a question about using pH meters to test canned goods . . .

[MomOfOneFunOne]

I'm doing more and more canning and I'm encouraging ppl I know to do more and more canning. As a novice, I'd like some kind of safety net so I've been reading about using pH meters to check canned goods to make sure they're in the proper range to prevent bacterial growth. Most of what I've read addresses the testing of the batch b/f processing. I want to know, though, if a pH meter can be used to test items I've already put up. So, if I made applesauce last autumn, which I did, and I notice a bit of sticky on the outside of the jar eventhough I got a good seal, which I did, I would like to test with the ph meter to make sure it's safe to consume just in case. Also, if I swap canned goods with friends (say I can a bunch of tomatoes and she cans a bunch of greenbeans) I'd like to be able to test that, not b/c I don't trust her but just to be safe. I know a lot of ppl out there can the way granny did w/o following more modern protocols.

 

I just want that safety net.

 

Anyone out there have reliable info on that?

[MomOfOneFunOne]

Anyone?

[GoVanGogh]

Also, if I swap canned goods with friends (say I can a bunch of tomatoes and she cans a bunch of greenbeans) I'd like to be able to test that, not b/c I don't trust her but just to be safe.

I have a relative that used to teach canning classes through the county's extension services and she always said green beans are considered one of the trickier things to safely can. Green beans need to be pressure canned, as they are low acid. A ph meter could detect current acid level but won't detect botulism spores, which is the danger with low acid foods. I don't know that I would trust a ph meter for that.

 

Every county should have a "county extension office" that offers current canning/preserving information and possibly even classes. They are a wealth of information!