1/2 gallon canning jars

[donnam]

I have inherited about 15 1/2 gallon canning jars and am wondering what I can do with them. I'm already using some of them for food storage but don't know if I can use them for canning foods. I've done some research and so far the only thing I find to can safely is fruit juice. Does anyone have any information or suggestions? Thanks.

[CanNerd]

You are correct in your research. Use the jars for storing dehydrated or other such food items or for decoration.

http://foodsafety.psu.edu/showit.cfm?record=67

[Anon001]

CanNerd,

What is the reason for not canning in 1/2 gallon jars? Is it because of how long it would take on a jar that size?

[CanNerd]

I guess the provided link did not provide enough of an answer. For more details I would contact Elizabeth Andress, Ph.D. at http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/index.html since she is the food scientist expert.

[Funmommy]

My thoughts on those jars is that:

1.) would you be able to finish it before it went bad?
2.) I wouldn't think that you'd be able to fit one in a pressure canner. (height ?)
3.) Would you be able to get the temp & pressure up enough to get the food at the center of the jar hot enough?

I *would only use them for dry storage myself.
In fact I'm looking at buying a couple of gallon size jars myself to store my *bottles of Lye so that I don't have to worry about any issues with the plastic bottles. OK I'm a little paranoid about it but oh well .... better safe than sorry. ::)

[Mom5farmboys]

I have many of the 2 quart jars and use them mainly for grape juice, but I have to use my pressure canner (without the lid) to do the boiling water bath as thats the only vessel I own thats deep enough.

Last fall I canned a turkey and I cut the drumsticks off the bird and put them in a 2 quart jar then filled the rest of the jar with broth, I was able to fit the jar in the center of the pressure canner with pint jars around the outside. Husband just ate the turkey legs this week and he loved them.

[NCLee]

Please use the most current information for canning. I have canning books that go back into the 1940's. Many of the processes and procedures in those old books are dangerous in today's world.

My Mom used a water bath canner for everything that she did back in the 50's. Our produce was home grown. She even canned sausage by frying it, then packing in jars, adding the hot grease and turned them upside down to seal. Again, our sausage was homemade.

We used to lick the spoon every time she made cake batter with no ill effects. Eggs came from the chickenhouse, out back.

I started canning, for myself in the mid 60's. As a part of that I've kept up with the current recommendations and research on why those recommendations are made. For example, I've switched from water bath canning of tomatoes to pressure canning, because of the breeding efforts that resulted in low acid tomatoes.

With today's mass processing of food stuffs along with some suspect imports, the risk of contamination is much higher, IMHO, than it was when my mother and grandmother canned food for their families. Back then, they didn't have to worry about today's highly resistant strains of beasties. They knew exactly where their foodstuff came from, who handled it, and how it was handled.

Growing up, we never became sick from Mom's canning. Yet, today, I wouldn't even think about using her methods. The risk is just too high, again IMHO.

Please get yourself the most current copy of the Ball Blue Book and keep up with the National Center for Home Food Preservation. http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html

BTW, I still use those old canning guides. There's a lot of great recipes in them. I just adjust the processing method to today's recommendations.

Sorry, if I've crawled up on a soapbox. Didn't mean to do that while expressing my concern about today's potential for problems.

Lee