I canned tomato based pasta sauce. I didn't put any lemon juice in it, is this OK? If not, can I open the jars, add the lemon juice and reprocess the jars?
I am a home food preservation workshop presenter for the cooperative extension. I can tell you based on scientific research that bottled lemon juice is necessary due to the pH level of tomatoes which hovers around around the 4.6 level. When did you can the tomatoes? If it was within the last 24 hours, it is safe to re-process using 2 tbsp of bottled lemon juice per quart. If it has been longer,the product cannot be guaranteed to be safe. If you use them, you are risking botulism. For more information, contact you local cooperative extension for free help and advice.
Lemons usually are used for keeping colors from turning darker or give an aged appearance. As long as you know this about looks, you don't need to be concerned whether lemon is or isn't in your pasta sauce.
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