So this fall I canned some tomatoes from my garden, mada a passata recipe (link in comments) it is hot packed, toped with olive oil and boiled for 20 min (+ 1 min adjusted for elevation) but now the tops have seemingly started to look darker red. Do you think it is safe? Tops haven’t popped up but the color change has me worried. I am a newbie to the world of canning and help is appreciated!
by ThinkySushi
6 Comments
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Given that you topped the sauce in the jars with olive oil, I’m going to assume you didn’t use a tested recipe as lots of fat is unsafe for home canning and interferes with the sealing process. As such, these are not safe and you should not eat them
Edit to add: it looks like you commented a link to your recipe which was a video and it was removed by the mods because videos aren’t accepted on this sub. It’s likely that it wasn’t a safe tested recipe. What was the source? Can you explain without relinking the video? Also you shouldn’t store canned goods with the rings on as it can conceal a false seal
A few things stick out to me right off the bat:
1 – tomato sauces need to be canned for *at least* 35 minutes, with adjustments for elevation in 5 minute increments
2 – tomato sauces need to be properly acidified (generally by adding citric acid or lemon juice)
3 – this recipe has multiple additions that raise the ph (pepper, herbs) and the oil definitely shouldn’t be there
Here’s the safe recipe for basic tomato sauce: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_03/tomato_sauce.html
In addition to the other comments, don’t store your jars with the rings on
Also, on top of the other commenters, leaving the outer ring on the jars can cause a false seal. The jar unseals, and due to the pressure of the ring, re-seals. This is common in unsafe recipes with oil or fat.
Oof I have never seen a recipe protocol that only adjusts for altitude by 1 minute. Usually 10 minutes is the opening argument.
Don’t rely on most online/Pinterest/YouTube recipes as there are A LOT of dangerous practices promoted as safe. Ball is a go-to along with most university programs.