The most common low acid fruits that need acidification are white peaches, figs and watermelon. Otherwise they will be unsafe. You mention your watermelon jelly in this post and I know that I saw it on your site. Judging from the ingredients, I unfortunately think that recipe is probably too low in acid for safe canning. Your finished product needs to have a pH of 4.6 or below. I did add a little extra lime juice in both recipes because I am new to canning and was nervous. We work with families and children, farmers and businessowners, community leaders and elected officials to build better lives, better businesses and better communities to make Ohio great. Citric acid is sometimes made from corn, unless it specifies that it is “naturally derived citric acid”. I did not use lemon juice in any of them, but processed them in a water bath for 15 minutes. *Do not can tomatoes from dead or frost-killed vines. Assuming you only recently canned the tomatoes, you should unseal them, add the 2 tbsp of lemon juice, then seal them again in a water bath. You can also soak fruits before dehydrating them, in lemon juice and water so they last a little bit longer. Oh man. As long as you’re using bottled lime juice, then yes. Any advice? That should cover any inconsistencies in the fresh stuff. However, if you invented the recipe, I would be concerned about the acid level in those jars. However, for maximum peace of mind, know that there is a small risk involved in keeping these jars and that the most conservative approach is to throw them away. Thanks for your response! Normally I would ask my Mom and Sister for advice, but these are gifts for them! *Unripened tomatoes are more acidic than ripened fruit and can be canned safely with any of the following recommendations. That, or bottled lemon juice. lemon juice to each pint jar or 2 Tbsp. Try substituting some apple cider vinegar for the lemon juice in those recipes. I was told this was safe. As long as the acidity level on it is 5% you’re fine. All good? I trust them implicitly. They are my bible. And canned tomatoes are one of the easiest things to use later in the winter because they are a stand alone ingredient. If you have a disability and experience difficulty accessing this content request accommodation here. Lemon juice may be also used in canning tomatoes. Canning is a fun way to involve the whole family and maybe even start a new tradition. I thought that if a canning recipe called for lemon juice, it had to be bottled. Actually, Emily, you CAN substitute vinegar (or any of a number of other weak organic acids) when canning tomatoes, just not at the same volume. However, I have no realized my mistake of only putting 1 tbl instead of 2 tbl of lemon juice per quart. It came out really sweet. Yes? Almost everything I’ve ever canned has been from one of your recipes. Add 1 Tbsp. *Vinegar or lemon juice should be in the recipe to raise the acidity level for canning safety. But according to this article, lemons that one finds in a typical US grocery store are […]. How come you use fresh lemon juice in your jams? I made pasta sauce and forgot the lemon juice. My grandfather canned everything and anything when I was younger. Add … Kudos for posting this.. again, thanks for maintaining and forwarding science-based information regarding canning.. so much misinformation out there. Just in case you are wondering, that means adding a tablespoon of concentrated lemon juice per pint of raw canned tomatoes; two tablespoons if you are using quarts. The scientist in me wonders about the pH of store bought lemon juice. Hope Hardware from 9-4 and on Thursday August 27th at Lehman’s in Kidron also from 9-4. Do you think my soup will be OK? Thanks. An equal amount of lemon juice can be safely substituted for vinegar, but do not substitute vinegar for lemon juice as this could result in a potentially unsafe salsa. If I open a can and its below 4.5 am I correct to call them safe? They used quart jars and I used pint sized jars, so I halved the amount of lemon juice. Make sure to use vinegar of at least 5% acidity and bottled lemon juice. lemon juice to each quart jar (the lemon juice raises the acidity of the tomatoes to ensure safe canning). The recipe didn’t call for bottled and I didn’t find this blog until after.