The standard approved recipe for Stewed Tomatoes is in the BBB pg. 69 and is pressure canned and are nicely thick and requires no lemon or vinegar. It looks like she has taken the approved recipe and modified it.

Do you not have that book? That would be a much better recipe to use since it is tested and approved rather than one from someone's personal blog.

But yes, you could cook them down a bit longer than 10 min. but not too much more as they cannot be too thick when jarred or you create a density issue that can void the processing time. They need to be a little "sloshy" in the jar. You can just drain them some after opening the jar if you find them too runny.

Dave

Hi Dave,

I do have that book and recipe. That was the first I went to, before searching online. I don't usually trust random websites, I was using it more as an example of the recipe to show you. But it does have the same cook time of 10 minutes. It is obvious that everyone online has just manipulated that one slightly.

I am encourage that you say it cooks down nice and thick. If that is the case I will follow the recipe to the letter and see the results. I hadn't thought about density and processing time, so I am glad I asked.

From my extensive reading of posts, I see that you and your wife seem to be the resident experts, so if you don't mind I will ask another question or two.

Do you often find differences even within Ball's recipes? Example would be this recipe, I have BBB and Ball's Complete book of home preserving. BBB doesn't say to add the lemon juice, CBHP says to add lemon juice. All the rest of the recipe is the same.

This is my first year making jams and jellies also. In past years, I had canned tomatoes but never branched out. So I followed recipes from my trusty CBHP book and after making 3 different jams and jellies went online to Ball's website to use their new flex batch pectin in a low sugar jam and do a larger batch and saw that instead of just saying "lemon juice" like the cookbook said, it says "bottled lemon juice". I googled, read, panicked, called Ball and was told by a customer service person that they would never recommend using a fresh squeezed lemon juice and that I should throw out anything canned that I made. I freaked out on them, let them know their cookbook didn't specify "bottled" on any jam or jelly recipe, (probably scared the girl) and asked to speak with a supervisor.

I was eventually told that fresh squeezed lemon juice can just fluxuate in it's acidity so it is safer to use bottled and therefor recommended especially in low acid foods. For my jams and jellys I should probably not worry. I was made to feel that this was my fault for not buying their latest book with revisions (even though I just bought CBHP last year, it is their current printing, and if I ordered it today the same book would show up on my doorstep as they have admittedly not revised it yet).

So, after that long drawn out story (sorry, a little rant too) are my jams really ok? I assume that something has changed recently and that is why they haven't put out a revision and not that Ball has made a serious oversight in their cookbook (copyright 2006).

And, I know they are still "the" name in canning, I get that, even though I am a little perturbed by my customer service experience and now not so happy seeing lemon juice in one version of a recipe and not another, but are there any other cookbooks that CAN be trusted? I have two others that I have made some things from. Canning for a new Generations and Put Em Up. I like them, but as my hubby says they are once in a while things.

Sorry, I know I am asking a lot. I am just so happy to have found a place where people know from experience, and trial and error. My mom can barely cook, let alone can and from what my husband tells me this is something that his mother learned from her mother and so on before that.

Thanks again,
Kalindi

There are sometimes apparent inconsistencies in the BCBofHP because while the recipes all have been developed within the Jarden Corp. "family" the sources are slightly different.

However, anything in that book or the BBB will still have been tested for safety so you have nothing to worry about in that regard.

I do think that sometimes Ball falls down on the job in terms of clarity. Their staff "knows" these things and it's easy to forget that not everyone finds what they've written equally clear.

Most jams and jellies (with a very few oddball exceptions like bananas, melons, figs, mangoes and "hot" jellies like pepper) are high-acid. They may call for lemon juice to improve the set or to highlight the flavor, but there aren't the safety issues there are with say, a salsa, which contains low-acid ingredients. So any lemon juice can be used and doesn't have to be bottled.

I do agree that Ball needs to be more specific about those recipes where bottled lemon or lime juice is called for.

In future if there's a particular recipe you're wondering about, just post the question. Lots of members have both those books and can answer.

Carol

Thanks Carol. My issue was I didn't know I should questions whether I use bottle or fresh. It said lemon juice, I used lemon juice. I try to always reach for fresh stuff when I can, I guess I know now that there is a reason not to.

My concern was that there would be other places I don't know enough to ask where the recipe is untrustworthy. But if both versions are safe and tested, than I will just pick one and go with it. Do you stick to only Ball cookbooks yourself?

Also, I have to apologize to you and Dave. After reading through so many posts so quickly over the last few weeks, my brain somehow got it set from all the "thanks Dave and Carol" responses that you two were married. I see now that you are answering from two separate usernames. Sorry for my confusion.

Thanks for the help.

I saw that "married" bit. I thought it was funny. Don't worry.

I don't stick only to Ball books myself, but they're a great way to start. If you check out other threads that discuss recommended canning books you will find some other safe titles with tested reliable recipes. I do have to say though, it is a jungle in the canning world with lots of things in print and online I wouldn't take a risk with in a million years.

Remember also the NCHFP site and their book So Easy to Preserve. The NCHFP is the benchmark because they source the USDA guide. Even Ball would defer to them. The NCHFP site has the USDA guide online (can be downloaded to your computer) and their book is also available for order, though the same information is right there for free online. I still have the book because I like print sources and I can carry it around the kitchen. I'd probably destroy a laptop in there, the way I cook.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP List of Approved Publications

Thanks again Carol. I too prefer books to dragging a laptop into the kitchen. If I don't destroy it, I am sure either my 2 year old or 3 yr old helpers will (I am seriously lucky I get anything accomplished). Besides, my husband says I my have an addiction to cookbooks (I don't disagree with him). There is something much more satisfying about being able to browse through your own library of books to find a recipe and know that you will still have it again in the future.

Kalindi

Yeah, Carol is way too young for me. :) But wife and I sure do envy where she lives.

I think Carol covered all your questions above. If not, let us know.

Other books? Yes, several. Small Batch Preserving is another often recommended as is Putting Food By (new edition only) and several of the jam and jelly books. Just search 'books' here (forum search bottom of the page) for several discussions about the good, the bad, and the downright ugly ones.

Dave

PS: on the thickness issue - keep in mind it needs to be a bit sloppy in the jar, then drain after opening.

I will check out those books and other discussions Dave. Sorry for the confusion. I have read so many threads, not sure why I was thinking that, it doesn't really make sense in the light of day ;)

Yes, she did answer my questions, and I will keep them sloppy. Actually, I am going to stick with my tried and true FOLLOW THE RECIPE plan and just simply cook for 10 minutes and see what happens. It only reinforces the point that I do not know nearly enough to deviate from anything. If I am not happy, I will cook down a little after I open the jar on the other side to use, no safety issue there.

Again, thank you both. It is a load off my mind to know there is a place I can come where people are not only know what they are talking about, but are nice and willing to help. I really do appreciate it.

I'm going to just add onto this thread because I'm talking about the same recipe--specifically, the Ball Stewed Tomatoes one (I used the recipe in Ball Complete but IIRC it's the same as the Blue Book recipe.) At any rate, I do not find that it produces a thick product, and mine are more than a little sloshy! In fact, I'd say my stewed tomatoes are more like tomato juice with little bits of tomato in in! I canned it in pints thinking I'd serve it over noodles as a side dish, but I'm thinking I should have done quarts and used it as a soup base! I'm wondering if most people use plum tomatoes for this and that's why I get a very liquid product (I grow and use slicers for their superior flavor) or if I should have drained my chopped tomatoes (it doesn't say to) or what. Any ideas for using my pints of tomato juice with tomato chunks are welcome. ;-)

the thickness of your tomatoes, might be the variety of tomatoes that you are using. Some varieties are just thicker than others. If you are growing your own, find the one that works for you and stay with that variety. Also the weather will make a difference, the drier the weather, the less juicy the tomato.

In fact, I'd say my stewed tomatoes are more like tomato juice with little bits of tomato in in!

Hmmm, that doesn't sound right at all for results from that recipe. As i said above, this is our favorite recipe for tomatoes and we make 50-60 pints of them each year. never have i had them turn out like that description.

Page 378 in Ball Complete Book, p. 69 in BBB. Ball Complete adds lemon juice, BBB does not.

All I can figure is you are either chopping the tomatoes too much, too fine (we just very coarsely chop, small tomatoes are just quartered, med. tomatoes chop the quarters in to half, etc.) They are supposed to still look like chunks of tomato. Same for peppers and celery. Go for bite size pieces.

Plus it says use a slotted spoon to fill the jars and then top with liquid so the jar is mostly solids, just sloshy solids.

Dave

I think my tomatoes were fairly juicy. I don't think I chopped them too small--I chopped them about as described above. I did ignore the part about filling with solids and then adding the liquids because I had no idea how much of the solids to put in each jar since you pack them one at a time. Instead, I made sure I had it all mixed up so the solids were evenly distributed and dipped it all out together. I did a decent job of getting the same amount of solids in every jar, but I guess that's where I went wrong. How far do you fill the jar with solids before adding liquid? And do you end up with a lot of leftover liquid? Because I certainly would have!! I guess I could can the excess juice as, well, juice!