Canning tomatoes

[basset]

I have been reading recently that tomatoes and other acid fruits should be canned in a pressure canner... but we always canned them in a regular boiling water bath, it's been years though. Anyone have any insights on that?

 

[Mausermeister]

I think you've got it backwards.

High acid foods like tomatoes do not require pressure canning. Water bath is sufficient. The only time you would need pressure canner for tomatoes would be something like spaghetti sauce with meat in it.

Low acid foods and meats need to be pressure canned.

 

[bigtex]

I think you've got it backwards.

High acid foods like tomatoes do not require pressure canning. Water bath is sufficient. The only time you would need pressure canner for tomatoes would be something like spaghetti sauce with meat in it.

Low acid foods and meats need to be pressure canned.

Yep, that's the way i've been doing it for many years and no problems yet.

 

[basset]

That's right, low acid... my FIL has told me about canning deer meat in a regular water bath back in the old days, they would process for three hours. I'm still using a pressure canner for that.