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Ensuring Safe Canned Foods (Part 1 of 2)

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Category: Canning

 Ingredients List

  • Growth of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum in canned food may cause
  • botulism--a deadly form of food poisoning. These bacteria exist either as
  • spores or as vegetative cells. The spores, which are comparable to plant
  • seeds, can survive harmlessly in soil and water for many years. When ideal
  • conditions exist for growth, the spores produce vegetative cells which
  • multiply rapidly and may produce a deadly toxin within 3 to 4 days of
  • growth in an environment consisting of:
  • * a moist, low-acid food * a temperature between 40 degrees F and 120
  • degrees F * less than 2 percent oxygen
  • Botulinum spores are on most fresh food surfaces. Because they grow only in
  • the absence of air, they are harmless on fresh foods.
  • Most bacteria, yeasts, and molds are difficult to remove from food
  • surfaces. Washing fresh food reduces their numbers only slightly. Peeling
  • root crops, underground stem crops, and tomatoes reduces their numbers
  • greatly. Blanching also helps, but the vital controls are the method of
  • canning and making sure the recommended research-based process times, found
  • in these guides, are used.
  • The processing times in these guides ensure destruction of the largest
  • expected number of heat-resistant microorganisms in home-canned foods.
  • Properly sterilized canned food will be free of spoilage if lids seal and
  • jars are stored below 95 degrees F. Storing jars at 50 degrees F to 70
  • degrees F enhances retention of quality.
  • FOOD ACIDITY AND PROCESSING METHODS
  • Whether food should be processed in a pressure canner or boiling-water
  • canner to control botulinum bacteria depends on the acidity in the food.
  • Acidity may be natural, as in most fruits, or added, as in pickled food.
  • Low-acid canned foods contain too little acidity to prevent the growth of
  • these bacteria. Acid foods contain enough acidity to block their growth, or
  • destroy them more rapidly when heated The term "pH" is a measure of
  • acidity; the lower its value, the more acid the food. The acidity level in
  • foods can be increased by adding lemon juice, citric acid, or vinegar.
  • Low-acid foods have pH values higher than 4.6. They include red meats,
  • seafood, poultry, milk, and all fresh vegetables except for most tomatoes.
  • Most mixtures of low-acid and acid foods also have pH values above 4.6
  • unless their recipes include enough lemon juice, citric acid, or vinegar to
  • make them acid foods. Acid foods have a pH of 4.6 or lower. They include
  • fruits, pickles, sauerkraut, jams, jellies, marmalades, and fruit butters.
  • Although tomatoes usually are considered an acid food, some are now known
  • to have pH values slightly above 4.6. Figs also have pH values slightly
  • above 4.6. Therefore, if they are to be canned as acid foods, these
  • products must be acidified to a pH of 4.6 or lower with lemon juice or
  • citric acid. Properly acidified tomatoes and figs are acid foods and can be
  • safely processed in a boiling-water canner.
  • Botulinum spores are very hard to destroy at boiling-water temperatures;
  • the higher the canner temperature, the more easily they are destroyed.
  • Therefore, all low-acid foods should be sterilized at temperatures of 240
  • degrees to 250 degrees F, attainable with pressure canners operated at 10
  • to 15 PSIG. PSIG means pounds per square inch of pressure as measured by
  • gauge. The more familiar "PSIG" designation is used hereafter in this
  • publication. At temperatures of 240 degrees to 250 degrees F, the time
  • needed to destroy bacteria in low-acid canned food ranges from 20 to 100
  • minutes. The exact time depends on the kind of food being canned, the way
  • it is packed into jars, and the size of jars. The time needed to safely
  • process low-acid foods in a boiling-water canner ranges from 7 to 11 hours;
  • the time needed to process acid foods in boiling water varies from 5 to 85
  • minutes.
  • PROCESS ADJUSTMENTS AT HIGH ALTITUDES
  • Using the process time for canning food at sea level may result in spoilage
  • if you live at altitudes of 1,000 feet or more (Plate 2). Water boils at
  • lower temperatures as altitude increases. Lower boiling temperatures are
  • less effective for killing bacteria. Increasing the process time or canner
  • pressure compensates for lower boiling temperatures.
  • Therefore, when following canning directions in this series, select the
  • proper processing time or canner pressure for the altitude where you live.
  • If you do not know the altitude, contact your local county Extension agent.
  • An alternative source of information would be the local district
  • conservationist with the Soil Conservation Service.
  • ======================================================= === * USDA
  • Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539 (rev. 1994) * Meal-Master format
  • courtesy of Karen Mintzias
  • From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

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Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: Ensuring Safe Canned Foods (Part 2 of 2)
Categories: Canning, Information
Yield: 1 Guide


EQUIPMENT AND METHODS NOT RECOMMENDED

Open-kettle canning and the processing of freshly filled jars in
conventional ovens, microwave ovens, and dishwashers are not recommended,
because these practices do not prevent all risks of spoilage. Steam canners
are not recommended because processing times for use with current models
have not been adequately researched. Because steam canners do not heat
foods in the same manner as boiling-water canners, their use with
boiling-water process times may result in spoilage. It is not recommended
that pressure processes in excess of 15 PSI be applied when using new
pressure canning equipment. So-called canning powders are useless as
preservatives and do not replace the need for proper heat processing. Jars
with wire bails and glass caps make attractive antiques or storage
containers for dry food ingredients but are not recommended for use in
canning. One-piece zinc porcelain-lined caps are also no longer
recommended. Both glass and zinc caps use flat rubber rings for sealing
jars, but too often fail to seal properly.



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