[emtmama04]

I don't have a pressure canner. I have canned some of the pasta suace I made (the leftovers that is) I just boiled it in the canner I have. Was I wrong or will it be ok?

And what is a way to get around having to have the pressure canner for some things? Could I just make it like we were going to eat it then can it?

TIA for your help.

 

[ladytoysdream]

I am guessing you have a water bath canner ?

Walmart has the blue book for canning. I think it is around $ 6.
Cheapest price I have seen so far. You should get a copy. It's in the area where they have canning jars for sale.

Water bath canning is okay for some things. But most food should
be done in a pressure canner. It takes awhile to learn all this stuff
but so worth it.

You can also freeze some of your leftovers.

 

[emtmama04]

i have that book it is not much help. at the moment we don't have $80 to spend on the pressure canner and yes i have the water bath or boiling water canner.

could I make it as if we would eat it now? I only have the freezer on my fridge so freezing things would take up too much space.

 

[ladytoysdream]

If you are going to eat it up, in the week you make it you should be fine. It could be set in the frig.

I am still not sure of your question. Or I am just plain dense today.

You made a batch of sauce ? You canned it in the water bath
with regular jars, and your lids did the *ping* so you know you got a seal. Correct ?

Then it should be fine. Not sure what else you put in the sauce.
If meat.....then it should have been pressure canned.

I bought a pressure canner this summer at a garage sale for $3 to use as a back up canner. I still have to buy a handle for the cover as the one is missing. Also the weight is missing so will have to buy that and not sure why but my other 2 canners, I can't borrow the parts from. One canner is my mom's and very old, and they don't make gaskets for anymore, so would only use that as a emergency one. My main canner I bought years ago, at a garage sale for $ 5.

Have you been on craiglist or freecycle checking out things ?

I picked up the blue book the other day in Walmart and glanced through it, and put it back down. I thought it was just me who was not impressed..........

 

[madhen]

It all depends on what was in the sauce. If it is tomatoes and herbs, for example, you are probably okay with water bath canning (wbc). If it is a meat sauce, then NO, wbc is NOT sufficient. The sauce should be refrigerated or frozen, and if it hasn't been, it should be thrown out.

There really is no way around canning items that require pressure-canning, except through freezing or dehydrating. It has to do with the temperature that can be reached by pressure-canning vs. wbc. You can boil something all day long and not reach those temps.

 

[mauimagic]

Mahalo for the info - safety first - no one wants food poisoning.

 

[xtena]

Follow the advice above; get the blue book; check the USDA website for canning info and if there is any doubt at all THROW IT OUT. Better to waste a bit of food than risk you or a loved one dying of botulism.

 

[frugalfranny]

Not much help .....but good luck. Not even near an expert in the canning field. I do know that you have to be very careful with tomatoes. Not that familiar with the 'meat end' of canning.

Checked my 'very old' canning book and it didn't give much either.

 

[groundhog]

i have canned for years and you can can all fruits in the water bath and most vegetables in water bath but for veggies it takes a long time like maybe an hour or more i have canned fish and moose meat in the hot water bath but again it takes hours and hours you are better to do meats fish and chicken in a pressure canner

 

[emtmama04]

thanks everyone i will look for a pressure canner at goodwill or save for the newone.