Canning Tomato Sauce?

[Mark S' (goatlike)]

Howdy, I want to start canning my own tomato and pizza sauces (my girlfriend
and I eat a lot of the stuff). I've been reading that lemon juice or citric
acid is needed to safely can Tomato products. I use Crushed or Diced
Tomatoes that I buy at the store in metal cans. I just took a look at the
ingredients on the can and sure enough it says, Citric Acid. Now, my
question is this... since there is already citric acid in the tomatoes, do I
need to add any more myself? Or can I just make up the sauces and can away?
Er... basically, I'm trying to avoid Pressure canning. :)

Thanks!

Mark

[Mark S' (goatlike)]

"Mark S' (goatlike)" <nospa...@goatlikenospam.com> wrote in message
news:abe1bq$efc$1...@slb0.atl.mindspring.net...

I should add that the only thing I add to the tomatoes is dried spices
(marjoram, oregano, bay leaf, etc...) and onion and garlic powder (sometimes
fresh garlic), about a Tablespoon of honey for a 28oz can of tomatoes, and
sometimes a splash of olive oil (when using fresh garlic). No meat is added
for my "base" sauce, which is what I want to can. Just the tomatoes and
seasonings. I can add Red Wine in small quantities to the recipe, but no
more than a few splashes per 28oz can of tomatoes.

That complicated enough? :)

Thanks!

Mark

[sedge]

Hi Mark,

Why do you need to can this when you already use canned tomatoes? I
mean, it's canned already. Just open the can of tomatoes and add your
seasonings when you want to make your pasta/pizza sauce. It will taste
fresher.

I wouldn't go through the bother unless using my own garden-fresh
tomatoes, herbs, garlic and onions. Canned tomatoes, store-bought dried
herbs, and powdered garlic/onion are available year round.
--
Saara

[Ross Reid]

Seems to me like an absolutely redundant operation as well as a
complete waste of time.
Why not just open your can of tomatoes, add whatever you want, heat it
up and use it?
What am I missing?

Ross.

[AndyP]

"Ross Reid" <mrr...@golden.net> wrote in message
news:jnqlduolpb44e3cpr...@4ax.com...

While I agree in principle with the detractors of this query, if Mark wants
to chuck some pre-made sauce into some pasta then present it as a freshly
prepared epicurian delight ( sorry Mark ;-) then he should be aware that the
original canned tomato was acidified (with citric acid) to reduce the
chances of pathogenic agents surviving the canning process. Chances are that
the quantity will have been calculated to preserve the contents of the can
with a small degree of over-specification, or else the taste or the
economics of the product would suffer.
The addition of other ingredients may well raise the pH of the product so
that introduced bacteria may thrive, and more acidification _may_ be
necessary. I've no idea of what quantity may be needed, and the best policy
would be to use just the canned tomato and COOK!
I am not an expert, and I may be talking rubbish - so don't risk your health
on my advice!
HTH
AndyP

[Mark S' (goatlike)]

> While I agree in principle with the detractors of this query, if Mark
wants
> to chuck some pre-made sauce into some pasta then present it as a freshly
> prepared epicurian delight ( sorry Mark ;-) then he should be aware that
the
> original canned tomato was acidified (with citric acid) to reduce the
> chances of pathogenic agents surviving the canning process. Chances are
that
> the quantity will have been calculated to preserve the contents of the can
> with a small degree of over-specification, or else the taste or the
> economics of the product would suffer.
> The addition of other ingredients may well raise the pH of the product so
> that introduced bacteria may thrive, and more acidification _may_ be
> necessary. I've no idea of what quantity may be needed, and the best
policy
> would be to use just the canned tomato and COOK!
> I am not an expert, and I may be talking rubbish - so don't risk your
health
> on my advice!
> HTH
> AndyP

I had no idea simply wanting to be able to reach for pizza-sized containers
of pre-prepared sauce would cause such consternation.

Thank you Andy, for answering my question. I appreciate that, even if ya
ain't certain its defintely more information than I had when I asked. :)

Mark

[NCHFP]

> I should add that the only thing I add to the tomatoes is dried spices
> (marjoram, oregano, bay leaf, etc...) and onion and garlic powder (sometimes
> fresh garlic), about a Tablespoon of honey for a 28oz can of tomatoes, and
> sometimes a splash of olive oil (when using fresh garlic). No meat is added
> for my "base" sauce, which is what I want to can. Just the tomatoes and
> seasonings. I can add Red Wine in small quantities to the recipe, but no
> more than a few splashes per 28oz can of tomatoes.

From the National Center for Home Food Preservation:
The USDA general recommendation is to ensure safe acidity for boiling
water bath processing in whole, crushed, or juiced tomatoes, add two
tablespoons of bottled lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid per
quart of tomatoes. Add sugar to offset acid taste, if desired.

The safe recommendation is to add the acid anyway. As long as the
acid doesn't negatively affect the flavor its better to play it safe.
The honey will help mask the acidity. Dried spices, honey and wine
should not raise the pH. Both honey and wine are high acid
ingredients.

Olive oil: We are currently researching high acid BWB canning and
oils. Please note that Altrista, makers of the canning jars and lids,
advises against canning oils, since they can get on the gasket and
prevent a seal. That said, the USDA Complete Guide to Canning has
several recipes containing oil.

Personal note:
As someone who grew up in an Italian "goodfellas" neighborhood in
Chicago I can tell you Spaghetti or Pizza sauce was cooked on the
stove for 1-3 days very slowly. This concentrated it and carmelized
the sugars. The thought of opening up a can of tomatoes and adding
spices to make sauce smacks of "Ragu". So making sauce from canned
tomatoes makes perfect sense to me. Just my 2 cents.

Brian Nummer, Ph.D.
National Center fro Home Food Preservation
University of Georgia
http://www.homefoodpreservation.com

[Mark S' (goatlike)]

THANK YOU! I don't quite do the 1-3 day deal, but I do simmer for hours and
let sit in the fridge for at least a night before its Pizza Worthy. Gets
everything blended nice and yummy, as you clearly know. :)

Thanks again! Your information is gonna be incredibly helpful. Hmmm... now
you got me thinking about cooking the sauce longer.

Mark