Canning in other containers

[Fritz_Monroe]

I've been digging around for a good hot sauce recipe to make use of my hot peppers. I still haven't found the recipe, but it got me thinking about canning. When I make the sauce, I will want to put it in some 5oz. woozy bottles with plastic screw on lids.

 

Most of the recipes that I would use have a lot of vinegar and are set up to have the right ph. But can I water bath can those glass bottles? I've really only heard of people canning into canning jars or into actual cans. Any safety concerns?

[Violet]

You can only safely can in regular canning jars.

There is no seal on the bottles that will seal during processing at home.

There is a hot sauce recipe on the National Center for Home food Preservation.

 

[Jeepers]

You might want to go ahead and process them in pint or 1/2 pint canning jars. Then get one of the woozy bottles and keep it filled with your sauce, in the refrigerator. That way your stash is safely canned and stored away and you can keep a woozy in the fridge refilled and ready to use.

[Fritz_Monroe]

How about filling beer bottles, capping and then processing in a water bath. Definately an air tight seal on it.

[Violet]

Sorry, no. NO other containers are safe to can in other than canning jars.

 

[Fritz_Monroe]

I hope I don't come across wrong, but I have to ask for clarification on the no other containers rule. Can you point me to a site with the reason for this?

 

To me, it doesn't make sense. We are talking about a glass container with a metal lid with a seal used to safely store edibles. That's the job for a canning jar and a beer bottle.

 

I have no problem sticking to the rules, as long as they make sense. This just seems like it it the kind of "rule" that the companies that make the jars would make up.

[Violet]

It is the USDA that has tested these things. No, not all sealing compounds are the same. The two piece lids and the compound are meant for canning at home, the others are not.

http://learningstore.uwex.edu/pdf/B2718.pdf

This is from the Wisconin University extension.

Plus, the glass in other bottles and containers are not meant to hold up to processing, they may shatter in the canner.

Teaching food preservation safety is what I do. So, this is the safe information. If you chose to do something else, it will be at your own risk.

Darlene only allows safe, USDA tested methods to be posted here and using something other than the jars and lids meant for canning are not safe.

[JCK88]

Please listen to violet about this. The USDA and the National Center for Home Food Preservation are the best guidelines for home canners. ALternative containers are available--usually European type jars with the glass lids and rubber rings. These will work because these are designed for home canning--but the two piece lids do seal better. You can see these jars I am talking about here.

 

http://www.weckcanning.com/docs/product_line.htm

 

http://www.lehmans.com/jump.jsp?itemID=718...at=718&show48=1

 

This method is an old style method formerly used in the US--I have used old jars with glass lids and rubber rings in the past with no problem. But the metal lid and ring have a smaller failure rate and is the safest.

 

I don't teach canning like Violet does, but I've written enough about contamination control in the food industry over the years to know that food poisoning is nothing to fool around with.

 

Some people do reuse commercial jars and lids--but they are playing Russian Roulette with botulism. I wouldn't want to do that, would you?

 

Also, when you are making things like beer, root beer, or carbonated drinks, you are not boiling them in the bottles to seal them. You make the batch, then seal it and you are not water bathing it. For foods that need water bathing, a bottle capper is not the thing!

[Darlene]

FM, always feel free to ask WHY...I know for me, that just being told NO has never worked well...it always helps to understand the why's behind things...

 

Unfortunately, like others have said, it just isn't safe to try to preserve in non-canning jars. Like jeepers said, doing it in 1/2 pint or pint jars would work and you could always dress them up with creative ideas on the outside that would give you a product safe to open at a later date.

[HSmom]

What the heck is a woozy bottle? Has it been "hitting itself"? (Hitting the bottle...drinking...lol

 

http://www.specialtybottle.com/index.asp?P...WPROD&ProdID=88

 

 

 

[Violet]

Woozy bottles are meant for the commercial food industry. They have special equipment and other chemicals to add to their food that we don't. They can process things that we are unable to do with our little $100 or so canners. Commercial things and home canning things are two totally different things.

[Fritz_Monroe]

Originally Posted By: Darlene

FM, always feel free to ask WHY...I know for me, that just being told NO has never worked well...it always helps to understand the why's behind things...

Exactly why I asked. Like I said, I have no problem accepting NO, but it does need to make sense. That's why the follow up question since there IS a seal on a crown cap, and they even come in different seal types. I have several that have the ceramic lid with a rubber seal like the old time jars.

But the fact that they are not made for pressure canning does make sense. The bottle is plenty strong to hold the pressure of the fermented beverage. But it is not designed to hold a vacuum.

Thanks for the follow ups.

And Violet, hopefully I didn't come across as questioning your knowlege, I just needed more clarification. Thanks.

[Violet]

Ok, I hope your questions are answered. I know canning guidelines don't always say why, but just how to do things.