Canning in Half Gallon Jars

[Penny_Plinker]

In Carla Emery's Encyclopedia of Country Living, she says it is okay to can (high acid fruits only) in half gallon jars. So i borrowed my MIL's pressure canner which is taller than mine and put up 4 big jars of garden juice. I added 2 TBS of lemon juice and put it in the jars hot and then processed for 25 minutes and when they came out they were boiling furiously. No bot germs in there, i'm sure.

Anyway, it saved 4 lids and this juice is so good, i'm sure that we'll drink a half gallon in 3 or 4 days this winter. It is tomato juice but also has a cup of juiced peppers, onions, and celery. Worcheshire sauce and ground red pepper and sugar or splenda to taste. I'm thinking it ought to be a good tonic to drink in the winter to fight off colds.

MIL and i went over along the river and picked tomatoes again this year and got 2 bushels each @ $5 a bushel. We picked some of them green so we wouldn't have to do them all at once. A 5 gallon bucket of tomatoes is all i want to do in a day. It will just about fill a 20 qt pot with juice and it turns out 12 quarts.

Penny

[Shamrock1121]

In Carla Emery's Encyclopedia of Country Living, she says it is okay to can (high acid fruits only) in half gallon jars. *So i borrowed my MIL's pressure canner which is taller than mine and put up 4 big jars of garden juice. *I added 2 TBS of lemon juice and put it in the jars hot and then processed for 25 minutes and when they came out they were boiling furiously. *No bot germs in there, i'm sure.

Anyway, it saved 4 lids and this juice is so good, i'm sure that we'll drink a half gallon in 3 or 4 days this winter. *It is tomato juice but also has a cup of juiced peppers, onions, and celery. *Worcheshire sauce and ground red pepper and sugar or splenda to taste. *I'm thinking it ought to be a good tonic to drink in the winter to fight off colds.

MIL and i went over along *the river and picked tomatoes again this year and got 2 bushels each @ $5 a bushel. *We picked some of them green so we wouldn't have to do them all at once. *A 5 gallon bucket of tomatoes is all i want to do in a day. *It will just about fill a 20 qt pot with juice and it turns out 12 quarts.

Penny

Penny - I think you have taken canning advise that is no longer considered "SAFE".


Check out this information:

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/questions/FAQ_canning.html

At least one canning jar manufacturer is selling half-gallon canning jars. That manufacturer has a printed note on the top that says half-gallon jars are only used for some highly acidic foods in a boiling water canner, with instructions to call a toll-free number for the instructions. When we last called, the only choices are grape juice and apple juice, as we also recommend.

The only processes that USDA, the National Center for Home Food Preservation and the University of Georgia have to recommend for half-gallon jars are for very acidic fruit juices (and juice only): Apple Juice (http://www.homefoodpreservation.com/how/can_02/apple_juice.html) and Grape Juice (http://www.homefoodpreservation.com/how/can_02/grape_juice.html). This process time is not to be used for tomato juice, for example.

There are no other research-tested processes for half-gallon jars. Boiling water processes for other foods for jars larger than those published with recipes (usually pints and/or quarts) cannot be extended by any formula to a larger jar.

We are aware that there are historical recommendations for canning foods in half-gallon jars. However, these are not currently accepted or endorsed by the USDA, Cooperative Extension System or U.S. manufacturers of home canning jars.

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You also compromise the acidity of the tomato/mixed vegetable juice when you add medium- and low-acid vegetables to the mix. Your recipe obviously isn't "tested" for food safety, nor is your processing time.

If you used a low-acid variety of tomatoes, you have yet another potential problem. Two tablespoons of bottled lemon juice is recommended for 1-quart of whole, crushed, or juiced tomatoes, not a half-gallon.

Personally, I'd consult your County Extension on the subject, as well as contacting the manufacturer of the jars.

You can also post a question at the National Center for Home Food Preservation. They are very good at getting back to you with information.

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/info_request.html

When it comes to home canning, I'd only use researched and tested recipes.

-Karen

[bookwormom]

I don't se why there should be a problem. Long time ago I used half gallon jars. Now I am more into pints since I always wind up cooking too much for the two of us. (hard to get out of your system).
as long as it is boiled properly why should there be a difference whether the jar is small or big.

[Shamrock1121]

I don't se why there should be a problem. Long time ago I used half gallon jars. Now I am more into pints since I always wind up cooking too much for the two of us. (hard to get out of your system).
as long as it is boiled properly why should there be a difference *whether the jar is small or big. *

You must not have heard there are new standards for home canning because of new and stronger strains of bacteria than we had in the past, as well as processing times that take into account altitude.

Using half-gallon jars is risky because there may not be enough heat penetration, for a long enough period of time, to kill potentially harmful bacteria.

It sounds like you may need to get the new and updated information concerning home canning. What we always did, isn't always safe.

-Karen

[Penny_Plinker]

Couldn't resist, could you Shamrock.

Well, i don't want to kill anybody so i'm going to save all those big half gallons for myself. I don't want to be responsible for any one else dying of my poor food canning techniques. Since i just can't bear to throw it away, or to waste those nice half gallon jars, i'll just have to test it on myself. If i fail to post on here, it either means i'm still busy canning or i drank from a half gallon and got poisioned.

If i'm still around after drinking the juice maybe i could sell the jars to the Amish. I heard they pay 2.00 each to get ahold of those jars. Caveat Emptor!

Penny

[Penny_Plinker]

The other thing that was noteworthy about these jars....one of them had a 1/4 inch air bubble in the glass. It held up just fine. People say these old jars are brittle but this one with the air bubble didn't break after 25 minutes in the pressure canner at 10 lbs pressure. Normally i wouldn't have used it except out of curiosity, but it worked fine.

Penny

Penny

[annabella1]

Shamrock all the advice you are quoting is for water bath canning, Penny said she pressure canned her juice. Pressure canning can be used for vegetables. You should not can any vegetables in a water bath canner regardless of the size of the cans.

[Mysticdream44]

Hi, I haven't posted in some time. But from what I've read and heard from other canners in other forums that as long as you only use your 1/2 gallon jars for juice and nothing else and pressure can it you should be fine. You recipe sounds really good like a v-8 juice almost. I want to make some myself now :D.
Just don't can anything dense in it like vegs, fruit, stews, meat, etc because it just doens't get hot enough but with juice you should be fine.

[fishinhunter]

I never canned in 1/2 gallon jars.I use them for flower, sugar, bagged oatmeal,dried spices,grits, beans,rice.I buy while these items are on sale and put in jars.I would rather use 2 lids than take a chance of getting me or anyone else sick.Lids are cheep in comparison.Happy canning. ;D