SurvivalMom78

I agree! We had black mold hidden in our mobile home, which we bought while we were building our house. Plus formaldehyde and all other sorts of nasties are in mobile homes. We lost everything because the mold was widespread. We had to move and rent a home-could never finish our actual home. It was a complete nightmare. Mold can be a real problem with mobile homes, but that might now affect some as much as it did us )living in humid Florida!). We literally had to throw away anything with paper or fabric/so pretty much everything was gone. I would recommend saving and buying a small log KOA type cabin, which you would likely get for the same price/cheaper than a used mobile home.

I really enjoyed seeing your bags and essential items. I like the idea of being able to "drop" bags as you go-if necessary! Also, this remind me I need to buy some Diva cups! I have some momma cloth, but Diva cups would be much easier!

Thank you Violet! I know I can count on you to help me keep my family safe!

Okay, so I must skin the tomatoes first, right? Sorry, just trying to be extra cautious! And thanks for the info about blending-I didn't think about that! Thank you!

Yes, thank you! I have always used the small jars, and am relieved to know I can use pint jars now. Making jelly sandwiches for the kids would be easier with a larger pint, rather than opening up a new small jar every 3 days!

Do we have to remove the tomato skins when canning or making sauce? I pressure can my tomatoes and tomato sauces, and I am hoping to at least make the sauce out of whole tomatoes without skinning them first. I have a Vitamix and it will complete purée anything! However, I want to ensure this is safe (skins on) before I start. All the "official" sites mention skinning them first, but it doesn't say why. I know with things like potatoes you should peel them first, but just curious with tomatoes.

She is all over Facebook! I worry someone is going to get hurt from her unsafe recipes!

If I can everything 100% by the book (like Ball and UGA) I shouldn't have to worry a lot about it right? I've finally gotten over my fear of pressure canning... But these stories make me worry! This is a good reminder we should always be careful- I wish we knew what food product it was.

Thank you!

Ohhh I was wondering the same thing!

Update: I really appreciate everyone's insight to what could possibly be going on with the jars of pasta sauce. I kept them, labelled them (to distinguish them from the others) and set them in a seperate area. I read everyone's post, and I could see valid points from both sides. I also did some research on the thermophilic bacteria and saw supporting evidence (from government sites) that said it was harmless, and others that said it could be harmful. So.....I decided to experiement. I have sauce I prepared previously (same UGA recipe) and I opened one that was processed exactly how it should have been, and then the ones in question here. The ones that were in question were bad. I opened the jar and it squirted at me. It was foul. Because squirting jars could mean botulism (although I don't see how it could in such a high acid pressure canned dish) I took the steps I have read here to dispose of the jars and their contents. I wore gloves, bleached the entire area, and wore a N95 mask (which I hope is okay.) I really appreciate everyones input, from a Master Food Preserver, to an Science major, to ladies who have done this for years..... but the end result was bad sauce. I didn't open all the jars, just that one, the others may have been okay-but I did not want to risk it. From now on, I will do things exactly by the book. I'm sure that most of the time waivering from the suggestions is "probably" okay. Lot's of people can, and there are not many cases of botulism....but food illnesses often go unreported, and when in doubt, throw it out. Thanks everyone, and I didn't mean to cause any conflict. We're all in this together, and I like this online family. No fighting!

I did reprocess them I reheated the food to a boil, then repacked in new hot jars and new lids....so I guess I need to toss everything now? Violet, is the jars salvagable? Or is it like botulism, where everything needs to be destroyed? I am crying so bad right now, my poor pasta sauce

Could I reprocess them? I'm so sad!!!

I was up late pressure canning, and was very tired. I allowed the pressure canner to cool, and removed the weighted gauge, but then I fell asleep and the jars were inside the pressure canner all night (with the lid on) for about 6 hours, until I woke up and realised it. Are my jars safe? Do I have to throw everything away???

So, I finally managed to get over my fears, and started pressure canning! I'm sooooo addicted! I haven't posted on here in a few weeks because I have been canning everything in sight! (well, only UGA or Ball Blue Book approved!) My friends think I'm nuts, because if I am not sure about something canning related, I'm like "I don't think Violet would approve of this method." And they are like, Who is Violet? LOL I've pressure canned tomatoes, pinto beans-with Molasses, and carrots. I've WBC about 100 jars of jam/preserves and Orange Slices! Oh, and about 20 jars of syrups, peach, blueberry, etc! Sooo happy! It is nice to have a creative outlet/craft that actually helps put food on the table. I just have the simple Presto small canner, but I love it so much! I'm canning more carrots tonight.