brought many life changes.

Well, I can't imagine my salsa recipe being good on pasta but then again, I can't imagine eating salsa on eggs and a lot of people do that.

If Stacie IS planning to sell that sauce, then all bets are off. The chances and choices I make for myself and my family are my own, if I'm going to sell (or gift) anything, I think the recipient has the right to have all the available information and then they make their own decisions. That recipe was tested as written, I tell people to make whatever changes they want or like, but if they change the recipe, I can't guarantee that it will pass the safety tests. Plus, the NCFHFP is working on new guidelines for salsa which will probably require an increase in the acidic ingredients.

However, that's why I never buy any canned goods from the local Amish community, many of them use very old and outdated recipes and techniques. If they want to use them for themselves and their families, that's fine, but I want to know how it's been processed and handled if I'm buying it!

Annie

a tiny drizzle of Annie's Salsa on a baked potato is quite good as I am finding out right at this moment!

Teresa

I didn't post on that Harvest thread, though I read it.

While some posters could be more "diplomatic" in their responses, I've noticed a huge increase in the percentage of canning novices; I understand the strong motivation to differentiate between the personal choices an experienced preserver like Annie makes in the home and the guidance given to beginners who aren't in a position to assess degrees of risk.

I went to a family barbecue last week. I skipped the home-canned salsa (and also the shrimp cocktail which had been sitting out for at least an hour - wins my vote for worst outdoor potluck dish).

I hope, Stacie, that you continue to post. Don't allow one unpleasant response to determine participation. There are a lot of good people (and tons of expertise) on that forum. It's the end of canning season. People get tired and grumpy.

Carol