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Watch out for botulism when home canning
,r’s note; This article that people use researched and these methods are
reral others like it to methods to insure preserved passed on to novice canners
.(j in the upcoming foods which will be safe for who don’t know where to find
months stem out of -the family. reliable information,
by the Coopefative These organizations point Botulism is the food
m Service of Penn our thatmany homemakers poisoning feared most by
'versityandtheU.S. are still using methods no people who do home canning,
•nt of Agriculture“ longer recognized as safe. Since 1925 there have been
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AVONDALE SUPPLY CENTER LANCASTER SUPPLY
Junction US 1 * 41 1027 DiDerville Rd.
Avondale, PA Lancaster, PA
215-268-8238 717-397-4761
CHAPMAN STORE TEMPLE SUPPLY YORK WEST STORE
RD2, Wescosville, PA N. sth SI. Highway 26 W, Market St.
215-395-3381 Temple. PA York. PA
215-929-5264 717-792-2674
more than 700 deaths at
tributed to botulism
associated with eating home
canned foods. Last year
there were seven deaths, one
in Pennsylvania. If that one
Pennsylvanian would have
been a member of your
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 3,1976—55
family, it would have been
one too many.
If you ignore or abuse
factors which control the
development of toxins in food
such as not following ac
curate and up-to-date can
ning procedures, toxins or
botulism can result.
Botulism is an illness caused
"by eating foods which con
' tain a potent toxin produced
by a bacterial species called
Clostridium Botulinum.
If Clostridium Botulinum
bacteria are not killed
during processing of canned
foods, they survive and in the
absence of air in the jar,
produce poisonous toxins
which cause botulism. Even
with modern medical
treatment, these toxins are
generally fatal to one-third
of the people eating the af
fected foods.
Botulism toxins will grow
in low acid foods such as
com, lima beans, carrots,
squash, peas, green beans,
and meats, if they are not
processed using modern
methods and time tables.
To prevent chances of
botulism, use correct
methods and equipment. The
pressure canner is the only
safe way to can all meats
and all vegetables, except
tomatoes and pickled beets.
The temperature of 240 F
inside the pressure canner at
10 pounds pressure at the
specified time is enough heat
to destroy heat-resistant
bacteria that causes
botulism, that may be on low
add vegetables and meats.
This heat process schedule
also destroys other
microorganisms on these
foods and on canning jars
and lids. A boiling water
bath only reaches a- tem
perature of 212 F which is not
high to .destroy
botulism producing bacteria.
A pressure canner is a
heavy, deep kettle with a
rack in the bottom and a
tight fitting lid that locks into
place when in use. A gasket
fits between the canner and
the lid so pressure can be
built up inside the canner.
When pressure is built up the
internal temperature is
higher than that of boiling
water. At 10 pounds pressure
the temperature should be
240 F. This temperature
when heat processed for the
specified times is enough to
destroy heat-resistant
bacteria that may be on low
acid vegetables and meats.
For canning fruits,
tomatoes, pickled beets and
pickles, a boiling water bath
canner is necessary. Also,
jellies that will be sealed
with the two-piece metal lids
should be processed in the
boiling water bath canner.
The boiling water bath
temperature of 212 F is high
enough to process these acid
foods.using modem time
schedules. The canner must
be deep enough so that the
water will cover the jars for
one inch-preferably two
inches-and be able to boil
rapidly.
The processing time
depends on the kind of food
or whether it was packed
raw or hot in the jars, and
size of jars. Always follow
processing time recom
mended in a modem canning
timetable. Processing food
in the boiling water bath for
15 minutes or longer
destroys micro-organisms
on the jars and lids as well as
on the food. If you-, are
processing foods for less
than 15 minutes, such as
pickles and jellies, sterilize
the jars.
The only jars recom
mended for home canning
are “Mason-type'* jars,
indentified with the
manufacturer’s name on the
front. Jars without this
identification are made for
commercially produced
foods such as mayonnaise,
pickles and instant coffee.
These commercial type jars
are referrred to as “one
way-trip” jars and are not to
be used in home canning.
Canning jars should be
free of all cracks and chips.
Even very fine hairline
cradcs indicate a weakness
in the jar and it is likely to
break in the canner.
, Carefully examine the
sealing surface of each jar
for nicks, scratches, or other
defects by holding jar at eye
level and running your finger
over the entire sealing
surface. If there is any kind
of bump or depression on the
top sealing edge of the jar, it
probably will not seal.
If you are using old jars
make sure there are no
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