Home canning is both rewarding and economical. However, one needs to be aware of potential dangers associated with it to ensure that the foods do not pose a serious health risk later. The major concern with home canning is that the food could become contaminated with a toxin produced by the spore-forming bacterium
Clostridium botulinum causing the rare disease we know as Botulism. It it only when food low in acid, is canned with no oxygen and stored in non refridgerated temperatures, that any botulism spores it may contain can grow and produce their deadly toxin.
There are 3 types of botulism: Foodborne, wound & infant. The symptoms will generally appear anywhere from 6 hours to 36 hours for foodborne botulism according to the degree of exposure to the toxin and human susceptibility. Damage done by botulism is not curable but immediate attention from an antitoxin can halt the poisoning and any further paralysis, a result of the disease. Early symptoms include double or blurred vision, difficulty speaking and swallowing, dry mouth and fatigue. Nerve damage results in acute paralysis which affects the face, head, throat, chest and extremities. Death can result from respiratory failure.
Preventing botulism in home canning depends on following a few basic rules. Keep in mind that even though botulism can survive boiling water, it can't survive in high-acid foods such as sauerkraut and fruit juices, salty foods like some hams, or in sugary foods such as jams and jellies. On the other hand, with low-acid foods like green beans, corn, spinach or aspargus, botulism can only be destroyed using a steam pressure canner...no other canning process is safe for these types of foods. Meats, poultry, fish, and all vegetables except for tomatoes (unless overly ripe) are all low in acid and susceptible to botulism.
Before tasting home canned foods, examine and smell foods for spoilage. Never taste or eat canned foods if the jars or lids show signs of damage such as cracks, or loose or bulging lids, especially if they squirt liquid or give off abnormal odors. Heating foods usually makes any spoilage more noticeable and they should be boiled gently in a covered pan for about 10 minutes. If during that time any food appears spoiled or has an off odor, then it should be disposed of out of human and pet reach, including the compost if you have one.
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