Forward re-packaging and gifting of acidic pickles and preserves... A thing?

My efforts in the kitchen can sometimes go quite well....and can just as often lead to culinary catastrophe.  In the jam and pickle department, it seems that one must get to the final stage of pickle-dom in order to really assess the results. This can mean a few weeks in the fridge or pantry before sampling the creation.  Because of this, I've resorted to the more lazy practice of canning into larger jars.  This is fine for our own eating habits, but when a batch has worked especially well, I'm wondering if others have tried sub-dividing a larger pickle/preserve batch into smaller, sterilize jars and just re-sealing with steam water bath?  This would minimize prolonged secondary heat treatment of the item while hopefully ensuring the transfer will yield an acceptably 'canned' product.  Thoughts and experiences? 

 Thanks!.....

I'm pretty sure the official canning advise has opinions.  I never bothered to learn who puts those out, but they seem to be updated every few years.

For me, canning is such a new way of preserving foodstuff and it doesn't have obvious warning signs if something goes wrong like mould or bad smells.  The biggest problem is neigh undetectable to humans.  So I am extra cautious and have not tried the following advise someone gave me.

To devide already canned goods into smaller cans, remove content from the old can and re-boil contents. Then place in new cans as per normal and pressure can (not boil water can).  They were very strong and boring about the pressure canning and I tuned out about here.  My next memory on this is that it reduces nutrients and flavour.  A better alternative is to freeze the contents of a jar we cannot finish within the time limit and this works quite well.

That's second hand advise, so hopefully someone else can chime in here.

The short notes at the bottom of my memory box for this topic is "exposure to air can amplify any errors in the canning and add more, so second canning should be avoided or pressure."  There are a few books in my citation section.  Most aren't modern enough to have good grasp on bacteria sicence.  The one from the 1980s by a company maybe called Bell or Ball (same word as on old jars) and another from the early noughties (2000s) by the company that sells lids and pectin locally, both say "don't".

Edit to add, I use a box and shelf system for my memory palace.   It's weird, but works.

How about a compromise and the next time that you make some preserves, portion up half a dozen or so gift sized jars that can still  be eaten by yourselves if not shared?

As an aside, canning is not customary in NZ, jams, pickles, chutneys are all packed directly into clean, hot, sterilised jars (with screw top lids).

Whenever I make any chutney, they are usually topped with a layer of wax to help stop the tops oxidising and prevent the vinegar from corroding the lids during storage.

I have jars of jams and chutneys preserved 12 months ago that were not water bathed nor canned and they are still totally safe to consume.

The only items I ever water bath are jars of preserved fruit - apples, peaches, plums, pears etc and artichoke hearts and/or pickled mushrooms that are cooked and preserved in a very light brine.