Posted on 04/13/2011 5:41:50 AM PDT by djf
There was a very short news item on the late news Monday evening.
It was a statement by the manager at a local hardware chain that said that the canning goods (jars, lids, etc) were literally flying off the shelf and he was selling the stuff as soon as he could unload it off the truck. He is hearing stories after stories of people putting in gardens and planning on trying home canning.
Have FReepers heard similar stories about people trying canning for the first time?
Have any FReepers ever had botulism?
Hints and tips about canning would be good, while it sounds easy enough, it seems to me it would also be easy to make a small mistake with VERY deadly results.
Does anyone know whether botulism always causes a gas release, so if stuff is bad, it will start to pressurize?
Symptoms? Signs?
First aid for botulism? Anything at all people at home can do, or is an emergency room trip a must?
Our parents and grandparents would often store things in vinegar because the acid kills the bacteria. Anybody have good recipes/ideas/results from this kind of storage/canning?
Keyword “survival” in FR search - lots of good info on various threads.
My MIL had given me an old pressure canner years ago, which sat in my garage. A couple of years ago I took it out and had it checked out at the County Extension office. I ended up buying a new one and canned my first veggies that summer. I also tried canning chicken and had no problems with any of it. If you follow the directions, its not hard.
Botulism normally kills so I don’t know anyone who has had botulism, and also it is very rare.
To prevent it you can correctly using the directions precisely, keeping everything clean and sterile. You wash the food like crazy using a brush, especially root crops because it is in the soil.
If you have any doubt about something you boil it for 20 minutes before you eat it.
Acidic foods don’t grow botulism and that is why you can can them with just a water bath method.
If you’re afraid, you could add a good dose of vinegar to everything, it would taste awful but it wouldn’t kill you.
People canned for years and botulism deaths were still pretty rare.
My mother told me to look at the contents of every can you open, whether home prepared or store bought. You just never know what surprises you will find.
We have been canning for 30 years and only once had a quart of tomatoes look fishy when we opened it. Last year, my wife experimented with canning venison. That meat was super in stews. In a few weeks, we are going to can some chicken.
We can and freeze a lot from the garden. Not so much for saving money but for knowing what we are eating plus for increasing our preparedness. I like to shop at Whole Foods just as much as anyone, but shake my head for what people are paying for “organic” vegetables that I grow in abundance in my back yard.
I started canning when I was around 21, I had never canned before and my family never canned, I learned by reading the directions and following each step, it isn’t rocket science.
Kimchee excluded, of course.... ;-)
Some stuff (pickles) don’t need to be pressure canned...some stuff does. There are lots of books out there; and, I think the manufacturers of canning jars have instructions on their web-sites.
I would caution that if you live in the mountains, you might want to lean towards pressure canning even on foods where it isn’t required.
I’ve always assumed that a bulged lid would be an indicator that something bad was festering in the jar....and I have never had that happen.
My only fear this year, is we will all be canning food with radiation from Japan...
Botulism is not the risk if food is canned properly.
Radiation is though.
When the SHTF there will be more deaths from ignorant first-time gun owner accidents than caused by bad, home canned food.
Point well taken.
(BTW, I don’t can - yet. But got my first gun when I was 8!)
I follow the instructions that came with the canner: http://www.gopresto.com/recipes/canning/vegetables.php
Never had a problem. Just process long enough for the vegetable and at a high enough pressure. I have a hard time keeping the pressure at exactly 11 pounds and end up processing anywhere from 12 to 15. Higher pressure is okay, lower pressure is not.
I’ve canned low-acid foods such as beans, collards, mustard greens, and soup stocks...haven’t killed anyone yet.
It’s just not that hard.
Lehmans has everything you need, if you are interested in buying online. They also sell canning lids in bulk. This post reminded me that I needed to order lids for this year. I just placed my order. The lids are backordered, but I’ll be glad to have them when they come in.
Pretty certain that if jar doesn't seal properly, it is easy to tell. If it does should last for quite sometime.
Do NOT put up anything that is not acidic unless you do it in a PRESSURE COOKER. If done correctly it’s no different then the canned goods you buy from the store. I’m 62 and have been eating home canned food my entire life as did my parents, grandparents etc.
Follow the directions for canning and botulism is not a problem. Been canning for decades. Use a pressure cooker and make sure the jars seal.
Obama mismanagement of our Nation.””
This is what happens when a mad dog gains power. People see what is coming and preparing. See his mentor in Africa—robert Mugabe. Furthermore, look at every nation ever ruled by an African and ask yourself if things got better.
Mama has been canning since I’ve been alive my 40+ years, as did grandma and great-grandma on back. No bot ever.
Follow the instructions to the letter. Two factors contribute to bot: low acid and dirt. Everything must be clean and heated to the proper temperature, at the right pressure, for the right amount of time on low acid foods. Those with acid like tomatoes or high sugar like jams are more lenient.
Even so, on low acid foods cook them well, especially things like green beans and potatoes. Don’t store anything that doesn’t seal, don’t eat anything that loses it’s seal or doesn’t look right. You take the proper precautions and you won’t have a problem.
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