question about canning

[mrmpa]

For some reason I've decided that I am going to can some vegetables & fruits, so that we can have them over the winter. We buy at a Farmer's Market during the summer & usually freeze a lot, but then there doesn't leave much room in the freezer.

There are 2 items that my Mom would like me to can, these are:

A 6 lb. can of tomatoes and a 6 lb. can of fruit cocktail. If she opens the tomatoes, she would have to freeze what she doesn't use right away. The fruit cocktail, she would open for the holidays (she adds other fresh fruit to it & her own syrup)

I'm okay with the process to can the tomatoes, but the fruit cocktail I have questions about.

Can I use the syrup in the can to each jar, or should I be adding something else?

I will be using the heat process for the canning (not the pressure cooker).

[Warpy]

1. Apparently it can be done

Here are the instructions from the USDA: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/he233

Since you're recanning something that was likely canned under pressure the first time, I'd strongly suggest adding ascorbic acid to the fruit and syrup before processing to make sure the fruit is acidic enough to prevent bacterial growth. The heavy syrup will do part of the job but not the whole job.

And as always, if canned anything smells "off," throw it out.

[mrmpa]

2. Thanks............

for the link and info.

[Major Nikon]

3. Ascorbic acid keeps the fruit from browning

I add it anytime I am canning fruit or preserves.

[kurtzapril4]

4. Not trying to be mean here,

but why would you can something that's already been canned? Maybe I'm misunderstanding your question?

[mrmpa]

5. It's a 6 lb. can of tomatoes............

when she opens it, we won't be usining all of it at the same time. The remainder will take up too much room in the freezer.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. A-ha! I had the same question, and an answer you may...

or may not find all that helpful.

When I had a similar problem, along with finding my favorite ice cream on sale every few months, some frozen veggies, pizza etc, on sale at various times, and the vast amounts of stuff I got from farm stands...

I bought another freezer. K-Mart had chest freezers on sale a few years ago and I got the next to smallest one for maybe 150 bucks. Worked like a charm and doesn't use that much electricity. What I save by buying only the sales and avoiding rot and waste more than pays for the freezer and the small amount of juice to run it.

(I never run out of ice, either)

[mrmpa]

7. Thanks, thought about that purchase too, but..........

I live in a condo. The only place we could put the freezer is on the porch & I'm afraid that in the summer the extreme heat would do damage to the freezer & in the winter the extreme cold would do damage. It's 93 degrees right now & in the winter we can go to minus degrees in temperature. I'm in southwestern Pennsylvania.

[freethought]

8. I've done some canning

First of all, as I am sure you already know, make sure you're cans/jars/lids are clean and sterilized, fruit is peeled, etc...

Chances are you may have to add syrup to jar. A "syrup" could be just sugar and water boiled to form a simple syrup, or even a fruit juice sweetened with Splenda. The syrup actually acts as the preservative.

But here's something that helps a great deal. Add 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice per pint volume of jar or can. Add to the jar just before the fruit goes in. The lemon juice will increase the acidity of the mixture, this will prevent any bacterial growth and help preserve color. It seems a little odd but consider this, one of the reasons tomatoes can so well and keep so long is that tomatoes are naturally very acidic, so when they are canned their own acidity helps preserve them.

Good Luck!