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

[Jeepers]

When my son questions me about something to do with canning I tell him, "I can can swamp water but that doesn't make it safe to eat."

[themartianchick]

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 !

 

 

This response really tickled me this morning!. I love you, Violet!

[sassenach]

Thanks alot for bringing this thread up again.

[dogmom4]

Just saw a You Tube video where a lady was canning precooked hot links. Is that safe?

Edited September 1, 2012 by dogmom4

[Violet]

NO ! If you read the USDA guidelines that is for FRESH sausage, not hot dog type things..... it is fresh ground meats that are cooked, drained, then a liquid added to the jars.

[dogmom4]

Thanks Violet. I didn't think so...but I had to ask...

[TurtleMama]

I recently saw a video on YouTube where a lady was "dry canning" hamburger patties. EEK!!!!!

 

Where do people come up with this stuff??

[Violet]

Just laziness to do it right... that and for some reason, people just do NOT want to follow directions. I still don't totally understand after all these years as to WHY !!!

[Ghost of City Life]

Hello,

 

I was wondering I I could make apple juice as outlined in the Ball Blue Book and add fresh lemon, lime and orange juices along with spices to make a hot tody brew and still safely can it. Can anyone help me out?

 

Thanks in advance,

Ghost

[Susiebella]

*anything with dairy products... including milk, cream, butter, and cheese.

 

*pasta, rice, and noodles (including "rivels" and dumplings)

 

*eggs

 

*avocados

 

*oily stuff or oil

 

*breads for long-term storage

 

*thick purees of potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, etc.

(make them uniform slices or chunks)

 

*soft summer squashes

[Why is canning summer squash or zucchini not recommended?

Recommendations for canning summer squashes, including zucchini, that appeared in former editions of So Easy to Preserve have been withdrawn due to uncertainty about the determination of processing times. Squashes are low-acid vegetables and require pressure canning for a known period of time that will destroy the bacteria that cause botulism. Documentation for the previous processing times cannot be found, and reports that are available do not support the old process. Slices or cubes of cooked summer squash will get quite soft and pack tightly into the jars. The amount of squash filled into a jar will affect the heating pattern in that jar. It is best to freeze or pickle summer squashes, but they may also be dried.]

<a href="http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/questions/FAQ_canning.html#24" target="_blank">http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/questions/FAQ_canning.html#24</a>

 

<a href="http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/outagamie/flp/documents/06foodcreativityIvory.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/outagamie/flp/...tivityIvory.pdf</a>

 

<a href="http://extension.usu.edu/files/foodpubs/foodsaf7.pdf" target="_blank">http://extension.usu.edu/files/foodpubs/foodsaf7.pdf</a>

 

 

(More to come from others and me...)

 

 

 

 

[Susiebella]

*anything with dairy products... including milk, cream, butter, and cheese.

 

*pasta, rice, and noodles (including "rivels" and dumplings)

 

*eggs

 

*avocados

 

*oily stuff or oil

 

*breads for long-term storage

 

*thick purees of potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, etc.

(make them uniform slices or chunks)

 

*soft summer squashes

[Why is canning summer squash or zucchini not recommended?

Recommendations for canning summer squashes, including zucchini, that appeared in former editions of So Easy to Preserve have been withdrawn due to uncertainty about the determination of processing times. Squashes are low-acid vegetables and require pressure canning for a known period of time that will destroy the bacteria that cause botulism. Documentation for the previous processing times cannot be found, and reports that are available do not support the old process. Slices or cubes of cooked summer squash will get quite soft and pack tightly into the jars. The amount of squash filled into a jar will affect the heating pattern in that jar. It is best to freeze or pickle summer squashes, but they may also be dried.]

<a href="http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/questions/FAQ_canning.html#24" target="_blank">http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/questions/FAQ_canning.html#24</a>

 

<a href="http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/outagamie/flp/documents/06foodcreativityIvory.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/outagamie/flp/...tivityIvory.pdf</a>

 

<a href="http://extension.usu.edu/files/foodpubs/foodsaf7.pdf" target="_blank">http://extension.usu.edu/files/foodpubs/foodsaf7.pdf</a>

 

 

(More to come from others and me...)

 

Eggs can be pcikled and canned if you like pickled eggs there are several good recipes in my pickling book.

 

 

 

[Midnightmom]

On 4/27/2008 at 10:27 AM, GinnyB said:

This is just to satisfy my curiosity. It seems that some of the things we can't can safely are foods that have been specifically tested - or at least I believe a report on one or two items. Testing is done by universities or a government agency, correct? I am wondering if some items are "banned"from canning only because testing has yet to be done and that perhaps,if the testing were undertaken, a safe way to can some of these foods would be found? All a matter of money, I suppose...

 

Taking Mother's advice to resurrect information stored here on Mrs.S.  

---------------------

The answer to the question is apparently YES. I was watching a video by RoseRed Homestead's YouTube channel just a few weeks ago and she said that the gov't "ran out of money" to safety test canning methods for "new" products, so anything that is on the National Center for Food Preservation website is "dated" material. She also said that there is a university that has been doing recent testing and that she always consults their site before putting up any of her canning videos. This is the main reason I usually refer people to her videos over the many others that are available online. I will try to find that particular video and post it later in a reply to this post.

Edited August 23, 2021 by Midnightmom

[Jeepers]

I like Rose Red and also Sutton's Dazes for canning advise too. I remember the video you are talking about. It MIGHT have been the one where she was testing canning in the Instapot thingy. 

 

I wish our government would spend some of our trillions of dollars that they spend on insane projects and spend some of it on studying canning and new recipes. It is antiquated. It is true that most people say a recipe is 'untested' when they don't really know if it's safe or not. 

[Midnightmom]

This video explains how pressure canning works to make your low acid foods shelf stable and safe to eat..................... as long as you follow the USDA guidelines!

 

 

[Midnightmom]

I found the video I was looking for. It is her video on testing the Presto Digital Canner. This is a very scientifically based test she performed using a data tracker IN the jars as they were processing. She mentions that she chose the 3 foods she tested in the canner because they were foods that "...........the Utah State University Extension Service used when they tested .................three different multi-purpose pots.............."

 

She also mentions that she used a recipe that she found on the Bernardin Home Canning website, a Canadian site that is similar to Ball Canning here in the US.

Here is a link to their recipes page: https://www.bernardin.ca/recipes/default.htm?Lang=EN-US 

 

 

 

 

 

[Andrea]

She needs to check her head space on some of those jars . . .

[Joyfilled]

Hello! I am not able to go through the thread at this time, although I did get through about half of it! I was wondering....are any spices off limit? For example, I generally add some curry to some of my soups. It gives them a deeper flavor. Now I can add that after I open the jar, but I'm trying to make meals that my kids can open up and use without adding anything.

 

Thanks for your help!

[Midnightmom]

35 minutes ago, Joyfilled said:

are any spices off limit?

Some spices intensify greatly when canned, but I can't think of them right now. Best thing to do is google a spice you want to use and see if you can find any info.

Although, I am pretty sure that canning garlic (on its own) is a big no-no.

 

search result:

https://www.healthycanning.com/safe-tweaking-of-home-canning-recipes/#The_list_of_things_that_can_be_safely_tweaked_in_a_canning_recipe

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/altering_canning_recipes

http://www.homesteaddreamer.com/2014/12/10/pressure-canning-with-spices/

Edited August 9, 2022 by Midnightmom

[Jeepers]

I don't know from any personal experience but I've always heard sage can make the end product bitter tasting. Such as in sausage. But a month or so ago the ladies were talking about it on Suttons Daze and they all said they have never found that to be true. So now I'm not sure. 

 

If I was using sage, I'd do it with a light hand.  

 

[Midnightmom]

8 minutes ago, Jeepers said:

I don't know from any personal experience but..............

 

The links I posted above give some guidelines, such as

1. using ONLY dried spices
2. using only 1/4 tsp per pint(?) jar
3. putting the spices in after the jar has been filled and not adding first (to the bottom)

A lot of advice seems to be based on preference - except for the "fresh vs dried" herbs reason.

 

 

 

This is the link to the complete results of the search it anyone wants to peruse it: https://www.google.com/search?q=spices+that+cannot+be+pressure+canned&rlz=1C1VDKB_enUS936US936&oq=spices+that+cannot+be+pressur&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j33i160l3.26672j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Edited August 9, 2022 by Midnightmom

[Jeepers]

Good site Midnightmom. Sage is safe to can but the end result may be bitter. 

 

Here is a site talking about spices and herbs:  Home canning with herbs - Healthy Canning

[Jeepers]

I just read through this thread. It was a good refresher course. Someone said ghee wasn't safe to can. I thought it was.

 

And I thought it was now safe to can the little new potatoes with the skin on? Or maybe it was to peel a strip around them and leave the skins on the ends. I don't know. I've always peeled all of my potatoes but I'd like to try to can some baby potatoes with garlic/dill like Boston Market used to make. Maybe sauté the baby potatoes in a little ghee and add some garlic and dill weed. I'm just thinking out loud. That's probably a rebel canner recipe though? 

[Midnightmom]

@Jeepers

USDA guidelines for canning potatoes: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_04/potato_white.html

 

Generally, there is a lot of concern about the uneven surfaces on unpeeled taters as well as the concern for remaining dirt harboring backteria. Yes, some people do process unpeeled potatoes and have published "how to" videos, BUT, none of their processesses come from an approved source.

 

But, when push comes to shove, there still is NOT a tested and approved method for canning UNpeeled potatoes.

 

ETA: Something I hadn't noticed when reading the USDA guidelines but I saw in a comment on a YT vid.............

 If desired, cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Drain. Cook 2 minutes in boiling water and drain again.

For whole potatoes, boil 10 minutes and drain.

Edited August 9, 2022 by Midnightmom

[Jeepers]

I only can the bigger Yukon Gold potatoes and I always peel. I've heard about dirt harboring botulism spores. Yuck. But I was wondering about the little red Irish potatoes. They will be a pain to peel. And not much left of them. I thought sure I read in a reputable book that the small ones could be unpeeled now. I won't do it unless I know for 100%. I'll just cut the Yukon Golds into smaller chunks if I have to. I'm sure not going to chance getting me or mine sick. Especially in a SHTF situation.

[Midnightmom]

2 hours ago, Jeepers said:

They will be a pain to peel.

Couldn't you handle those the same way you do tomatoes? Drop into hot water for X-time and have the peels "slip" off?