Can we please review what we *can't* can?

[jdonnelly14]

In retorted foods, it provides high viscosity, good clarity, and excellent sheen.

 

 

Okay I'm about to sound stupid again, but what are retorted foods?

[Canned Nerd]

Retorting basically means canning foods.

 

"Retorting is a food processing method normally used for cans, glass jars, trays and pouches, where the food is packaged first, and then heated at high temperature in a retort sterilizer to sterilize it with an outstanding level of process safety."

 

[Violet]

Clear Jel is not the same as regular cornstarch. It has been modified, or changed. Regular cornstarch breaks down and gets watery in canning. Only Clear Jel is to be used in pie fillings. No low acid things, like gravy, are safe to can. It is only pie fillings or jams that can be safely thickened before canning. Oh, and a few special relishes that have a little thickening. Used to be flour was used in some of them, but even now they are being redone to say Clear Jel.

 

No pumpkin butter or sweet potato pie filling. I don't know where you saw sweet potato pie filling, but it would not have come from any safe food preserving book or site.

No pureed squash of any type. You do it in cubes, then take out, mash, add your seasonings and milk at that time and use it. Probably takes 2 jars for a pie, I don't know for certain. I don't can and eat those foods.

Recommended storage for homecanned foods is a year, but then they are still safe longer than that, but the quality goes down from there.

 

Grow what you will eat. That is the best advice I can give. I do green beans, lots of tomatoes, pimentoes, jams, pie fillings, meat, chicken, tuna, etc. I sort of rotate things, do 2 years of beans, then do 2 years of tomatoes since we just have a little garden spot. It is just how we do things. We freeze zucchini, corn, asparagus, diced onions, and some things like that.

Go through the Ball Blue Book ( current one, of course) and then NCHFP online and study up. See what foods you think you will eat, then plant accordingly. I also make pickles and relish. I do sugar free things since I am diabetic.

You really would benefit from taking the free online classes here :

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/index.html . It will help you learn the basics and why and why not can certain things. Lots of good recipes on the site, too. They are the leading authority on safe home preserving. The USDA guidelines come from there. Also, you can order their book So Easy to Preserve from there. Same info as online, though.

Zucchini cannot be canned by itself, only with tomatoes in a certain ratio or for pickles or relish . I don't use the zucchini as a cooked food, but for bread. I can my tomatoes plain so I can use them later however I want.

Ok, I have to get back to work.

 

 

 

 

[TurtleMama]

I was just thinking that it might be a good idea to explain to people WHY botulism is to be taken so seriously. Violet, do you have an article or link of some sort that you could post to underscore the reason that we don't take any chances in our canning? I know that I, myself, did not understand the big deal about it when I first started learning about canning. I'd hate for anyone to take a chance because they don't really know what a potentially deadly illness botulism poisoning is.

[Canned Nerd]

I like these references:

Botulism - Colorado State Univ Ext.

 

Botulism - Mississippi State Univ Ext.

 

CDC - Foodborne Botulism in the United States, 1990–2000

 

NCHFP - Historical Overview of Key Issues in Food Safety

 

[TurtleMama]

Thanks, Canned Nerd!!

 

 

[sewandsew]

Sooo does this mean all the tomatoes and rice I canned together isn't any good?

[Canned Nerd]

I don't know if it "isn't any good" or not, but what you canned was not an approved and tested recipe (that verifies it is safe and stable to store at room temperature) and inclusion of rice is a general no-no for home canning. I assume you at least processed your jars in a Pressure Canner though I would be curious where you got the correct processing time from.

[Violet]

Sewandsew, you should dump the jars and all. Do not open them ! You are at a risk for botulism. No rice, barley, oats, pasta, etc. are safe to add. No flour, cornstarch, tapioca, either. Nothing that will thicken or change the ph of a low acid food. If you open the jars you will put yourself at risk of exposure, so that is why you should dump the jars and all.

 

 

 

Please, get yourself a new Ball Blue Book if you don't have one, and then folllow the recipes. That or the University of Georgia website or their book So Easy to Preserve. That way we know you will be safe.

 

Only pie fillings with high acid fruit and jams are safe to thicken and then only Clear jel or pectins are to be used.

 

Clear jel is not safe to add to any low acid foods, either. They must be thickened after you open the jars.

Edited November 30, 2011 by Violet

[sewandsew]

Wow. Did not know this. I have always used rice or pasta when making soup to can. Guess we've been lucky. Yes I did use pressure canner. As well as salt in each jar. Thanks for the help. One last question though. Why chunk my jars? I always wash and heat jars before canning. Appreciate the help very much. I am glad I found this site. I still have a lot to learn.

[Jeepers]

Sewandsew, bummer huh! I had a bunch of yummy 'cream of' soups I had planned to can. Can't use milk or cream either. I also wanted to do some chicken rice soup. No rice.

 

I love Violet and all of her safe advice but she can sure rain on my parade.

Violet --------> Keeping us safe one jar at a time.

[Violet]

If there is botulism in that food, which there is no way to detect it, if you open the jars now you can get botulism from getting it on a cut, inhale it, etc. That is why we say DO NOT OPEN the jars, toss them the way they are in the trash.

 

You cannot see, taste, or smell botulism. If you open the jars, then get on the can opener, a dish cloth, etc. You get the idea. You can still contaminate yourself or a pet or a loved one. If it drips on the floor and the pet walks in it or licks it.

 

I personally know of an elderly lady that nearly died recently from her home canned green beans. She is still on a respirator. Is trying to learn to talk again.

[sewandsew]

I've canned most of my life and now yall are scaring the beegeebees out of me. Now wondering if it worth the trouble. Greatly appreciate the advice.

[Canned Nerd]

If you have been canning all your life and doing it without ever knowing the correct procedures for doing it, you should have the beegeebees scared out of you. Like Violet recommends, buy the $6 copy of the current Ball Blue Book Guide To Preserve and read it from cover to cover. You might also bookmark the website for the National Center for Home Food Preservation. They both do a fantastic job of keeping people healthy and happy when you follow their guidelines.

 

Canning and food preserving is easy, safe, and fun, but it does require an appreciation of the rules of safety.

[Violet]

It is worth the trouble. Saves a lot of money and you can see what it is you are putting in the jars. You can control the salt and sugar levels, too. It is totally safe if you follow tested recipes and don't make up your own. No need to be afraid, just learn what is and what is not safe to do. It is an exact science.

 

Since we are all here learning how to survive in this world, with the economy as it is, learning to use the right tools for home preserving is truly survival.

[sewandsew]

Thanks for all the help. It is greatly appreciated. Went this morning and bought the canning and preserving book from my local extention office.

[Jeepers]

Sewandsew, don't give up canning.

 

It's definitely worth it. Once you get the hang of what is safe and what isn’t safe, you will be fine. I’ve had to relearn some things too. And things do change. If in doubt…ask here first. Violet is a wealth of information and a huge asset. Along with others of course.

[sewandsew]

Thanks Jeepers. I just don't seem to have faith in the preserving book once I read you are supposed to process fig preserves. Never in all mine, my mothers or grandmothers life have we ever processed them. I greatly appreciate everyone here and the help. I just can't get over the rice thing. If anything I would be scared of canned chicken. Now that scares me, but I do put it in campstew. Now wondering if I may need to throw that out as well. Lord I hope not. lol That's about half my canned goods. Thanks again for all the help. Now have to go and kill some more deer. I used ground deer meat in my rice and tomatoes.

[Violet]

It depends upon how you did the chicken. If you will tell me what you did, I can tell you if it is safe or not.

 

Glad you got some info from the extension office. We have a lot of things, great publications. Some you can get online free, too.

 

That is why you cannot trust just any canning books and then especially much of the info online. Some people try to take cooking recipes and make up times for canning them. Such as your rice dish you canned. That would only be a cooking recipe, not meant for canning. I am amazed at how many people try to do that.

 

Just stick around and you will learn. No need to be afraid. However, please ask your questions before you can something that you are unsure of. That way we won't need to tell you it needs to be thrown out.

 

Canning is very fun and very safe if you will follow the tested methods and recipes. I teach many people yearly how to can, so I am also happy to help you out, too.

 

Hugs,

 

Violet

[sewandsew]

I only found this site about a month ago, and that is why all the questions and not much posting. Learning. Its actually left over turkey. So it's basically been cooked twice and cooked deer meat added. All cooked twice and then put in pressure canner. Our rule of thumb is normally 10 pounds of pressure for 10 minutes. Thanks so much for all the help and will ask yall first before I start my canning from now on. I hope the emo was someone embarrassed. That is what it was meant to be. Thanks again.

[Violet]

You must process quarts of meats for 90 min. for not 10 min. Where did you get the processing times for the 10 min. ? Ten min. will not kill botulism.

 

Please, bookmark this site and use their information. It is considered the leading authority on safe food preservation.

 

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_home.html You can order their book, too, if you want. It is basically the same as what is online. Just convenient to have a book, I think.

[frank47374]

yes you can can butter

[Cat]

yes you can can butter

 

 

 

You can can anything, but that doesn't make it safe or right.

 

(And yes, we have info & discussion in our "Guerrilla Homesteading" private forum, but it's NOT SAFE!)

 

[Canned Nerd]

It's important to recognize that everything that shows up on the Internet (or emails) is the absolute and complete truth......NOT! Yes you can do it, but only if you want to ignore all known safety issues that have been learned over the years by the experts. I personally would not recommend anybody do this.....including pre-heating jars in the oven that was mentioned..... but there are others out there that know rules are not meant for them so, for them, go for it....with one request, keep and consume it for yourself and do not give it to innocent others.

[Violet]

Interesting that "Frank" has only this one post on the whole site......

 

Let him "can" butter, but we all follow USDA guidelines and want to survive. That is why we are called Mrs. Suvival, I think !