1) I've always used the Ball Blue Book for canning, but when I was learning, a neighbor told me to use coarse kosher salt for tomato canning. I see a ton of "do not deviate" from approved recipies. We're all still alive. Do others make this small adjustment? Coarse sea salt?

2) In my new house, in a totally new region, on the largest burner on full blast, I can't get water up to 212°, 209, 210° is as good as it gets. I even bought a new thermometer to be sure. I've only made some marmalade and strawberry rhubarb jam since I've been here. It's all been fine. Tonight I need to pressure can bush beans and beets. Is it going to matter about a couple degrees for either process, water bath or pressure?

TL;DR- Can't get water above 210° in a water bath canner. About to pressure can. How crucial are 2 degrees for either method?

I can’t seem to find a straight answer to this question. I was making the blackberry jam recipe on Healthy Canning, which they took from the Pomona’s Pectin website. I was using honey as a sweetener as directed in the recipe. Both of them mention to add the pectin powder to the liquid sweetener and stir it in. It clumped up like crazy. Neither recipe indicated that the liquid you stir the pectin in needed to be boiling. However, the Pomona’s pectin website mentions in several places adding the pectin to “boiling water.”

Can someone explain this to me like I’m 5? Could I have used the clumpy pectin? Do I need to boil the honey to dissolve it into? I’m so confused.

I have a ton of amish paste and sioux tomato plants. Im looking to can a bunch and make salsas, soup and sauce. When I usually make sauce I put red wine in it. Can this be done for canning sauce? Does anyone have a recipe for a red wine sauce they've canned or ratios to use? It's my first year growing tomatoes and trying this all out!

After my last post, the advice given, and some more research, I made some jalapeño blackberry jam. It's currently sitting on a towel for the required 24 hours to set up before it goes in the fridge/freezer.

Tasting off the spoon, it's pretty good. Mostly blackberry with a hint of heat. I won't know until it's ready, but I suspect I might not really care for the "raw" texture of the jalapeños. If I make it again, I'll probably try cooking the jalapeños some (with part of the water used to cook down the blackberries).

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to/required to post the recipe I used. More than happy to!

From my understanding, freezer jams don't really have to follow the same "safe" guidelines that shelf stable canned goods do. If I'm wrong on that, please give some guidance.

I really appreciate all the good this community does. I've grown so much in my canning (or freezing/preserving) journey. Thank you all so much!

Hello I was wondering if this looks ok/safe to use for long term storage. We had leftover corn and decided to pressure can it.

Used the pressure canner recipie book and seals are still strong on all the jars. It just looks like all the water just disappeared inside.

I hope i chose the right flair. But yesterday I followed an online recipe and waterbath canned per the instructions and adjusted time to my elevation. They have good seals but I went to label them and I noticed soooooo many bubbles. Do I need to open and reprocess them or are they safe?

It’s been a few years since I’ve canned pickle slices because I had jars enough to last me a few years. I really like the flavor on the pickles I’ve made previously. However, I’m not sure the recipe I used was safe and I have no idea where I even got it from. The ball canning book and Penn state recipes for canning both call for sugar in the dill pickles. I’m curious if the sugar is needed for safe canning or if there are safe recipes that don’t use it? Like I said I like the taste of the one I’ve used but wanted to make sure I’m using safe recipes. I was worried the addition of sugar would alter the flavor. Here is the recipe I was using for context:

Brine:
4C water
2C vinegar
1/2C canning salt

Then add to pint jars: fresh dill, 1/8tsp dill seed, 1/4tsp peppercorns, 1 clove garlic.

Editing to add: I’m looking for a shelf stable recipe for water bath canning. I have a lot of garden cucumbers I grew for canning. I’m not looking for refrigerator pickle recipes. Thank you!!

Every year I tell myself I will plant fewer zucchini and every year I fail completely. Right now I have two grocery bags worth sitting on the counter and more coming in daily.

I have been doing relish and it moves fast enough as gifts but I am running out of people to give jars to. Pickled zucchini spears have been sitting in the back of my head as an option. I have done cucumber pickles plenty of times and I figure the process translates pretty cleanly, but I have never actually done it with zucchini so I want to hear from people who have before I commit to a big batch.

The other thing I keep circling back to is salsa verde style with tomatillos since I have those coming in too right now. I found a tested recipe but it calls for way more tomatillo than zucchini so it barely makes a dent in the pile.

Curious what people actually reach for when they are drowning in it. Not looking for bread and butter style, already have a solid recipe for that, more interested in savory or spiced directions people have had luck with.

More like... WAS this safe to eat?

I've canned jam yearly for 3 or 4 years now without issue- always freeze a couple. This had been a frozen jar. Lid was still secure. No mold, smelled good, no bubbles.

Been experiencing gastro issues and a medium lack of appetite on and off for a week now. Toast and jam has been my go-to.....

Finished the jam this afternoon. Had a wild episode this evening. Put the jar to soak WITHOUT SOAP, just hot water... and later when walking by the sink, saw this (photo).

Fml???

I have a ton of peaches to can but am wondering if I can do fun things besides the usual. I plan on canning some in syrup, but I have a ton of peach pie filling, peach jam, peach butter, honey peaches etc already. We did not care for pickled peaches when we tried them before. I was looking at a peach pepper jam to try but thought I’d see what other unique (and safe) options there are.

Hey friends! First time canning green beans. I normally freeze but im out of freezer space lol.

Is there a real different between raw packing and hot packing? Im open to either method but wanted experienced thoughts

I searched previous posts from the group, but didn’t see the usual safe sources. Extra thanks to anyone who can provide a relish recipe with kohlrabi! Seems like it could be used in a piccalilli or fall harvest relish recipe just like cabbage, but haven’t seen anywhere that that’s a safe substitution.

I am completely new to canning and now have enough cucumbers to pickle maybe two pint jars. I fear they will go bad if I don’t do something with them. Wondering if you can just water bath two jars or if you need to have an entire pot full? Thanks!!!