A few notes (and a giveaway later today!)
I've got a fun $75 giveaway coming up a little bit later today (I just need to get my staff photographer to take a few pictures for me first), but in the meantime, here are just a few notes.
-The bottom picture in this post was taken with the more expensive lens, so most of you were right!
You guys have good eyes.
(by the way, if you've been wondering what camera gear I use, go check out my camera equipment page on my 365 blog.)
-My bodycology giveaway ends on Monday, so go enter if you haven't. It's as easy as leaving a comment!
-I got 13 quarts of tomatoes canned yesterday, so yay me!
I still have more tomatoes, though, so I'm thinking of making some sauce and freezing it (there's some debate over whether it's ok to can homemade tomato sauce because of the other non-tomato ingredients. I'd probably be ok because I'm using a pressure canner, but I think I'll go the freezing route just to be safe.)
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Today's 365 post: So, the top of the desk is fairly clean...
Joshua's 365 post: A picture I forgot to post
My canning books say no canning spaghetti sauce due to a lack of acid. I just freezer bag them and take out the air. Fantastic job on the tomatoes and your photographer just gets more and more amazing.
We have 6 jars of canned spaghetti sauce (2 meat, 4 veggie) that a friend gave us...pressure canned and all. I've never had homemade sauce. You said you were going to freeze yours, should I do the same? I want to be safe also because I am new to this. When I am ready to use a jar, what do I need to do? Thaw it in the fridge overnight...?
Thanks!
What type of meals/ recipes do you use your canned tomatos? I don't think I'm all that picky of an eater, but I don't care for whole or stewed tomatos. I would love to make a sauce, but it would have to be seedless and not chunky.......just sayin'!
I just love how fruits/veggies look in canning jars! Great job!
The tomatoes look beautiful!! I'm jealous. I don't have a pressure canner and to import one would cost more than the canner itself. I live vicariously through bloggists like you. Keep up the canning, and don't forget to come out of the kitchen every once in a while.
Hmm, my mom, aunt, and grandma have been canning homemade spaghetti sauce for years with no issues. (In a regular hot bath, I think.) I'm going to have to go check out that link.
Is it possible/recommended to put homemade spaghetti sauce in jars and freeze, similar to freezer preserves? I'm new to this and would love any tips. Thanks also for the heads up about canning sauce - I had no idea until I read that article you linked. If jars don't work I can use freezer bags like another commenter recommended...
My mother in law, who has been canning FOREVER suggested not using the pressure cooker, but I think if you're planning on using your canned tomatoes for things like sauce in the future, then it's OK to do it that way. I'm no canning expert, though 🙂
Also, did you know that you have pop-up ads? I'm not sure if you were aware, or if you care, but I find them annoying and thought I'd let you know!
Oh, shoot! I opt out of those things at every chance I get, but sometimes BlogHer's settings get messed up. Can you please let me know exactly what's popping up so that I can alert them to it and get it stopped? Because I totally DO care about not having popups...I hate them and don't want to inflict them on you.
You can deff freeze spaghetti sauce with no issues, but you can safely pressure can it also, just use the canning time for the longest ingredient in your sauce, its usually peppers or onions, or meat. If you use the times for the highest pressure/ time ingredient, everything else under that will also be safe.
its also important to use the manual that came with your pressure canner, as larger canners may need slightly less time and higher elevations tend to need more pressure.
i know several people who can venison every year, raw pack no liquid pressure can and it is awesome! very tender and flavorful.
I cook my tomatoes down as if I were making sauce but don't add any of the other ingredients, and then process in a water bath. That way, I have less jars to process and store and I can use the tomatoes for any base I want to, spaghetti sauce, chili, soups, etc. Though it might take more time now, it makes it so much more convenient later.
Love your site and sense of humor!
My canning books say you can can tomato sauce. You can also can salsa. I'm using Ball's big book of canning. As long as you have a pressure canner you should be fine.
The book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver has a recipe in it for homemade canned spaghetti sauce. I'd use that one, or one from a canning book. Acid content is important for preventing botulism, but it is possible to increase the acid by adding lemon juice or vinegar.
Your tomatoes look lovely in those jars! I have a question though: where do you get your jars? I really want to try your yogurt recipe, but the jars we have at my house are all random sizes and they have cheap lids. Is there a more frugal way to obtain nice jars than just buying empty jars?
Alexis, just go ahead and use whatever you have. I finally made the yogourt and put it in quart-sized jars only to discover that using smaller jars would be better for giving some away... so I'm using smaller jars next time.
One really cheap way to get jars is to ask neighbours, relatives or friends if they have any they'd let you have. You can always repay them with homemade yogourt! 🙂
I have put up ads on craigslist offering 20cents per canning jar and will offer the same price responding to other ads. It works great and is a good price. Just recently purchased over eight dozen jars at 20 cents each. I got a good deal and a nice lady cleaned out her basement.
Thanks for your help, Rebecca and Ingrid!
The site you linked said don't can tomato sauce in a HOT WATER BATH, but you can in a PRESSURE BATH. You used a pressure bath - did you pressure can, or just use the pressure cooker for a hot water bath?
I jar my sauce all the time with no issues. I have seen some things online that say to add a little salt and lemon juice to the top before you put the lid on, but I haven't done it. I don't like to freeze my sauce, it always seems a little diluted after it has thawed.
Kristen,
I found this canned sauce recipe today on Taste of Home. Hope it helps.
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Homemade-Canned-Spaghetti-Sauce
I examined the pictures closely, and then realized it was obvious - she's a very different subject for her mama! What a sweetie. 🙂
They have fun lotions