My kids just don't like the taste of the pickled carrots recipe and the pickled cauliflower recipe. Could I take the cauliflower recipe (4/0), sub half carrots (lower pH ingredient vs. cauliflower) and add more sugar (how much)? I really hate to add more sugar to our diets, though. So, what are the limits of taking out low-acid ingredients (any rule such a 10% of total mix? Can spices be eliminated too)? NCHFP says eliminating mushrooms in the Spagh. sauce is ok. Why is this so? For instance..... I am assuming it would be safe to take the Colorado ext. recipe and eliminate the garlic (garlic is an issue for a lot of my family)? It says "as desired" after the garlic, so I would think adding none would be ok, but then doesn't that change the pH balance of the vegetable mix (Dave as you stated above)? I don't understand the safety margins when it comes to things like this. Are they calculating a margin of safety so eliminating a cup of low-acid ingredients is ok.... or did they test both recipe versions (garlic vs. no garlic) and found them both safe? Does anyone have an approved recipe for mixed pickled vegetables with carrots, cauliflower, onion, cukes or preferably zukes (or both)? Some sweet pepper is ok too, but my husband and I get sick of being left with so many peppers after the kids open a jar so I wasn't thinking the Colorado recipe would be the ultimate answer even if I could eliminate the garlic. But maybe that is what I am stuck with. I was also wondering if I pressure canned the cauliflower/carrot pickle mix if It would make it safe. Normally I would be concerned it would make the veggies too mushy. But, we don't mind the texture when we pressure can carrots (unpickled) according to Ball directions. I figure the cauliflower couldn't get any more mushy than what the carrots get. As long as my kids eat them and they are safe, texture can slide. Any thoughts? Add picklecrisp? Would the same processing times for pressure canning carrots (25 min pints) work (especially since it would be in an acidic solution)? Ok, maybe I'm crazy but I have to ask. THX!!!!

I know this is an old thread, but I am looking for a good recipe for mixed vegetable escabeche. I find this thread confusing because Linda Zeidrich has two mixed vegetable pickles page 99 (jardiniere) and 100 (giardiniera-which even includes oil, 12 cloves of garlic, and only slightly more vinegar than water!). Both recipes say you can use a mix of vegetable of your choice. This makes me feel less concerned about lower acid vegetables. I made a version of the giardiniera with apple cider vinegar, carrots, onion, pink turnip, and zucchini. See below! I left out the oil because it just did not feel right. However, I stuck with Linda's proportions (3 quarts of vegetables) and the rest of the recipe exactly. Now I want to make a Mexican version! I plan to stick with the giardiniera recipe from page 100, omit the oil, substitute some jalapeños for some of the sweet peppers, green beans for the celery, and swap out the herbs/spices for other dry ones (not sure which yet, but possibly those from the recipe above). Please let me know if this raises any concerns. I could up the vinegar, but from her recipe which includes oil, it does not seem necessary.

My guess is that it wouldn't even be a quality issue, Carol. Salt and cold should not lead to softening, particularly. Not in that short a time period. Plus we're talking about a chutney, which is basically a soft spread anyway. Either way, Cleo, I say go for it.

The only way you can "know" if your home canned goods are safe to consume is to have them tested for bacteria after they were processed and after they were in storage (when bacteria has a chance to grow into a toxin). As home-canners we don't have that capability, so we need to increase the safety by using tested recipes in the jar sizes suggested, and the tested amount of time for processing, is how we improve the chances the foods remain safe to consume after processing and throughout storage. You decrease the safety each time you alter the recipe with ingredients (which can change the pH), by doubling the recipes, or using the incorrect size jars and/or processing times. There are no foods suggested for canning in gallon jars, and the only ones suggested for 1/2-gallon jars are grape juice and apple juice, according to the manufacturers of the jars. It's impossible, without testing, to know if you got the correct amount of heat penetration for a proper amount of time to kill bacteria in that much food. The commercial one-trip jars, reusing the lids that came with them, are also suspect for safe canning. You can't be sure there was enough sealing compound left on the lids to seal properly not only during processing, but also during storage even if they did seal during processing. The suggested clearance for the water over the jars in a BWB is 1-2 inches. If you have a Ball Blue Book, you can read all of this information in the front of the book. Since there isn't a processing time for 1/2-gallon jars, I would consider your first batch in 1/2-gallon jars suspect for safety. You are playing "canning roulette" and you'll have to decide what's safe and unsafe according to food safety standards for these canned goods. I'd suggest you go to the link below and take the "Preserving Food At Home" Self-Study Canning Coarse at the National Center for Home Food Preservation. I also suggest you call the Family and Consumer Sciences County Extension Agent at your County Cooperative Extension Office for some up-to-date canning information and to discuss your particular questions and how to handle them. I'm so sorry you went to all that work and didn't use safe methods. We all have to live and learn occasionally. All may not be lost and the County Extension Agent may have some suggestions to help salvage your canning day experience. -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: National Center for Home Food Preservation