First time canning. Question.

[GunsRBadMMMMKay]

re-canning, your just overcooking - as long as it seals your good...if not, put it in the fridge and try to use it within two weeks should be good. We've re-used lids in a pinch but I'd avoid it too imo why gamble with something that cheap......my wife tells me they still make re-useable lid jars i forget the name, but they use the old school rubber gasket and glass lid iirc. (EDIT_ I just realized I basically said the same thing Grey said......well, there you go - a supporting opinion lol)

[Irving]

Not to derail this thread, but can you build up a tolerance to botulism like you can to iocaine powder?

[TheGrey]

Not to derail this thread, but can you build up a tolerance to botulism like you can to iocaine powder?

Unfortunately not. I think it has to do with the name: 'botulism' is rather final sounding, while 'iocaine powder' offers a little more hope.

There are some deaths from canning-related botulism, but they are few and far between. Care taken before, during, and after canning will help cut that down to nearly zero. I recall reading about a man that caned some elk meat improperly- he went WAY off recipe and didn't process it long enough, and it made the headlines both back then, and two years after the incident because he still had not fully recovered.

There are some golden rules to follow when canning foods:

-Use the freshest foods available. That doesn't mean that if you bought five bushels of tomatoes, you have to process everything before you go to bed, but plan on getting it done within the next couple of days.

-Don't use chipped jars or re-use lids.

-Cleanliness is the order of the day. Wash those jars and lids, make sure your funnels are clean, and never, ever cut raw meat in the same area (using the same utensils) as cooked meat or fruits and vegetables.

-Never process foods below the times given in the recipes. Remember to add processing times for the altitude as well- for every 1000 feet above sea level, add a minute of processing time. If you didn't notice the time when you began boiling or reaching the proper pressure, err on the side of caution and go a few minutes beyond, rather than below.
-There are certain foods that cannot be processed in a home kitchen. Our consumer products cannot reach the pressures and the heat required to safely can things like dairy products, bacon, refried beans, lard, purees or pumpkin butter, things with cornstarch and/or flour- from what I understand, you take a chance when you can these items because a home canner can't guarantee even heat distribution to kill those pathogens.

-Like rbeau30 stated, don't stack your jars. It can mess with the seal, and you'd have a very unpleasant surprise when you found the jar that had been on the bottom became unsealed over a year ago. Pew!

-Along the same line, don't store the jars upside-down, or in a place where the temperature fluctuates more than a few degrees. Try and keep them in a cool, dark place.

-Rotate your stock. Label your jars with the food item and the date, including the year.

Can anyone else think of more? I know there are more good rules that make it easier...but I'm taking longer and longer blinks.

[rbeau30]

^absolutely!^

I have gotten into the habit of doing all of that. From preparing my space before canning to inspecting supplies, to only choosing fresh ingredients, to looking--smelling--reheating when eating the food. I smell the food because if it has gone to the point of moldy or smelling bad, it most definitely has had time for the botulism spores to wake up.

Canning is an art and a science. Folks have done this for decades, and there are very few headlines that go something like..." Prepper Family eats home-canned food and dies of botulism. " And unfortunately I think the media would jump all over something like that. Good thing there is a bit of "leeway" in the proven recipes.

[rbeau30]

There is a lot of valuable info coming out in this thread. Thanks TheGrey you are thinking about a lot of things to put in here that I do almost as habit. This type of collaboration and experience sharing is what makes me happy to be a part of this place.

[TheGrey]

There is a lot of valuable info coming out in this thread. Thanks TheGrey you are thinking about a lot of things to put in here that I do almost as habit. This type of collaboration and experience sharing is what makes me happy to be a part of this place.

Me, too!

[Mercula]

Wow ! Thanks everybody. Tons of great info.

[HoneyBadger]

Great info from rbeau and TheGrey - Thanks!

[rbeau30]

Perhaps we can get a bullet list of canning do's, don'ts, and resources like the USDA guide that The Grey linked to in this thread together and have a sticky put up. Canning is a big part of preparedness/self-reliance in my life and I think many who would like to get into canning probably find it overwhelming. It may give them a place to start.

I would encourage new folks to the canning fold, actually visit someone who has done it for many years and even those who have done it for many years see how someone else sets up their workspace, etc. I find that when I brew beer with someone else, I pick up different procedures that I never thought about.

[Mercula]

Pickles came out awesome ! Can't wait for the next batch. We also got some stuff from ball called "pickle crisp ", anybody use it before ? I've read just to lower your salt a bit when using it.