Violet

The bacon is not safe to dry. Only jerky is safe to dry as far as meats.

Arby, yes, it can be frozen just fine that way.

You are really best off using canning/pickling salt for all canning. If you use table salt, it would be better to use uniodized anyway. It will still have anticaking agents in it, though. The iodine and anticaking leaves a sediment in the jars. It can also make foods mushy. In salsa that won't matter, but in some other things it could. Some kosher salts have anticaking, some don't. You will find the amount you need different than regular canning salt. I disagree, salt does not preserve the food other than in high amounts like in jerky. It also is needed for fermentation in pickles. Other than that, it can be ommited and is only for flavor. You can check out the USDA information and find that is what they say about salt.

Yes, you can make double or triple amounts as long as you add all the acid needed in it.

Suzann, You have the safest kind with the weights. They self vent so the pressure won't keep climbing like a dial gauge canner could. Please, just put in a few inches of water in the bottom, no jars. Then turn on the heat. Let it steam, then time that steady stream of steam for 10 min. Then, put on the weight. It may hiss at you, but remember, it is only air, it won't bite or your canner won't explode or anything. It is just a little noise that happens for a moment. Then, as it builds pressure it will start to jiggle. On that brand it should jiggle a couple times a minute. At least that is what I have read. Check your manual as they may have changed how many time per minute it jiggles. Then once you let it jiggle for a few minutes so you can familiarize yourself with it, turn the heat off. Let it stop jiggling and depressurize. Remove the lid and let it cool down. Relax, it will be fine. It won't explode on you. It has a safety plug on it, too, so if anything ever did go wrong, it would pop out first. As I said, you have the safest kind of canner with that weight. Try again, OK ?

Wow, thanks for the information ! That is not good. So many people canning and no lemon juice ? I got some citric acid crystals, so maybe I should get more than I have. I will look if I remember at the store for the bottled lemon juice. I use a lot of fresh lemons, too. I have it in my iced tea every day. This seems to be increasing with more and more foods.

You will find some recipes here : http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_salsa.html

Headspace for salsa is 1/2 inch. The majority of foods are, but there are exceptions. Meats, dried beans, pie fillings are an inch. The headspace will vary on foods, but with salsa, whether BWB or pressure canner, the headspace stays the same.

You are welcome. Glad to help.

You could, but it will be more thin and the flavor will not be as rich.

No, the frostbitten tomatoes can only be frozen, not even pressure canned. Remember, the pressure canner and BWB canning instructions are equal in the way they kill bacteria. All steps, including acidification are needed for both methods. Pressure canning will not make them any more acidic. They can only safely be frozen and used at that point. The salsa needs to be thin ! The density of the salsa is just as important as the acid level in it. You need to drain off and thicken AFTER canning it.

If you freeze tomatoes that are ripened and the vines were not dead or frostbitten, then you could freeze those, then defrost and can, since they would have already gotten their full acidity in them. It is when they are left on the vines, the vines get frostbitten or die, then you pick them, that it is unsafe to can them. They need to be frozen and not canned later. I hope that makes sense. This is what USDA says: CAUTION: DO NOT CAN TOMATOES FROM DEAD OR FROST-KILLED VINES.

Yes, you can safely omit the cilantro. Vlynn, I do hope your tomatoes don't die from frost. If you like green tomatoes, you may like the green tomato salsa recipe. If it frosts, then the tomatoes are not safe to can, only freeze. They lose their acidity if they get frost bitten.

Alright, Tracie !!! It is so good ! I also cut down on the sugar last time. It was too sweet for me, as well. Next time I won't add any sugar until I taste it. I open my jars of salsa, then add a little instant Clear jel to thicken it up before serving. This is one of the best salsa recipes, in my opinion.

You can wait on the overpressure plug and ring. They would just check to see that they are soft and pliable. You only need the gauge for it to be tested. You can order a new gauge for it still. Then, even a new gauge needs testing before use, as they can be off by as much as 4 lb. right out of the box. That old canner is not suitable to converting over to a weighted gauge canner. I tried that already. The weights won't fit the vent pipe on that model. So, it has to be used as a dial gauge canner.

It is not safe to do in a boiling water bath for that little amount of acid added. The amount of vinegar is critical. That is not even enough acid for the tomatoes alone, so adding any other low acid vegetables makes it totally unsafe like that. The whole product must be treated as a low acid product.

If you have changed the recipe like that, I hope you are not canning it. The changes will make it unsafe to can. The vinegar is needed in even the pressure canned version, just the smaller amount. Otherwise the processing time would be longer. How much ? I can't say for certain since we don't know the ph or the density of it. It would need to be safety tested at a lab. Salsas are VERY critical in making safely in order to prevent botulism. Annie had this recipe tested before giving it out.

I am the Protector. Exactly fit me when I read the description.

Oh, Tammy you are funny !! I got a big laugh out of your post. Glad you canned the salsa. I like the recipe, too.

Oh, perhaps you will like this booklet online. We sell the same one here. http://info.ag.uidaho.edu/Resources/PDFs/PNW0397.pdf

You can store in sealed tightly in the cupboard, or you can freeze the bags for longer storage. I have not used O2 absorbers in my dried things yet. Maybe someone else will post about that part.

Yes,that is one of the tests that can be used. Testing Pectin in the Juice For jellies made without pectin, it is important to know whether there is enough natural pectin to form a gel. There are three ways of determining this. Cooking Test: Measure ⅓ cup of juice and ¼ cup of sugar into a small saucepan. Heat slowly, stirring constantly until all the sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil rapidly until it gives the sheeting test. Pour the jelly into a clean, hot jelly glass or a small bowl and let it cool. If the cooled mixture is jelly-like, your fruit juice will gel. Alcohol Test: Add 1 teaspoon of juice to 1 table-spoon of rubbing alcohol. To mix, gently stir or shake the mixture in a closed container so that all the juice comes in contact with the alcohol. DO NOT TASTE— the mixture is poisonous. Fruit high in pectin will form a solid jelly-like mass that can be picked up with a fork. If the juice clumps into several small particles, there is not enough pectin for jelly. Jelmeter Test: The jelmeter is a graduated glass tube that measures the rate at which fruit juices flow through the tube. It gives a rough estimate of the amount of pectin present in the juice and how much sugar should be used.

Good, Ferretma ! Glad you got in on the deal.

Winco has pints half price here !

Tracie, I can't be 100 percent certain, but I have not seen a new version of the Presto they haven't fit so far. It just has to fit on the vent pipe of yours instead of using the counterweight that came with yours. I use Presto 23 quart size and the weights fit on mine just fine. Just got my daughter a new one, too, and got her the weights. From what I can see on the pictures online your counterweight looks just like mine. I think it will work. Presto is so wishy washy about their answers. Some people call and they tell them you can't use the weights, some say you can. It all depends upon who you talk to. I don't think some of them know what they are talking about there. I contacted them personally 2 times and was even told the part number that I gave you. I contacted the National Center for Home Food Preservation and was told it was a great idea.