Preparedness Hints
Huckleberries,
Tomatoes & Spaghetti Sauce

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There is nothing better than raspberry-huckleberry jam. Simply use the raspberry jam recipe in your pectin instructions creating any combination of huckleberries and raspberries that you choose. I read in my USDA canning guide to use pectin fresh each year. Using last year's pectin may produce poor gels.
Introduction to Canning Tomatoes Quality: select only disease-free, preferably vine-ripened firm fruit for canning.
Caution: Do not can tomatoes from dead or frost-killed vines. Green tomatoes are more acidic than ripened fruit and can be canned safely with any or the following recommendations.
Acidification: To ensure safe acidity in whole, crushed or juiced tomatoes, add two tablespoons of bottled lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid per quart of tomatoes. For pints, use one tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid.
Acid can be added directly to the jars before filling. Add sugar to offset acid taste, if desired. Four tablespoons of a 5 percent acidity vinegar per quart may be used instead of lemon juice or citric acid. However, vinegar may cause undesirable flavor changes.
Recommendation: Use of a pressure canner will result in higher quality and more nutritious canned tomato products. If your pressure canner cannot be operated above 15 PSI, select a process time at a lower pressure.
Spaghetti Sauce without Meat
• 30 lbs tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped celery or green pepper
• 1 lb fresh sliced mushrooms
• 4-1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp oregano
• 4 tbsp minced parsley
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Yield: About 9 pints

Procedure: Caution: Do not increase the proportion of onions, peppers, or mushrooms. Wash tomatoes and dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split. Dip in cold water and slip off skins. Remove cores and quarter tomatoes. Boil 20 minutes, uncovered in large saucepan.
Put through food mill or sieve. Sauté onions, garlic, celery or peppers, and mushrooms (if desired) in vegetable oil until tender. Combine sautéed vegetables and tomatoes and add remainder of spices, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered, until thick enough for serving. At this time the initial volume will have been reduced by nearly one-half. Stir frequently to avoid burning. Fill jars, leaving 1-inch head space. Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in Table 1 or Table 2, depending on the method of canning used.

Table 1. Recommended process time for Spaghetti Sauce Without Meat in dial-gauge pressure canner.
 Canner Gauge Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of...
Style of PackJar SizeProcess Time0-2000 ft2,001-4,000 ft4,001-6,000 ft6,001-8,000 ft
HotPints20 min11 lb12 lb13 lb14 lb
Quarts25 min11121314
Table 2. Recommended process time for Spaghetti Sauce Without Meat in weighed-gauge pressure canner.
 Canner Gauge Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of...
Style of PackJar SizeProcess Time0-1,000 ftAbove 1,000 ft
HotPints20 min10 lb15 lb
Quarts251015

Personal and Family Preparedness
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