Here's our conversation & some followup. Hope it helps.
Edrena

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Fw: Query on pH test strips
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 13:10:39 -0400
From: Technical Support NJ >
To:

Please see below for answers to your questions. I hope you find them
useful.
Should you have any further queries, please feel free to contact me
either via e-mail or on 1-800-942-8626 xt 8323.
Regards, May Taraneh Burwell-Teran
Senior Technical Support Representative

I preserve various things - pickles, juice, jam, etc. I belong to a
very civilized newsgroup (rec.food.preserving) that has some questions
on how to know how acid an untested recipe is. Food rated at pH <= 4.6
can be preserved by boiling water bath canning, anything above that
needs pressure canning. We like to experiment, but not with our
health.
I use the CF test strips 2613991 ... They have served very well for
me - but I have a few questions:
1. Are the test reagents food safe? Your site says: "All the dyes are
chemically bonded to the paper and cannot be leached into solution;
problems associated with contamination of the sample and resultant
anomalous readings are avoided."
"Although chemicals cannot be leached into the solution we do not
recommend use of this item directly with the finished product (i.e.
it is better to remove a small sample of the item and test that
instead of dipping the paper into the whole jar of finished product)."

2. Is there a problem with testing at various temperatures from cold
to over boiling?
"The paper itself will hold up with cold or hot samples. However,
if
temperature affects the pH of the item, you will have results of the
product's pH at time of testing."

3. My container shows the pH ranges in whole numbers only - which
colors are what fractions? Your site says: "The resulting combination
of colour differences gives an extremely clear and accurate visual pH
value."
This strip reads the pH in whole unit increments and not fractions.
We do, however have other products which read pH in 0.2 or 0.5
graduation units from pH 3.8 - 5.5 and the charts for these are on
the packaging of the product itself. [This is item #2627-990]

4. Do you have a food rated product, both for brewers and canners in
the ranges we look for?
"Unfortunately, none of our pH indicator strips are certified for
direct use with food (i.e. with the finished, packaged product as
opposed to a small sample of the finished product)."
[I asked them to consider us when developing new products.E]

5. Some of our correspondents are world-wide. Is your product
available in most countries? Some of our correspondents are from
Canada, Central America, Hong Kong, Thailand, England/Scotland/
Ireland, Germany, and Israel.
"Following is the link with our complete list of worldwide
distributors which include the aforementioned countries.
http://www.whatman.com/support/?pageID=3.8"

"The Joneses" > wrote in message
...
>
> 2. Is there a problem with testing at various temperatures from cold
> to over boiling?
> "The paper itself will hold up with cold or hot samples. However,
> if
> temperature affects the pH of the item, you will have results of the
> product's pH at time of testing."
>

I really wish I'd paid better attention in high school chemistry class a
bazillion years ago.

But how does temperature affect pH? I understand that if you boil a
solution some liquid will be vaporized -- is this what they mean? If so, if
you mix water and vinegar to a certain pH level and then boil it until it's
reduced by half, does just the water boil away, leaving you with a much
lower pH? Or does some of the acidity boil away, too?

If it's not the "cooking causes loss of liquid" thing, what is going on?
Does room temperature vinegar have a different pH than refrigerated vinegar
or vinegar warmed to 120 degrees Fahrenheit?

In any case, if the pH varies with temperature, which pH is important -- the
one used when putting the product into the jars or the room temperature at
which the jars will be stored?

Anyway -- thanks loads for posting this Edrena!

Anny

> In any case, if the pH varies with temperature, which pH is important --
> the one used when putting the product into the jars or the room
> temperature at which the jars will be stored?
> Anyway -- thanks loads for posting this Edrena!
> Anny

Your're welcome. The temperature thing I just thunk up while I had them.
Maybe was a leftover factoidette from high school. I wouldn't worry over
this matter. I just didn't know if their Strips were stable.
Edrena

wrote:
>>In any case, if the pH varies with temperature, which pH is important --
>>the one used when putting the product into the jars or the room
>>temperature at which the jars will be stored?
>>Anyway -- thanks loads for posting this Edrena!
>>Anny
>
>
> Your're welcome. The temperature thing I just thunk up while I had them.
> Maybe was a leftover factoidette from high school. I wouldn't worry over
> this matter. I just didn't know if their Strips were stable.
> Edrena
>
Sure wish I had saved the slates from when I was in high school. It was
so long ago I can't even remember the one teacher we had. <VBG>

George

"The Joneses" > wrote in message
...
> Here's our conversation & some followup. Hope it helps.
> Edrena
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Fw: Query on pH test strips
> Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 13:10:39 -0400
> From: Technical Support NJ >
> To:
>
> Please see below for answers to your questions. I hope you find them
> useful.
> Should you have any further queries, please feel free to contact me
> either via e-mail or on 1-800-942-8626 xt 8323.
> Regards, May Taraneh Burwell-Teran
> Senior Technical Support Representative
>
> I preserve various things - pickles, juice, jam, etc. I belong to a
> very civilized newsgroup (rec.food.preserving) that has some questions
> on how to know how acid an untested recipe is. Food rated at pH <= 4.6
> can be preserved by boiling water bath canning, anything above that
> needs pressure canning. We like to experiment, but not with our
> health.
> I use the CF test strips 2613991 ... They have served very well for
> me - but I have a few questions:
> 1. Are the test reagents food safe? Your site says: "All the dyes are
> chemically bonded to the paper and cannot be leached into solution;
> problems associated with contamination of the sample and resultant
> anomalous readings are avoided."
> "Although chemicals cannot be leached into the solution we do not
> recommend use of this item directly with the finished product (i.e.
> it is better to remove a small sample of the item and test that
> instead of dipping the paper into the whole jar of finished product)."
>
> 2. Is there a problem with testing at various temperatures from cold
> to over boiling?
> "The paper itself will hold up with cold or hot samples. However,
> if
> temperature affects the pH of the item, you will have results of the
> product's pH at time of testing."
>
> 3. My container shows the pH ranges in whole numbers only - which
> colors are what fractions? Your site says: "The resulting combination
> of colour differences gives an extremely clear and accurate visual pH
> value."
> This strip reads the pH in whole unit increments and not fractions.
> We do, however have other products which read pH in 0.2 or 0.5
> graduation units from pH 3.8 - 5.5 and the charts for these are on
> the packaging of the product itself. [This is item #2627-990]
>
> 4. Do you have a food rated product, both for brewers and canners in
> the ranges we look for?
> "Unfortunately, none of our pH indicator strips are certified for
> direct use with food (i.e. with the finished, packaged product as
> opposed to a small sample of the finished product)."
> [I asked them to consider us when developing new products.E]
>
> 5. Some of our correspondents are world-wide. Is your product
> available in most countries? Some of our correspondents are from
> Canada, Central America, Hong Kong, Thailand, England/Scotland/
> Ireland, Germany, and Israel.
> "Following is the link with our complete list of worldwide
> distributors which include the aforementioned countries.
> http://www.whatman.com/support/?pageID=3.8"

One thing I was wondering is if the pH of the juice is going to be the same
as the pH of the center of the beet? I called Whatman to find out if they
had a supplier in Austin and they sent me to Fisherscientific to order it
off the web. the URL is http://tinyurl.com/gq94g

"Alan S" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> "The Joneses" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Here's our conversation & some followup. Hope it helps.
>> Edrena
>>(Clipped conversation)>
>
> One thing I was wondering is if the pH of the juice is going to be the
> same as the pH of the center of the beet? I called Whatman to find out if
> they had a supplier in Austin and they sent me to Fisherscientific to
> order it off the web. the URL is http://tinyurl.com/gq94g
One test I read somewhere was to test the liquid, then blenderize the
product and test that to make sure both were 4.6 or less for the boiling
water bath preserving method.
I believe it may take several days to completely acidify some pickles,
for example, if they are large solid pieces.
Of course, the other option is to follow a tested recipe.
I like being able to know stuff tho.
Edrena