Canning assistance please

[sewbeit221]

I have been working so hard to learn as many skills as I can, mostly from reading and Utube videos. So yesterday I decided to jump right in and I bought a box of tomatoes so I could try my hand at an acid food first. I processes a ten # box of tomatoes and canned 5 jars of them. After I processed them for 45 minutes in a hot water bath and allowed them to sit in it for 5 minutes after I turned it off I removed the jars and set them on a towel. I noticed a few of them leaked some tomato juices on the towel. My question is doesn't that mean that there will now be food between the seal and the rim of jar even though I removed the rings and they sealled won't bacteria be able to grow? Should I refrigerate and use as soon as possible of just sit them on the shelf and see? I hate to waste all that effort. I was raised by my grandparents who raised their family during the great depression and somehow it was passed on to me -use it up wear it out or do without, I hate waste. Anybody who is experienced please give me their advice

[harrya]

sewbelt221 --- sounds like you overfilled those few jars a tad bit. If they sealed, then it's not a problem. Wash off the jars and store them. Maybe mark and use them first. If they're bad, the seal/lid will be up and not sucked down in the sealed position. I had the same problem. Good luck and enjoy. If you have a pressure canner, then meat is the next step. Watch for one on cregs list or yard sales.
harrya

[sewbeit221]

Thanks Harrya! I left 1/2 inch of head room as directed.
Yes I have a pressure canner I have used it to make huge meals but yet to can with it thought I would try bacon first. What do ya think?

[goatlady]

You should consider getting the Ball Blue Book, the canners basic guide. Long ago grandma waterbath canned tomatoes and had no problems. Today's tomatoes are NOT the same varieties, they are much less acid today and for safety's sake only high acid foods can safely be waterbath canned unless, for tomatoes, you add the appropriate amound of acid as in lemon juice, to prevent salmonella bacteria from formning in the sealed jars Also a pressure cooker is different than a pressure canner in that the canner usually has a pressure guage and/or an adjustable weight for 3 different pressure levels, i.e. 5, 10, and 15 pounds of pressure depending on the altitude you are canning at.

[sewbeit221]

Yes I added lemon juice as per the Blue book I have it as well as the book Putting food by. Although I don't think I needed the lemon juice for these tomaotes were plenty acid I could feel it on my hands after a couple of hours of peeling and crushing them with my hands they were stinging and my pressure canner does have a gauge on top

[harrya]

I agree with goatlady 110%. The ball book is worth it's weight in gold. For meat I'd start with what ever is on sale (after getting the book and reading it). I've done pork, beef, chicken. The chicken gives two ways, cold pac and hot pac. Just as it sounds, one is raw and the other is boiled/cooked. I did both, marked them and can NOT tell the difference except for all the extra work in hot packing. Will not do that way again. Look up chicken broth and chick soup. I use a propane fish cooker in the garage and it works good. I did my tomatoes in the pressure cooker also. As goatlady says, there is a difference between pressure cookers and canners, although I used our cooker once for pints to see if it could be done.
harrya