Re-Canning tomatoes...

[daveomak]

This is NOT a certified method endorsed by the USDA,....

If you copy this method or one similar,
EDIT.. 1/11/2021 ... I'm recommending to NOT add anything to the tomato sauce as you do not know what vagrant bacteria may be present and contaminate the sauce... especially botulism... anything that needs 240F to kill, like you would in your pressusr canner .. botulism bacteria live in the soil so they can contaminate ANYTHING ... and end up on your kitchen counter... THEN, the low oxygen atmosphere in the jar is a perfect growing environment..

I bought this HUGE can of Alta Cucina tomatoes that are absolutely delicious.... They were recommended by Jack Chapman on his U-Tube video... "Chaplin's Classics" and "Cooking with the Blues".... I opened the can and he was correct....

Also, forktender did a taste test and noted them as the best.... His test can be found here....

The unoffical SMF marinara/gravy thread

I was inspired for this idea in another thread. Anyone willing to share? Advice or suggestions welcome. Not looking for anyone to give up those family recipes or secrets (but will take them if you give them). :emoji_laughing: We make a pretty good one but not perfect yet. I am fairly sure...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Well, as sure as the sun rises, there's no way I can use a 6+ pound can in one sitting... Freezing was recommended but ..... I felt like doing a water bath on them..
Here's my thinking...
The tomatoes were already canned.... pH tested... canning process approved... what can go wrong... there's no meat or whole veggies to break down as I took out the motor boat blender and ground up everything in the pot I heated them up in....
I took the pot of tomatoes to 185F and transferred the sauce to the jars... I had heated the lids to sterilize them...
The bands went on "finger tip" barely tight... Gotta leave the lids "not tight" but barely snug, so air can escape and water not get in the jars...
The water bath is running about 205F and a very slow boil is happening as I type... Living at 1200' elevation, boiling point is below 212F.....
Air is escaping from the pint jars... I will continue the water bath until it appears no more air is escaping... That will let me know the contents of the jars will not get any hotter... ~45 minutes was the recommended bath time... I have the timer set for 60 minutes... Gotta hang out on the safe side of stuff... If 45 is good, and safety margins already built in... 60 is perfect for me....

So, this 6+# pound can cost me ~$15.. a bit excessive but I figured it was worth it... I have 8 pints.... 7 in the water bath and 1 in the refer... I did not process the one in the refer so I will use it very soon... Like maybe tonight on some pasta....
8 pints brings the cost per pint down to ~market prices art <$2 per pint and even less for a 12 oz. can....

2 MINUTES TO GO !!!

Now the wait..... To see if I did good or wasted some money....
I can do a taste test with the pint jar in the refer against these re-canned jars....

Thanks for looking..... Dave


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[thirdeye]

Tomatoes being a high acid food, the processing is pretty straightforward. I would not add time to pressure processing times, but a few minutes longer in a water bath canner is okay. Next time you have more tomatoes, consider making pizza sauce with some, we use jars of passata then add seasonings and I pressure can for 35 minutes at 13# psi. We can make 2 pizzas with each 1/2 pint jar.

Be sure and do the full testing on the seals, ping, finger and spoon. Here is a video I made to demonstrate the spoon test.

 

[forktender]

This is NOT a certified method endorsed by the USDA,....

I bought this HUGE can of Alta Cucina tomatoes that are absolutely delicious.... They were recommended by Jack Chapman on his U-Tube video... "Chaplin's Classics" and "Cooking with the Blues".... I opened the can and he was correct....

Also, forktender did a taste test and noted them as the best.... His test can be found here....

The unoffical SMF marinara/gravy thread

I was inspired for this idea in another thread. Anyone willing to share? Advice or suggestions welcome. Not looking for anyone to give up those family recipes or secrets (but will take them if you give them). :emoji_laughing: We make a pretty good one but not perfect yet. I am fairly sure...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Well, as sure as the sun rises, there's no way I can use a 6+ pound can in one sitting... Freezing was recommended but ..... I felt like doing a water bath on them..
Here's my thinking...
The tomatoes were already canned.... pH tested... canning process approved... what can go wrong... there's no meat or whole veggies to break down as I took out the motor boat blender and ground up everything in the pot I heated them up in....
I took the pot of tomatoes to 185F and transferred the sauce to the jars... I had heated the lids to sterilize them...
The bands went on "finger tip" barely tight... Gotta leave the lids "not tight" but barely snug, so air can escape and water not get in the jars...
The water bath is running about 205F and a very slow boil is happening as I type... Living at 1200' elevation, boiling point is below 212F.....
Air is escaping from the pint jars... I will continue the water bath until it appears no more air is escaping... That will let me know the contents of the jars will not get any hotter... ~45 minutes was the recommended bath time... I have the timer set for 60 minutes... Gotta hang out on the safe side of stuff... If 45 is good, and safety margins already built in... 60 is perfect for me....

So, this 6+# pound can cost me ~$15.. a bit excessive but I figured it was worth it... I have 8 pints.... 7 in the water bath and 1 in the refer... I did not process the one in the refer so I will use it very soon... Like maybe tonight on some pasta....
8 pints brings the cost per pint down to ~market prices art <$2 per pint and even less for a 12 oz. can....

2 MINUTES TO GO !!!

Now the wait..... To see if I did good or wasted some money....
I can do a taste test with the pint jar in the refer against these re-canned jars....

Thanks for looking..... Dave


View attachment 479237.....View attachment 479238.....View attachment 479239

View attachment 479240.....View attachment 479243.....View attachment 479244

Dave, my grandma used to water bath her tomatoes and sauce all the time. She used to add lemon juice from one lemon to the BIG stock pot.
Then when she used it she would add just enough brown sugar to get rid of any tartness her sauce wasn't sweet or tart it was amazing. I'm going to try to water bath the leftovers from the next can I open because freeze space is very limited right now. So let me know how it works out for you please.

Thanks a bunch.
Dan

 

[forktender]

View attachment 479254
Tomatoes being a high acid food, the processing is pretty straightforward. I would not add time to pressure processing times, but a few minutes longer in a water bath canner is okay. Next time you have more tomatoes, consider making pizza sauce with some, we use jars of passata then add seasonings and I pressure can for 35 minutes at 13# psi. We can make 2 pizzas with each 1/2 pint jar.

Be sure and do the full testing on the seals, ping, finger and spoon. Here is a video I made to demonstrate the spoon test.

Do you add citric acid to your jars? I hate the taste of that stuff in a lot of canned tomatoes.

 

[daveomak]

Normally I would add lemon juice but..... These tomatoes were already canned professionally....
So, I'm figuring the pH was already adjusted.... Whatever needed to be done to them was already done.....
Storage time and reheating to can again, shouldn't change anything.... Except the taste and I seriously doubt reheating would change the taste except to improve it...
Leftovers always taste better....
By the way, this tomato sauce is the best I have ever tasted... I tasted it after blending with the motor boat blender... I was impressed....

EDIT.. 1/11/2021 ... I'm recommending to NOT add anything to the tomato sauce as you do not know what vagrant bacteria may be present and contaminate the sauce... especially botulism... anything that needs 240F to kill, like you would in your pressusr canner .. botulism bacteria live in the soil so they can contaminate ANYTHING ... and end up on your kitchen counter... THEN, the low oxygen atmosphere in the jar is a perfect growing environment..

 

[thirdeye]

Do you add citric acid to your jars? I hate the taste of that stuff in a lot of canned tomatoes.

No, but I do add lemon juice. Tomato Passata is just plain tomato that’s been pureed and passed through a sieve to make it smooth. It doesn’t have any flavourings or salt added. It’s essential canned crushed tomato that’s been pureed, but thicker. If you were to just puree crushed tomato, it would be thinner. You would have to press it through a sieve to achieve the same consistency.

Pizza Sauce 2020 Version
A recipe from Ball and Bernardin
This yielded six 1/2 pint jars

Ingredients
2 - 24oz. bottles of tomato passata (2 x 700 ml bottles)
84 ml (grams) lemon juice
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons roasted garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian Herb Seasoning

Instructions
In a large pot, bring passata to a boil in a large pot, Add ingredients, reduce to a simmer and reduce (uncovered) until the sauce has the consistency of ketchup, about 12 to 15 minutes stirring frequently.

Remove pot from stove, allow sauce to cool 5 minutes, then ladle sauce into heated jars, leaving 1/2" of head space. De-bubble, adjust head space, clean rims + thread area + inside area, add lids & rims. Move jars to pressure canner with warmed water. Vent canner for 15 minutes, process jars for 35 minutes at 13 PSI.

 

[daveomak]

Here is the test.......
1# of chinese egg noodles... Rose Brand... My mom ALWAYS used it when making spaghetti and she always baked her spaghetti sooooo... That's what I did....

1# of ground chuck from my neighborhood grocery... Angus it is.....
1 pint of Alta Cucina recanned sauce....

I had to sample it before it went in the oven.... This sauce is sooo good... Clean tasting... No after taste of anything.. I think I have a winner... Now to find some fresh basil.... I guess I have to go to Wal Mart and buy the growing plant in the veggie dep't.... I hate W-M.....
I think the sauce settled to the bottom.... in an hour or so, I will mix it and bring some to the top so I can have a 2nd helping...
I think that's the best spaghetti I have made.... ever.....

 

[daveomak]

OK... Another dish... a child's portion I may add.... And parm on top... same as before....

 

[thirdeye]

I had to sample it before it went in the oven.... This sauce is sooo good... Clean tasting... No after taste of anything.. I think I have a winner... Now to find some fresh basil.... I guess I have to go to Wal Mart and buy the growing plant in the veggie dep't.... I hate W-M.....
I think the sauce settled to the bottom.... in an hour or so, I will mix it and bring some to the top so I can have a 2nd helping...
I think that's the best spaghetti I have made.... ever.....

Are these the plants you are talking about? The root ball is intact and the plastic container serves as a little green house.

 

[daveomak]

Yep... I used to buy them all the time, when Bride was alive.. they were on her shopping lists... That woman taught me a lot... I should have listened more....