Canning issues: I forgot to add lemon juice to tomatoes!

[goodwithagun]

Pop lids, add juice, re-water bath? Keep as is, drop sealed jars into pressure canner? Live dangerously?

[OneWingedShark]

Tomatoes are acidic and even without any additives will seal on their own, so you’re good.

[JRandomFreeper]

Newer cultivars are less acid. In the commercial kitchens, I always had to acid/sugar balance tomatoes for proper flavor profiles.

/johnny

[Jane Long]

If you didn’t know that, you probably don’t know how to correctly process/can food.

Dang, that's helpful. Not.

[toothfairy86]

I’ve never heard of adding lemon. Maybe some people just prefer the taste. I’ve seen some jarred spaghetti sauces that have lemon juice in them.

[goodwithagun]

Already have one. I never fire it up for tomatoes. The water bath always works just fine.

[bigheadfred]

we have a new vegetative state
hooray

[onemiddleamerican]

I grew and canned tomatoes for 30 years and never used lemon juice (or citric acid, etc.); figured there was plenty of acid in the tomatoes. I never was hot for super hybrids; stuck with old faithfuls. My mom, and her mom, and her mom before her, canned tomatoes as is. You’re probably safe.

But ultimately it’s your call.

[JRandomFreeper]

we have a new vegetative state

Congress?

/johnny

[petitfour]

We have never used lemon juice in tomatoes, and we never had a problem.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Open, juice and re-water bath.

[bigheadfred]

no thats slime mold

[Coldwater Creek]

I have never added lemon juice to tomatoes. Only salt. They will be fine.

[Valpal1]

I never added lemon juice ever and I’m not dead yet. But with small kids, I’d be uncomfortable with having forgot.

Because when my kids were small and I was preggers, stuff worried me more and pregnant women need to sleep, not worry.

So do what gives you the most peace of mind so it doesn’t naggle you in the back of your mind and mess with your head.

My self, I’d probably drop them into the pressure canner to relieve my worry with the least amount of effort.

Now that they’re teens, sometimes poisoning them seems almost legit.

[spokeshave]

With modern tomato cultivars that are lower in acid than the older tomatoes,

Older = Heirloom seeds......better flavor....and scoop up the seeds prior to canning,,,,sun dry and store for next year .....or global cooling/ice age (no sunspots)

[JRandomFreeper]

Now that they’re teens, sometimes poisoning them seems almost legit.

By the time they hit 30, they can be a blessing to have around. One of my daughters is a blessing, anyway.

/johnny

[Vendome]

I could see that but, if she was just canning I’d think nothing of using the tomatoe as is.

[Errant]

We’ve never added lemon juice. Besides, dishes that use canned tomatoes usually require more than 10 minutes of cooking anyway. Always cook anything canned over 10 minutes and watch for bulging lids or a lack of vacuum when opening.

[goodwithagun]

You give CONgress too much credit.

[JRandomFreeper]

Some of the newer cultivars are higher in acid content. Just depends on who bred the plant, and what their goal was. Ordering veggies in a commercial kitchen can get downright complicated these days.

But yes, I do the open pollinated seeds myself, and select for the traits that I like. My cantaloupe are ugly, but the flavor is to die for.

/johnny

[sneakers]

I’ve never ever put lemon juice in tomatoes.