I have a salsa recipie that I really like. I've been freezing it. I want to can it, but I keep reading that I should only can "Tested" recipies. After canning, how would I know if my recipie is not suited for canning?

Can some and try it. There will be a textural difference as well as having a different flavor. I think that 'storage' wouldn't be an issue, as long as it was put up properly.



Charlie

I would assume they are talking about recipes you have tried and like. But that's my noncanning experience so take it as you see you fit

If you normally make it with fresh ingredients, do not expect it to have the same texture and flavor after the canning process. Try a small batch to see how it turns out. As long as you follow recommended processes, long term storage should not be an issue with texture or flavor.

When in doubt pressure can it.

Pressure canning is always a safe bet. When we can potatoes ( diced up, great for breakfast ), you gotta use a pressure canner.

Tomato based salsa is very acidic, so using a conventional hot water bath canner would suffice.

Side note....my family cold packed and canned hundreds of gallons of venison in a conventional canner, in quart wide mouth jars.....if they sealed, never saw any “ go bad”. In 1987, I ate a jar of venison that was canned the year I was born...1958.

Big Brownie, you didn't get that nickname after eating that 1958 venison did you?

The reason that you are supposed to only use tested recipes for canning is because when hot water bath canning the food must be sufficiently acidic to prevent the growth of bacteria. Thus, ratios of salt and acid (vinegar, lemon juice, etc) to the total amount of vegetables are extremely important.
As was stated above, pressure canning will eliminate this worry for the most part due to the higher temps and pressure involved, but I don't believe that salsa would come out of a pressure canner with the texture you would want.
I would look for a tested recipe that is close to your own and tweak it without messing with the ratios... should not be an issue to add or delete spices (as opposed to say adding another 1/2 lb of peppers) but keep in mind that deviating from a tested recipe does present some risk

Lol...no, but there’s a good story about the canned venison. My grandparents were born at the in the early 1900s, in the mountains of Centre County, Pa. They had 5 children, all born around the Great Depression. My Grandfather would begin hunting in late August every year, on foot, with his 99 .250 Savage. He’d bone out the deer in the woods, and carry out the meat in canvas sacks. He’d can a dozen deer every year to help feed the family. He had a hiding place in the basement ( dirt floor), behind a coal stove, where he’d hide all his jars of venison. ( This was many years before freezers were common).

My Grandfather died in 1978, Grandmother in 1986. I was helping my uncle prepare the house for an estate auction, we did one last walk through of the basement. He showed me where the venison stash was, and to his amazement, when he removed the wooden panel, there were a half dozen jars of meat, with masking tape marked “58”. He and I fried up a jar for dinner.

The Bigbrownie tag was from a brown bear I shot in Alaska.

BB good on you for having a sense of humor.

Thank you for the replies. So typically you would can salsa using the hot water method so as to retain texture, and that is where the acid ratio comes into play. That makes sense. I don't have to be concerned about the acid ratio with the pressure canner but I'd lose the texture. Hmmmm.

Ok, another question. If I do the hot water method with my recipie, how would I know if my acid ratio is bad? Store it for a couple months and check for mold, popped lids, etc?

My recipie is close to "tested" but I really drain my tomoatoes and use lime juice instead of lemon. It is a pretty thick salsa.

lime juice is fine, its plenty acidic. make sure your salt is in there too.
if i made up a new salsa recipe that was primarily tomatos, lime juice, and salt - with some other spices and veggies for flavoring, i would not hesitate to can it based on proven hot water bath method

heres my mother-in-laws recipe for salsa. 12 cups of peeled cut up tomatoes,1 1/4tsp of garlic powder. 2 cups of chopped green peppers.2 tsp of reg salt, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 cup of cider vinegar and 1 large onion cut up. put all ingredients together and boil for 45 minutes. put in hot sterilized quart or pint jars and seal. if you want it hotter add some jalepeno peppers.

Sounds more like BBQ sauce starter or spaghetti sauce starter

The only difference between that and our salsa is we ad cilantro

Here is mine: 8 cups tomatoes (peeled, slice and spoon out seeds then chop and drain); 1 15oz can tomato sauce; 1 12oz can tomato paste; 2.5 c chopped onions; 1.5 c green pepper; 1 tsp chili powder; 6 minced garlic cloves; 2 tsp cumin; 2 tsp pepper; 2 tsp salt; 1/3 c sugar; 1/3 c vinegar; 2 Tbl lime juice; 2 Tbl chopped Cilantro

Mix everything, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

From here I would let it cool and put into Quart freezer bags.

Not sure if I have enough acid because I spoon out all the seeds and drain. I do have the sauce and paste though. Is there a certain ph I should be at?