Question about preserving

[shaun-in-to]

I don't preserve much, the odd jam or jelly every few years if I come across really tasty fruit. I'm looking at an Italian recipe for hot cherry peppers stuffed with a tuna mixture, put in jars and covered with oil. The recipe says they keep refrigerated for "at least 2 weeks."

Does that mean only after they're opened? If they're not opened, but refrigerated, are they safe forever? (Okay, maybe several months? A year?)

I'm not sure what boiling-water processing achieves with preserves, but does it do the same job with olive oil? That is, could I can these peppers, process them, and then keep them in a cupboard for whenever?

 

[judy-mass]

I'd take it to mean after making, not after opening...

Unless you have a pressure canner and really reliable info on canning fish and food in oil, I'd not trust it any longer than that.
On the same note....don't you just love the neat jars those peppers packed in? Every trip to Italy I bring at least one home with me. Planning on doing it again, but will need to really wrap it well, since it won't be in my carry-on bag this trip. *sigh*

 

[CathyZ]

Shaun, I agree with Judy

I would NOT try to can these stuffed peppers in a water bath; I would even think twice about using a pressure canner to tell you the truth. If you want to make them, make a few jars and keep them in the refrigerator- this is called cold-pack canning. They will not keep "forever"- but you should get at least a month out of them. I am guessing because I don't know what else is in the stuffing other than tuna. Make sure you use only high-quality chunk Albacore tuna...believe it or not the Costco Kirkland brand gets very high ratings.

 

[skyastara]

Most Definitely Not

Water bath canning is ONLY safe for items that are high in acidity. Even many modern varieties of tomatoes are not acidic enough.

Water bath canning forces all air out of the jars, creating a vacuum to seal them airtight. In order for this to be safe there can be no circumstance in which anaerobic bacteria (botulism, among others) can survive. Oil is an ideal environment for this type of bacteria.