Food Canning With Vitamin C?

[Rabbit]

A lot of the fruit and some of the vegetables I have canned in the past end up looking dark and very unappetizing, actually they look lethal and I throw them out.

I think you can use pectin but I never have enough of that on hand and it costs a lot. I do have a lot of 500 mg vitamin C tablets. Will that keep my canned carrots bright orange and appetizing and the peaches from looking disgusting?

When I am preparing fruit and especially potatoes to can I hold them in water and vinegar to keep them fresh and that works very well but I don't think putting it in the jars would do too well.

I really would appreciate your help I'm not able to take advantage of peaches when they are on sale and I'm tired of wasting my energy and resources on failed canning jobs.

 

[moldy]

Are you adding salt to your carrots and soaking the peaches in lemon water or fruit fresh?

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I always add a bit of pure lemon juice to what I can. It keeps everything bright and fresh looking in the jars, and adds a bit of acidity as well. It doesn't change the taste, either. My mom got me started doing that with peaches and low acidic tomatoes. Now, I do it with all of my tomatoes and fruit.

Our peaches are coming in, but doesn't look like I'll have enough to can, but a batch of jelly for sure! If I can keep Cary from eating all of them!

 

[Kathy in FL]

Citric acid can be used but I don't think a Vit C tablet has enough in it. I think it requires unadulterated Citric Acid.

 

[Rabbit]

Are you adding salt to your carrots and soaking the peaches in lemon water or fruit fresh?

No, I haven't done that, but I will.

 

[Old Gray Mare]

While I peel and trim my fruit for canning I put the prepared fruit in water with lemon juice. It keeps it from oxidizing (as in peeled apples turn brown). I don't squeez organic lemons picked up at a health food store either. I use lemon juice out of the commercial green bottles.

When I can fruit I but a teaspoon of lemon juice or sometimes more with whatever fruit I can in simple syrup. I also add some to tomate products I can like diced tomato, tomato juice etc. I do that because some tomatoes (even heirloom varieties) have been bred to be sweeter. They did this by reducing the acid in the tomatoes. This makes them less safe to can with because the high acid content is what allows them to be preserved by the water bath canning method. Adding enough lemon juice helps to ensure safe preserving.

 

[Old Gray Mare]

Citric acid can be used but I don't think a Vit C tablet has enough in it. I think it requires unadulterated Citric Acid.

Commercial canneries usually use ascorbic acid (synthetic vitamin C). This can be purchased in a powdered form but for the home canner lemon juice is more cost effective and easier to get.