Question about storing home canned foods

[Aggie]

I have read that home canned food should be stored at moderate temperatures (50 - 70 F, I think??). But I've been thinking - not all that long ago, the majority of people didn't have central heating/cooling, and they stored their canned food somewhere, right?

 

My grandparents and my husband's were sharecroppers. My husband's grandmother had 9 children, so you can imagine how many jars of food she canned each year. They stored the jars wherever they could, sometimes even in the smokehouse. The houses were not insulated and not heated well, much less cooled. But they survived and as far as I know, no one got sick because they ate the food.

 

So, can anyone explain to me why the guidelines are what they are, and if it's really unsafe to store home canned foods at higher/lower temps than recommended?

 

Thanks.

[Violet]

Storing Canned Foods

If lids are tightly vacuum sealed on cooled jars, remove screw bands, wash the lid and jar to remove food residue; then rinse and dry jars. Label and date the jars and store them in a clean, cool, dark, dry place. For best quality, store between 50 and 70 °F. Can no more food than you will use within a year.

 

Do not store jars above 95° F or near hot pipes, a range, a furnace, in an uninsulated attic, or in direct sunlight. Under these conditions, food will lose quality in a few weeks or months and may spoil. Dampness may corrode metal lids, break seals, and allow recontamination and spoilage.

 

Accidental freezing of canned foods will not cause spoilage unless jars become unsealed and recontaminated. However, freezing and thawing may soften food. If jars must be stored where they may freeze, wrap them in newspapers, place them in heavy cartons, and cover with more newspapers and blankets.

 

**********

The jars of foods really can spoil if stored in too hot of a place. Also, the lids can come unsealed and pop off. This happened to a friend of mine in Georgia.

Also, if stored in the light, jars of foods will show considerable loss of color and fruits turn brown.

 

[Aggie]

Thanks for the info, Violet. So an insulated storage building would probably be okay? We live in south Alabama, but I don't think our old storage building (it burned about a year ago) got above 95 or below 32. If we replace the building and are sure to protect the jars by storing them in the original boxes, it seems most everything would be okay. Even then we might lose a few jars, but the house is simply bursting at the seams. Luckily, we haven't spent the insurance check from the burned building yet.

[Evergreen]

I live in So. ALa too and my sister lost a bunch of stuff she canned last year - and she atributes it to storing out in her washroom -attached to house but not temp controlled. She has sinced moves canned stuff inside.

 

I am wondering about this stuff too- because my house is in the woods it stays reletivly cool for my area- BUT I have open windows most of the time and run air very little- and I know sometimes the tempature gets above 80- 85 9maybe more) in here.

 

Soooooo?

 

Any suggestions?

 

I am asking DH for a root celler but I am not holding my breath...