Your not suppose to double the recipes? UH OH!! I just started canning last year and have double every recipe I have made!!

Some recipes will adapt to doubling much better than others but yeah it is something you should only do with great care and experience helps.

Jellies and jams often will not set if doubled as the cooking time would have to be adjusted and,in some cases, the amount of pectin or sugar used needs to be increased as well. Scorched jam is common when doubling.

Pickling recipes can usually be adjusted as long as you measure very carefully and aren't making changes in the recipe's ingredients. The ratio of vinegar to water in the recipe determines how flexible the recipe is.

But low acid recipes (like salsa) is a different ballgame. They can easily turn unsafe if the doubling isn't done very carefully. The density and pH issues are carefully balanced in the recipe so even the simplest mistake in amount of ingredients can throw off one or the other resulting in an unsafe product. Many past discussions here about mistakes made that rendered the whole batch unsafe for shelf storage.

Then there are the quality issues. Doubled recipes can easily end up with disproportionate amounts of one ingredient or another in a jar. Too many onions and not enough peppers in this one, too many solids and not enough liquid in another, etc. Scorching and burning becomes more common in double recipes so flavor is changed.

So the ideal is one batch at a time, especially when working with a new recipe. But if you double it, don't rush, don't get distracted, double check all weights and measurements, triple check the recipe while in progress so nothing is left out (the most common mistake) or that one ingredient gets doubled but another one doesn't etc.

Dave

Thanks Dave and lazygardens, lol on hiding a batch for the winter. I have a feeling I'll be canning lots of salsa once my tomatoes come in :)

If you go through a batch per week couldn't you just keep it in the frig instead of canning it?
just curious since I keep homemade salsa in the frig for up to 7 days, with extra lemon or lime juice.
kim

You should send Annie a message, as she cans a ton of this herself. You can generally find Annie on the Cooking Forum, just click on her name and send the message.

I could keep it in the fridge but I always worry that he may not go through it all in a week. He goes through food trends where he eats the same thing for a month as a snack and then will switch to something else, lol so I err on the side of caution and can it. Doesn't the too much time or energy in the steam canner.

Steam canners are not tested or approved. At the least, the processing time has to be extended for an unknown period of time.

It's one thing to use them for acid foods but not for low-acid foods like salsa.

Dave

Really? I had no idea. That sucks.

What's the processing time and pounds for pressure canning Annie's salsa? I do have a pressure canner that my dad got me for my b day. Just haven't used it yet. I was so happy when I got the steam canner that I gave my bwb away. :(

I am far from an expert but I don't think Annie's Salsa was approved for pressure canning. I mean, I have seen PC instructions for it but I've also read that those weren't tested for safety. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

If you've got a large stockpot with a lid that your PC rack fits into then you've got yourself a boiling water bath. The BWB time for Annie's Salsa is 15 minutes. (Or I think you can use your PC as a BWB, just don't lock down the lid.)

Rodney

P.S. They are researching steam canning but for now it's not officially recommended. But they also say that if you do steam can against recommendations (because they know people will) you should only can high-acid foods, excluding tomato products.

Here is a link that might be useful: Canning Controversy: What About Steam Canners?

This post was edited by theforgottenone1013 on Mon, Jun 23, 14 at 12:27

Yeah Annie's Salsa was initially written and approved for pressure canning but then the PC instructions were withdrawn due to insufficient testing.

You can still do it, PC it, it's your choice. But the texture will be affected. Time and pressure also your choice. I'd guess 20 mins @ 10 lbs. like spaghetti sauce.

But you cannot can it in quarts. That was a definite no.

Dave

PS If you have been using steam canning for low acid foods then please be aware of the potential risks. Per the guidelines, your foods would be considered under-processed.

Dave,
I have been steam canning Annie's salsa since last season without incident. Going forward though I would rather be safe than sorry. In what way would pc alter consistency?

Pressure makes anything softer, more mushy. Much more of a "cooked" texture. How much effect all depends on the food. Since salsa is pretty mushy to begin with it would just make the larger particles softer. But it would be safer than steam canning so if those are your only 2 choices for some reason, go for the PC.

Or as Rodney said, BWB in your PC assuming it is deep enough. Many of us do. You just don't lock down the lid and you cover the jars with water completely rather than just the 3" you'd use if pressure canning.

Dave