Canning Food at Home Safely
Summer brings an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. Sometimes we have more than we can use immediately. Home canning is a great way to preserve and store fruits, vegetables, and other foods for use later. However, if not done correctly, it may be risky. Improperly canned food can cause botulism, an extremely serious form of food poisoning that can lead to paralysis and even death. The below guidance will help you can your produce safely.
Use a Pressure Canner
Use a pressure canner made for canning, not a pressure cooker or InstaPot.
Be sure your canner is the right size (Canners that are too small can lead to undercooking)
If your canner has a rubber gasket, make sure it is flexible and soft – not brittle, sticky, or cracked
Clean and remove any debris from the openings on small pipes or vents
Vent the air from your canner for 10 minutes before you pressurize the canner
Avoid using boiling water canners, especially for low-acid foods or tomatoes, because they will not protect you against botulism poisoning.
Follow Up-To-Date Canning Instructions
Canning instructions and equipment have changed over the years.
Make sure you are using modern, scientifically-tested canning instructions.
Avoid canning instructions in outdated cookbooks or handed down from previous generations.
If you have any questions, consult the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning or the other resources.
When in Doubt, Throw It Out!
If you have any doubt about the safety of a homecanned food, do not eat it. Never taste homecanned foods to determine if they are safe. One usually can’t taste or smell the bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses. Inspect canned foods when you open them. Discard containers of food that:
Look damaged, cracked, or abnormal
Are leaking, bulging, or swollen
Spurt liquid or foam when opened
Are discolored, moldy, or smell bad
Botulism Poisoning
Seek medical attention immediately if you experience blurred or double vision, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, drooping eyelids, or muscle weakness after eating home-canned food. These are the symptoms of botulism, a serious and sometimes fatal form of food poisoning.
More Resources: USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning https://nchfp.uga.edu/resources/entry/about-the-usda-guide-to-home-canning-2015-revision National Center for Home Food Preservation
Above information courtesy of the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Cooperative Extension Service.
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