As many long-time blog readers know, I'm a fanatic when it comes to safe canning practices.
I've been canning for over thirty years, and I adore it. However there was a dark period in my canning career when I got cocky and overly confident, and jokingly called myself the Invincible Canner. As many of you remember, I got knocked off that pedestal after doing some research on the issue of canning refried beans. You can read all about it here.
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That blog post, dating back to 2012, received dozens and dozens of comments ... and they're still trickling in. Last June, I received a comment to the effect that pressure canning isn't necessary since "two to three hours in a water bath will do anything." NO IT WON'T. I put up a rant about that comment here.
And still the debate continues. Why can't people accept that unsafe canning practices exist? Why?
More recently I received the following comment:
"Most of you are part of the public Government Watch Dogs ready to pounce upon anyone not doing what government tells you. This is the United States of America where people have individual Rights of Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness to live their life as they choose providing they don’t harm anyone else. People have preserved foods in many ways prior to your food scientists. Government is always there to interfere in that process, just like they did in the 1930’s taking your Right to Travel in a Horseless Carriage away and give you a license. That was part of their New Deal. Most of you are Sheep but you’re entitled to your opinion as I am also. Those who want to Rebel Can their food are not hurting me or you. And they have Rights also!"
I'm sorry, what? Safe canning practices are now a government conspiracy to enslave you against your will?
Look, if you want to water-bath your green beans, I'll call you a fool but I won't sic the government watch dogs on you (although I will feel sorry for your family members who potentially could be harmed by eating incorrectly canned food). However if you try to sell your badly canned green beans to the public, that's illegal – with good reason. It's a dangerous and unsafe practice.
I have very little tolerance for government interference in personal liberties, but I have no quarrels with USDA canning guidelines (read this post for a better understanding of why).
So I suppose you can claim I'm part of a "conspiracy" to prevent you from incorrectly canning your green beans. Whatever.
Happy canning.
Oh my goodness, conspiracy, that is crazy. I too have canned for years, 50 plus and always go by USDA guidelines. I am a retired nurse and have seen the severity of botulism from green beans not canned properly with a pressure cooker. Thankfully they did survive. People need to be careful and follow the guidelines. I just did 18 pints of dried beans, I call it my winter canning..
ReplyDeleteThis is a very strange conspiracy. They are also free to be outside in an Idaho winter buck naked. They are free to drink straight from any lake, stream or river. And, of course, they are free to jump off a cliff. 😁
ReplyDeleteThat's truly funny! Of all places to pick that particular bone, (government watchdogs), this is hilarious. Gotta wonder if the person commenting isn't a person trying to stir up trouble, looking for comments agreeing with their posted nonsense.
ReplyDeleteSome things in this world are safe to flip a coin about how to do. Not canning.
There are a Lot of canning videos using unsafe practices and you just gotta wonder why.
A smart bird sees the trap and flies away. Not everyone has their head on straight. I would just set the record straight, again, and move on. You can't make everyone do "right".
I recently thought maybe I could streamline the bean canning process a little bit and save some clean-up. HA! Now, this was after watching a video where they canned beans from dry, with liquid, and let the pressure cooker do all the work. Right. So I wasn't going to do that because I wasn't going to break the rules. What I thought was a good idea was to pre-soak the beans, and rinse over and over, in the jars. So I did, in wide mouth quarts. I filled the jars 1/3 full and soaked them overnight. They were jammed up in those jars horribly the next morning and I had to dig all those beans out. It was like trying to dislodge concrete. When that was done, I re-jarred all the beans, using another quart, left a lot of headspace at the top, and plenty of liquid. When processed, those beans had swelled up again! They were jammed up inside, and did taste good, but I'm lucky to have escaped the picture posted above happening to me. Beans really need not just soaking, but pre-cooking to do well. Or maybe it's just those magic black beans multiplying like loaves and fishes to feed the 5000 !
Anyway, I hope everyone keeps warm ! Hope we can all get out and stretch our legs more soon!
Just watched a video over on Sutton's Daze where she conducted an experiment using 6 types of beans, what 1/3 cup of each swells to after soaking, and what they can out to, since different types are different. Very helpful. She also remarked that the reason you can't just can dry beans is because liquid is a carrier for heat. In order for the center of the beans to come to the.correct temp and hold it the right length of time to destroy pathogens, they have to be soaked. That settles the controversy for me.
DeleteI do remember my mother canning fresh beans when we were young, and I think they're ok to can without soaking. Duh. I also remember she didn't much like canning and switched to blanching and freezing produce. Oh, the joys of a "young" power line!
I can dry beans all the time, fill qt jar half full beans then boiling water and pressure can
ReplyDeleteOne point: safe practice canning practices are not safe practice canning laws. I can almost guarantee that for commercial canners, there are laws that are enforced. For individuals, one could argue they are recommendations.
ReplyDeleteThat said, these recommendations are based on actual science and growth curves. And just because something has not gone wrong to date does not mean it will not happen. The law of averages eventually catches up for us all.
I have an old Ball canning book from 1076 that has times for pumpkin puree. The new books all say you can't can pumpkin puree just cubed pumpkin. They say it is because it is too thick. But the old Ball book specifies making it thin or watery so that it cans well with no diseases. So which is right? I know my grandmom and mom both canned puree, so I do also. I just follow the old book for times and psi.
ReplyDeleteThere is a difference between government regulations and basic biology, a God Given ("natural") law.
ReplyDeleteApparently some people can't tell the difference.
You should ask the poster if Gravity is a government law also! ;-)
Jonathan
Pressure canner is a best friend.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter says that they put warnings on products about misuse because you know some idiot has already done it. Same with canning. My best friend water baths her green beans and open kettles her tomatoes with NO processing because her mother did it that way. Needless to say I don't eat her food! I have a master's degree in home economics and have canned for 50+ years - science and best practices change as more research is done. That's why the government guidelines evolve over time.
ReplyDeleteThe "idiots" are what the recommendations are for. Because some "idiot" has done it is why lawn mowers must have warning to NOT pick them up when machine running. Remember the man who picked up the mower to trim his hedges then sued the manufacturer for losing his fingers?
DeleteThis is an honest question. I believe Patrice has said she gets her pressure gauge checked each year. What happens when you can’t get your gauge checked in the future. I have been paranoid to can because I haven’t used my canner in multiple years and haven’t gotten the gauge checked for accuracy.
ReplyDeleteI would go get it checked just in case you need it, and while doing so, ask the extension agent what about a just in case scenario....such as grid down. Even non preppers are worried about the grid.
DeleteLooking for instructions on canning Worcestershire sauce. Anyone know how long and WB or PC. Never realized I used it as much as I did until we had sloppy joes and beef stroganoff both in the same week. Now to figure out how to keep it longer when buying a gallon at a time. I know Patrice had instructions for canning store bought mustard I think it was, just wondering if those same times would work.
ReplyDeleteGo online. There are a lot of recipes for making it from scratch which might be the way to go. It has anchovies in it, but also a lot of vinegar and other acids so I would be really careful about canning it. Pressure canning changes flavors so much sometimes it's better to can and waterbath ingredients separately and combine when you want to make the recipe. Maybe you could waterbath the things appropriate to waterbath, as a base that you have jarred, and combine with anchovies when you're ready to make a refrigerator batch.
DeletePeople who re-jar condiments usually only do so if theres no meat, dairy, and probably other things, in the original jar. With anchovies I probably would not re-jar.
Something else to consider. Many of our condiments now come with bioengineered food products which are listed as such in the fine print. How are we to know what this gunk is. Another round of heat processing could turn into cancer in a jar, if it isn't already.
Wish you luck, and be safe.
The Worchestershire sauce bottle (Lea & Perrins) doesn't even say to refrigerate after opening. This particular bottle expired in 2015. No preservatives but the first ingredient is vinegar. If you want to buy it by the gallon, I'd do that and maybe decant it into smaller glass containers and store in a cool spot. As a Master Food Preserver (yeah, did the class and received the certification) I probably shouldn't have said that but I'm also realistic. Good luck!
DeleteGo on some Facebook groups, there are some nuts. Anyone want to water bath meat for 3 hours?
ReplyDeleteI agree. I belong to a couple of those groups and I can’t believe some of the arguments people get into about this. A long time ago, doctors bled patients with leaches but would you want that now?
DeleteI believe this current regime in the house of white is doing tings to create our demise, there is to much evidence to prove it and this follows inline with that thought process, also there are several million of us who think this.
ReplyDeleteA year ago I was in the hospital for more than a week with campylobacter poisoning. I was so ill for many weeks I could easily have died from it. Food poisoning is no joke.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Krab.
Delete- Patrice
Sorry you had to go through that Krab.
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