Based on all the recent canning blog posts, I'm looking for a bit of advice - Recipes & Cooking Advice - Eat Your Books

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Based on all the recent canning blog posts, I'm looking for a bit of advice   Go to last post Go to last unread
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averythingcooks
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#1 Posted : Thursday, August 24, 2023 6:55:18 PM(UTC)

Hello!


I am looking at a couple of hot water canning recipes for tomatillo sauces/salse verdes.  I have been searching on line and formulating so many versions of the question....


I want to eliminate fresh cilantro from a couple of recipes (and do NOT plan to substitute a different fresh herb) but I am struggling to get a clear answer.  Most "answers" I read talk about the use of / increasing the amt  of fresh herbs increasing the water content (and therefore increasing the pH/reducing the acidity) so can I assume that deleting the fresh herb altogehter will serve to decrease the pH / increase the acidity?  I promise I will not hold you liable...just looking for advice from experienced cnanners:)

hillsboroks
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#2 Posted : Thursday, August 24, 2023 7:26:36 PM(UTC)
I have been making a salsa recipe from the 2017 Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving for many years. The first time I made it we were disappointed that it was so watery so the second year (and thereafter) I have just cooked the tomatoes and other vegetables for only part of the time called for until they give off most of their water. Then I use a soup ladle to remove as much liquid as possible to another sauce pot and turn up the heat on it to quickly reduce the liquid by about 3/4. Once it is reduced I return the liquid to my big pot and bring it all back to a boil for the rest of the specified cooking time and continue on with putting it into hot sterilized jars and into the water bath. I have never had any problems with spoilage. The resulting salsa is wonderful and just the right consistency. I wonder if doing something similar would solve your problems with the amount of water.
darcie_b
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#3 Posted : Friday, August 25, 2023 10:41:13 AM(UTC)

Tomatillos are naturally quite acidic and any recipe you use that's more than 50% tomatillos should be acidic enough to can without adding an acidifying agent. (See https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9839810/). I think omitting the herbs would have a negligible effect and it would be safe to do so without making any adjustments. I canned plain tomatillos the past two years without any acidifying agent and have not experienced any spoilage.

averythingcooks
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#4 Posted : Friday, August 25, 2023 1:39:04 PM(UTC)

Thank you for both replies!  It is easy to find "never add fresh herbs if the recipe itself does not call for them" AND "never add more fresh herbs than called for" but my "elimination" question got no real hits.  I appreciate your input :)

sayeater
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#5 Posted : Friday, August 25, 2023 2:27:04 PM(UTC)
You are fine taking away the herbs. Just never remove any ingredient that adds to the acidity to ensure you don't dip below safe standards.
averythingcooks
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#6 Posted : Friday, August 25, 2023 5:55:40 PM(UTC)

Thank you ..... I knew there were EYB members who could help !

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