Canning Tomato Sauce

[llowman]

I've been researching this but here's my question. I cook my Italian sauce for 2 days or longer to make sure it's thick enough - made from fresh tomatoes. I want to can the sauce when it's done. If the jars are hot packed with sauce w/added lemon juice, seals and lids put on them while the sauce is still hot - do I HAVE to put them in a hot water bath? The jars will seal as the sauce cools so why would I have to do the HWB?

I have a ceramic top stove and can't put a canning pot on top because it might break. Thanks!

 

[Duffster]

I've been researching this but here's my question. I cook my Italian sauce for 2 days or longer to make sure it's thick enough - made from fresh tomatoes. I want to can the sauce when it's done. If the jars are hot packed with sauce w/added lemon juice, seals and lids put on them while the sauce is still hot - do I HAVE to put them in a hot water bath? The jars will seal as the sauce cools so why would I have to do the HWB?

YES, YES, YES. Well actually, No, you could use a pressure canner as well.

Not processing it is like playing russian roulette. Beside to do it the way you are asking it would be imperative that you sterilize the jars first. If you process them you wouldn't have too. So time wise it would be about a wash.

I have a ceramic top stove and can't put a canning pot on top because it might break. Thanks!

Eh? Use a smooth bottom pot or the pot part of a pressure canner. You don't have to use an actaul "canning" pot.

 

[llowman]

I always sterilize my jars but my dishwasher has a sterilizing cycle and I do it that way. So am I misunderstanding or yes it's okay if the jars are sterilized to let them seal themselves?

My with my flat top stove it's a weight issue even with a flat bottom pot which is what I'd use. But w/the weight of the water/jars/tomato sauce it might be too much and break the ceramic top. Can't afford for that to happen.

 

[keegs]

I've been researching this but here's my question. I cook my Italian sauce for 2 days or longer to make sure it's thick enough - made from fresh tomatoes. I want to can the sauce when it's done. If the jars are hot packed with sauce w/added lemon juice, seals and lids put on them while the sauce is still hot - do I HAVE to put them in a hot water bath? The jars will seal as the sauce cools so why would I have to do the HWB?

I have a ceramic top stove and can't put a canning pot on top because it might break. Thanks!

I can't answer with any authority but my sense is I'd err on the side of caution and sterilize the jars and rings in a hot water bath.

I have a glass top stove and haven't had any problems with canning. Where did you learn this?

I use an old lobster pot that has a removable bottom (steamer) section. I keep the removable section in there to keep the jars off the bottom of the pot where it's hottest. I guess I'm more concerned about the glass jars cracking than the stove...hope I'm right.

 

[llowman]

Hmmm - I have a flat stock pot that is like the lobster pot w/a separate insert for draining liquid ... I guess I could use that and HWB the sauce after I've packed the jars. But it seems it would be easier to sterilize the jars, pack them w/lemon juice and hot sauce and let them seal themselves. Novice here obviously but they would seal so logically that seem like it would be ok. Opinions?

 

[Duffster]

it's okay if the jars are sterilized to let them seal themselves?

NO...........

 

[IslandTractor]

Canning is obviously a food preservation technique which depends on killing all microorganisms that cause the food to rot or that might survive to cause disease. Although cooked tomato sauce (after an hour of boiling much less two days!) is essentially sterile, the process of putting it into the jars will absolutely positively recontaminate it no matter how hard you try to keep things clean (airborne bacteria and fungal spores are ubiquitous). In science labs open tissue cultures are manipulated only under HEPA filtered laminar air hoods to avoid such contamination and even that often fails. So, even after dispensing into the jars the sauce and jars need to be repasteurized by the final boiling step. It's not just a matter of getting the jars to seal, it is resterilizing the contents that is critical.

 

[MossRoad]

Hmmm - I have a flat stock pot that is like the lobster pot w/a separate insert for draining liquid ... I guess I could use that and HWB the sauce after I've packed the jars. But it seems it would be easier to sterilize the jars, pack them w/lemon juice and hot sauce and let them seal themselves. Novice here obviously but they would seal so logically that seem like it would be ok. Opinions?

You cook the sauce on the stove, right? In a big pot, right? What's the difference between a pot of water and a pot of sauce or a pot of sauce and water with some jars in it? Not much.

I think the general consensus here is that you need to water bath can them. Don't take a chance with food poisoning. :ashamed:

 

[Duffster]

Botulism doesn't sound like something I would want to mess with.

Botulism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[F1520]

I learned to can tomatoes from an Italian woman who does it exactly the way you describe. She has done it this way since she was taught the technique over 40 years ago. She has no problems and has never poisoned her family.

But... last year I tried both ways and marked each jar's lid to indicate which technique was used. (Water bath vs. straight-to-jar.) The ones that were not processed in a water bath did not seal as tightly and several had contamination that caused fermentation/foaming and loss of seal within a few weeks to a few months.

I've decided to always use the water bath method from now on to prevent spoiled jars, clean-up, and for safety, too. Though it would be real tough not to notice a contaminated jar and serve the contents for dinner! It's VERY obvious when something's gone wrong.

YMMV & be careful! :thumbsup: