The big issue is botulism and unfortunately with botulism there are no signs of spoilage. It's totally invisible.

Annie's Salsa is mentioned in many threads, but it's important to reference a recent one as canning recommendations for that have changed also.

The recent thread below has Dave's post which provides the recipe and a summary of its canning "history".

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Salsa

Honestly, you should dump those jars of food. As Carol said, you cannot see, taste, or smell botulism.
Even the jars should be tossed, not opened and try to save them. You can contaminate yourself by just opening the jars.
Wrap all in big black trash bags and put in the trash. Now, I have told you what is safe. If you chose to do otherwise, that is up to you.

Any tomato mixture needs to be made with a safe recipe. Neither of them have nearly enough added acid.
Especially since the first one says boiling water bath. I know you said you pressure canned them, but they are still not safe with that processing time.
Please, do not trust your safety to recipes from people who have no food preservation training. The Ball Blue book and also the University of Georgia website or you can order their book by phone or mail. The book is So Easy to Preserve.
Even plain tomatoes would need 4 T. vinegar per pint, so you have enough acid for 2 pints, not including the low acid vegetables you have added. Vinegar is not usually used for plain tomatoes, but bottled lemon juice or citric acid crystals.
There are plenty of good recipes to use that are safe.

"Even plain tomatoes would need 4 T. vinegar per pint"

Is this a typo? Or has the recommendation changed? I have in my notes 2T. of vinegar per pint, or 4T. per quart.

Sorry, 2 T. per pint of vinegar.
Glad you caught that.

The first recipe is a mix of low-acid vegetables and has no added acid. There is no way it can be safely processed in a BWB. In a pressure canner? Maybe as it is similar to the BBB Stewed Tomatoes. But you'd still have a higher level of potential risk than I'd be comfortable with.

The second recipe has salad oil and only a 1/2 cup of acid for what would be well over 30 cups of low-acid vegetables? And it doesn't even list any processing instructions. That recipe, even if you do it in a PC, needs to be turned in to tiny little pieces of confetti ASAP.

Whether you keep them or toss them is your choice. I "might" be inclined to keep the rotel-types and cook them well before using but no way I'd keep the Picante sauce.

Dave

Thanks for all of the advice. I am not trying to test the limits...only asking more questions in order to better educate myself about canning. I appreciate your patience.

I just canned these recipes last week. I have read that you can test for spoilage by opening the jars and boiling the contents for 10 minutes to test for spoilage. Do you recommend? I am not one to take risks, but just spent hours of precious time canning...and am on the verge of tears about throwing all away.

Would these recipes (new batches, of course) be safe to freeze as an alternative to canning?

Thanks again

Yes you can freeze them with no problems.

The hard boiling for 10 mins isn't a test of any kind. It is done to destroy any toxins that may have developed in the jars and make them safe to eat. That is why I said I 'might' save the rotel-type ones and cook them hard before using. But the sauce isn't normally cooked, like salsa it is usually used straight from the jar so potentially dangerous.

Dave

May I ask why you "might" boil the rotel-type and not the Picante? If I do choose to boil the rotel-type...can I open all of my 1/2 pint jars, boil them, and freeze them? Does the risk for contamination increase the longer they stay on my shelf in the jars, seeing as how I just canned them last week?

Again, thanks for your patience.

linda lou - thanks for the vinegar clarification. I just made marinara sauce and tried red wine vinegar as my acidifying agent. And I freaked for a minute thinking I had used the wrong amount.

Hi, I am new to the site and modestly skilled at canning,but I thought that wine vinegars were not strong enough to be the added acid? I thought it has to be 5% which is distilled, cider or lemon juice? Would love to know if wine vinegar is safe.

You have to carefully read the labels on vinegars. My current bottle of red wine vinegar (Starr Italian Table brand) is 5% acidity. It is only stated in parentheses at the end of the ingredient list. My white wine vinegar is also 5% acidity and it states so right on the front of the label. However, my rice wine vinegar is only 3% acidity.

I have purchased wine vinegars with lower acidity, but generally they have been "gourmet" and/or flavored wine vinegars designed for use in salad dressings, etc.

Sharon

Rice wine vinegar "tends" to be lower-acidity. But I have used Italian red wine vinegar that is 7% and authentic Italian balsamic by law (Italian regulations for Balsamic Tradizionale) has to be at least 6%.

You can't generalize. You really have to look at the label for any unfamiliar vinegars and make sure they are at least 5%. For local or small-production vinegars you may need to email or phone the company.

Carol

Mine was generic store brand red wine vinegar - labeled 5% clear as day.

Someone on another site suggested trying red wine vinegar in marinara as opposed to the standard lemon juice. Since I'm making a ton of marinara this year I've tried some with citric acid, some with lemon juice, and some with red wine vinegar. Next year I will know what we prefer. (Also trying the same with my crushed tomatoes.)

I was reading online that in order to kill botulism, you have to cook the food at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 minutes. Couldn't one (technically) just cook the food at that temperature before eating it and it would then be safe?

Btw, what does "rotel-types" mean?
Yvonne

Technically you can boil foods for 10 min. in a open pan, thicker foods, 20 min. then eat them.
However, you still risk getting botulism by getting a drip on the counter, can opener, dish cloth, etc. Also, if you have a cut it can get in your skin.

Rotel is tomatoes with jalapenos or other hot peppers.

I am thinking just to dump them...called NCHFP yesterday and was given a lot of good advice on how to safely can from here on out. Although it pains me to throw out all of that hard work, I still have a good crop out in the garden to start over.

Now the questions is how to dispose of. Can I salvage the jars by boiling them?

Thanks!

Thanks linda lou!

You should dump the jars and all. Do not open them. That is the safe thing to do.
You are only supposed to boil and detoxify if you have open jars. Even then, you still throw the jars and all the mess away.
I am trained in USDA food preservation and safe food handling. Same info you will get from the NCHFP. Just in case you did not know that, apes47. I work at my local county extension office..

Linda Lou is right - that is the official recommendation. However, the choice of what to do with your jars is yours. Personally, I carefully dispose of the foods and lids but then soak the jars in a bleach solution followed by a long BWB bath and save them.

JMO

Dave

Thanks for all of the advice. Disposing of as we speak.