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Canning Question

8 years ago

I have an old family recipe that I am wondering if the open kettle method is safe for preserving. 6 colored sweet peppers, 6 sweet onions, 2 1/2 c sugar, 32 oz 5% acidic vinegar, mustard seed, celery seed, and salt. The recipe tells me to chop onions and peppers. Soak in boiling water for 20 minutes. Drain the water. Mix sugar, vinegar and seasonings -- add the onion/peppers to solution. Bring to a rolling boil for 20 minutes. Then jar. I always run my jars through the dishwasher while prepping, so they are sterile and still hot when the product is jarred. All the jars popped. Someone said it may not preserve safely with the open kettle method. ????? Thanks in advance for any input.

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Comments (3)

drmbear
8 years ago
This is a pickle relish recipe - you can compare it to many similar from the Blue Book or NCHFP. You are canning it in pure vinegar and sugar. You have more than enough acid, and the sugar is also helpful, to ensure that BWB is perfectly okay. But verify it yourself by putting your recipe next to a qualified recipe.
drmbear
8 years ago
Here is a sweet pepper relish recipe from NCHFP:

Sweet Pepper Relish
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You would only partially cook and then can in the pan juices. Instructions read: Precook meat until rare by roasting, stewing, or browning.... Then after opening the jars you can either complete the cooking, liquid and all, in a skillet - keep in mind they will have finished cooking in the PC so only browning is needed - or you can drain off the liquid and brown them well in a small amount of fat for eating. See instructions linked below. Follow only the Hot Pack instructions. I would skim off as much fat as possible before canning. Overnight in the fridge works well and then reheat it all after skimming for canning. Pork canning of any kind tends to produce more fat in the jars and may have some sealing problems as a result so remove as much of the fat as possible. If it was me I would freeze the skimmed fat to use it for browning them after opening the jars. Hope this helps. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Canning chunks of pork NCHFP
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OK, I'm coming onto this late but for what it's worth. Rather than what's called pear honey you've made pear butter, which actually calls for less sugar than a preserve, so you're just fine - different but still good. A butter you cook until you can mound some on a spoon and no liquid seeps out (no separation around the edges). You can continue to cook for a thicker product but at some point you risk caramelization of the sugar and an over-cooked taste. Thinner is better than over-cooked. If you don't boiling water bath you're not particularly at risk because you've got a high-acid product with lots of sugar. The only risk is mold and you'd know that right away through sight and smell. The problem with open-kettle canning (putting hot product into the jars and sealing without boiling water bath) is the vacuum is weaker and the risk of spoilage is somewhat higher. So it's quicker but you might end losing some of the jars because they might not keep as well. Depends on how long they sit on the shelf. Don't invert the jars. That can cause seal failures. Carol
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Pickles float. But with time as they absorb the brine they will settle. It is especially common with slices, less so with spears and wholes. You can prevent it with wholes and spears somewhat by wedging them in the jar tighter. No good way to do it with slices. But give them a bit of time to settle. The worst that can happen is some may remain above the liquid and turn dakr. Just toss them when you open the jar. 2. Tops exposed is a problem and normally requires full re-processing. It means air is left trapped in the jar. It isn't a serious problem with pickles since they are so acidic but with most other foods, yeah either full reprocessing is required or fridge storage, not shelf so yours should go to the fridge and if you are going to do quarts you'll need a deeper canner or stick with pints. 3. Normal. See info in number 1. ;-) Dave
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I would not can it, but if you wanted to make a large batch, I would consider freezing it. I would make just mix up the raw ingredients together and freeze it in usable portions. Then I would either use it as a marinade or for the sauce, boil and add the water and cornstarch as directed.
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digdirt2
8 years ago
While the open kettle method itself is not approved as safe t is because most of the old open-kettle recipes did not call for processing and that is the problem. They just filled the jars, put on lids and let them seal themselves if possible. Those are not true vacuum seals and air still remains in the jars allowing bacteria and molds to grow.

So while one can cook anything they wish in an open kettle you must process the jars in either a BWB or a pressure canner (depending on the food) to be considered safe. Your pepper and onion relish, even though it is a straight, undiluted vinegar brine, still require BWB processing so a full vacuum can form in the jars to be considered safe for shelf storage.

The nearest apprved recipe for yours is Pepper and Onions Relish

and requires 5 mins BWB processing if using sterilized jars (dishwashers only sanitize they do not sterilize) or 10 mins. BWB if using clean sanitized jars.

Hope this helps.

Dave

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