Home canning help needed!

[boltfam]

I puréed my tomatoes Weds. Afternoon and kept them refrigerated until today (onset I could get to them). They tasted a little off and I am wondering if it is safe to still use them for canned salsa.

[eagle]

if they tasted off, absolutely do NOT use them for canned salsa.

[BunnyBee]

If they taste off now, I wouldn't waste the other ingredients and time. Five days is a long time. I wonder if the sugars have started fermenting. My vote is not to use them.

[boltfam]

I had actually already made the salsa (mixed it up) but hadn't canned it yet. I wi.l be throwing it out. Ugh...I hate wasting food but don'twant to take chances.

[squimp]

I agree that I wouldn't risk it - the acidity is important for canning and it might have changed while sitting in the fridge.

[Ms B]

Hot process canning is like a train -- once you start, there often is no stopping until you are done. In fact, many products should be hot when they are placed into jars (a) so that they do not crack the hot jars and (b) so that the processing time in your recipe does not change.

Bummer on the tomatoes and I feel your pain. Two Augusts ago I processed a couple pecks of tomatoes in a single Sunday -- I did salsa, barbecue sauce and oven-dried tomatoes and then dried the skins for tomato salt. I was exhausted. My new policy is that anything that makes more than can fit in a single batch in the canner requires extra hands.

Quick tip for next time -- if you cannot do the processing, I have had luck with putting everything into plastic freezer jars and then thawing as needed. It has worked for several jams (with modifications for refrigerator storage) and a couple different salsas.

[boltfam]

Hot process canning is like a train -- once you start, there often is no stopping until you are done. In fact, many products should be hot when they are placed into jars (a) so that they do not crack the hot jars and (b) so that the processing time in your recipe does not change.

Bummer on the tomatoes and I feel your pain. Two Augusts ago I processed a couple pecks of tomatoes in a single Sunday -- I did salsa, barbecue sauce and oven-dried tomatoes and then dried the skins for tomato salt. I was exhausted. My new policy is that anything that makes more than can fit in a single batch in the canner requires extra hands.

Quick tip for next time -- if you cannot do the processing, I have had luck with putting everything into plastic freezer jars and then thawing as needed. It has worked for several jams (with modifications for refrigerator storage) and a couple different salsas.

i know..I have a love-hate relationship with canning. I hate actually doing it but love being able to just go in the pantry an get a jar of salsa, applesauce, etc.

I thought about freezing the tomatoes and definitely should have done that.