# How long to trust canned tomatoes if you dont trust the metal mason lid?



## PrePreparedPunk (Sep 14, 2017)

So my wife and I are new to prepping and just gardening in general. We grew TONS of tomatoes this year and planning ahead bought tons and tons of used mason jars. I trusted trusted my wife to have done the research on this one and turns out she did not properly book up since she didnt realize you could not reuse mason jar lids for long term canning purposes. :sad2::vs_shocked: Trying not to be annoyed by that one heh :devil:. In the meantime we still have dozens of jars of green and red tomatoes, pizza sauce etc now that I am wondering how long we can trust. I am starting by putting them in our basement in the cold/dark to try to prevent bacteria as much as possible....but not sure if we should trust them a few weeks, few months or even up to a year. I know normal tomato sauce when exposed to air doesnt mold/spoil fast, but has secondary bacterial risks that cause things like breathing issues. 

If anyone has preferred methods for food storage over mason jars that is comparable in cost we would also love to hear it!


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

So what you've got canned already was done with used lids?

Personally, I'd use 'em up right away. Open them, check them to see if anything is growing little legs and if they seem OK, eat 'em up. Buy new lids, boil the jars and rings, and start over.


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## PrePreparedPunk (Sep 14, 2017)

Back Pack Hack said:


> So what you've got canned already was done with used lids?
> 
> Personally, I'd use 'em up right away. Open them, check them to see if anything is growing little legs and if they seem OK, eat 'em up. Buy new lids, boil the jars and rings, and start over.


Ya what got canned got canned with used lids. At least thats what I am thinking, wife is saying now she was aware of the issue. I still feel used lids got mixed in, but she disgarees. Either way feeling like an idiot for not thinking of buying new lids to reboil. Looking at reusable lids like tattlers/plastics at the moment as well. But so iffy/distrusting of plastics these days.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

I'd use 'em up ASAP. Open one, check it. If good, woof it down. If not, chuck it. Repeat until all the suspected jars are emptied.

Never reuse lids.


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## Joe (Nov 1, 2016)

looking on the bright side at least it is tomatoes. Being acidic they are not as hospitable to microorganisms as other fruits/veg might [email protected] Back Pack Hack has a good point eat the stuff up. By cooking the sauce over a good heat will also reduce the number of pathogens that "might" be there. Canning is an awesome thing to do as far as provident living goes. I am glad to hear you are involved in it. Our family has been canning for generations as many families have. Ball puts out a book that costs about 8 bucks. It is an excellent guide for canning. You will learn from your mistakes as we all do Keep up the good work and don't get discouraged. Be patient with your good wife. At least she is willing to can. lots of folks these days don't bother.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

I helped my mother can everything and anything including tomatoes in standard mason jars with Ball type lids. 
When we sold the homestead the rest of my siblings wanted to trash everything. I took so many cases of food 
home and used it for years. Some of the jars were labeled as being 20 years old when I got around to opening
them. Yes, there were a few (and I do mean a few) jars that had gone bad and I dumped them and saved the 
jars. My biggest surprise was the home made jars of jelly/jam that had been sealed with paraffin, not a Ball lid.
The pickles were fine, the tomato products like the juice was a little off on the taste but a little vodka and celery 
salt took care of that. Other than the jars that showed signs of leaking or had lost their seal, everything was fine.
Her storage room was completely blacked out, so no sunlight. It was an old concrete root cellar so temperature 
was always pretty constant. Get a pressure cooker, follow the Ball canning guide like your life depends on it, cause 
it does. Make sure you can store the jars where the sun don't shine and if you can keep the temp around 55 to 60 F
you can do the same as my mom. Don't let fear you out of preserving your own foods.


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

When mom died back in 91, . . . pop would not live with any of the kids, . . . wanted to go to a nursing home.

We cleaned out the house, . . . lots of canned goods were OLD, . . . and then some. We dumped them just to make sure nobody got sick, . . . turned out to be a mistake.

Not one jar was bad or even suspect, . . . and there was a lot of labor went into them.

Mom ALWAYS used new lids, . . . ALWAYS scalded each and every jar, . . . after washing them in hot soapy water and rinsing them in hot water. She also scalded the new lids, . . . 

I ate her canned foods for over 40 years, . . . never got sick once.

But paraquack has the right idea, . . . pressure canner, . . . and follow the Ball directions. You will be OK.

Tomato juice is one thing that I almost believe cannot go bad if you don't open the jar. Same for canned tomatoes, . . . providing they are not the zero acid types.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Well, I have a different opinion. If I didn't need that canned product to survive, I'd throw it out. Some pathogens just can't be detected by the smell/sight test.

Here is my concern. Being new to canning & making the ultimate mistake of reusing metal lids, I'd wonder if anything else was done wrong? Canning done properly is a great, safe way to preserve bounty from the garden. Done wrong, can send you to the hospital... or worse.

I don't trust those plastic reusable lids, so I just buy lots of extra lids by the case, being a prepper. The glass jars & rings can be reused over & over.

As far as other methods of food preservation, you might look into dehydrated food. Tomatoes happen to dehydrate real well. Great way to preserve meat too. I use an Excalibur. This article talks about drying tomatoes.

Dehydrating Tomatoes in a food dehydrator


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

How long ago was it?
I would either get new lids, empty, clean and repack, or donate the tomatoes and sauce to a farmer that had pigs.
Like many stated above, canning food is serious business, and Deebo does not like to have stomache issues, much less poisoning.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

PrePreparedPunk said:


> So my wife and I are new to prepping and just gardening in general. We grew TONS of tomatoes this year and planning ahead bought tons and tons of used mason jars. I trusted trusted my wife to have done the research on this one and turns out she did not properly book up since she didnt realize you could not reuse mason jar lids for long term canning purposes. :sad2::vs_shocked: Trying not to be annoyed by that one heh :devil:. In the meantime we still have dozens of jars of green and red tomatoes, pizza sauce etc now that I am wondering how long we can trust. I am starting by putting them in our basement in the cold/dark to try to prevent bacteria as much as possible....but not sure if we should trust them a few weeks, few months or even up to a year. I know normal tomato sauce when exposed to air doesnt mold/spoil fast, but has secondary bacterial risks that cause things like breathing issues.
> 
> If anyone has preferred methods for food storage over mason jars that is comparable in cost we would also love to hear it!


Did she pressure can or water bath can those tomatoes? Either way, what directions was she following? If she followed the directions to the "t" from a reputable and up to date source, and the lids are holding their seal, you should be good to go. Important: remove the rings so you'll know if any of the jars didn't seal. And don't stack 'em!

Used lids aren't a good way to go, but if the lids have kept their suction on the jar, then it's not really going to be a problem. The only reason for not using used lids is that oftentimes they fail. They don't stick well, and you need to put the jar in the fridge and use it up during the week.

Have your wife call your local 4-H or extension and she can go over what all she did with an expert--just for reassurance.

BTW, I have canned tomatoes from 2015 that are still good. They do lose some of their color but the taste and quality is still good.


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