…… Canning.......been awhile

[thorr]

Growing up my mothers kin always had access to lots of produce. And they would can hundreds of quarts, potatoes, green beans, corn and tomatoes. Late 60’s early 70’s. I was part of the process somewhat.
Ten year old barefoot boy.

I truly can’t remember a big pressure cooker in our house. It was that big blue Ball canner and maybe a small pressure cooker.

I remember mom and nanna canning a bushel of green beans. I was a helper in that.
And all in hot bath, added boiling water between loads.
I believe we ended up with 28 qts. idk

So even though I grew up around gardens and canning, it’s been 40 years since I’ve canned. Reading and learning it’s seems most veggies are pressure canned now.

Which as of tonight I’m using my big presto to can my voled potatoes that aren’t salvageable. And I guess to can most of the veggies.

I pressure canned beef stew a few weeks ago and zucchini and squash. I have been busy with fruit jams the last month. Hot water bath, 1/2 pts 15 minutes.
30 pts. done

I’ve canned pretty much my whole green bean crop 7 qts.
And I hot water bathed them.
Boiled jars and lids.
Beans cleaned, snapped and into hot jars, teaspoon canning salt, boiling water added, 1” headspace, hot lid and ring.
Roiling boil in canner, jars into water and bathed 30ish minutes.

Am I screwed or do I remember wrong.
Darn Mandela effect.
I know one year we had hundreds of qts in the cellar cause I toted them. Up and down.
Can’t believe mom pressure canned all those.
Miss that woman......
These have all sealed well and look good.
Couple questions and I know this can be a touchy subject.
I’m going with they are safe to eat when cooked well on the stove before eating.
I think..
Am I asking for trouble?
Is it possible to pressure can sealed jars in the presto.
Hate to feed them to the chickens.
And I’m going to start using the presto for all the produce coming.
Still don’t think mom would....lol
Thanks again for any and all input..

 

[coloradohermit]

Get yourself a Ball Blue Book. It tells how to can everything. My understanding is that low acid foods are pressure canned and high acid foods can be waterbath canned.

 

[thorr]

I have an old addition and the present one. Don’t believe my mother ever had one...

 

[summerthyme]

Growing up my mothers kin always had access to lots of produce. And they would can hundreds of quarts, potatoes, green beans, corn and tomatoes. Late 60’s early 70’s. I was part of the process somewhat.
Ten year old barefoot boy.

I truly can’t remember a big pressure cooker in our house. It was that big blue Ball canner and maybe a small pressure cooker.

I remember mom and nanna canning a bushel of green beans. I was a helper in that.
And all in hot bath, added boiling water between loads.
I believe we ended up with 28 qts. idk

So even though I grew up around gardens and canning, it’s been 40 years since I’ve canned. Reading and learning it’s seems most veggies are pressure canned now.

Which as of tonight I’m using my big presto to can my voled potatoes that aren’t salvageable. And I guess to can most of the veggies.

I pressure canned beef stew a few weeks ago and zucchini and squash. I have been busy with fruit jams the last month. Hot water bath, 1/2 pts 15 minutes.
30 pts. done

I’ve canned pretty much my whole green bean crop 7 qts.
And I hot water bathed them.
Boiled jars and lids.
Beans cleaned, snapped and into hot jars, teaspoon canning salt, boiling water added, 1” headspace, hot lid and ring.
Roiling boil in canner, jars into water and bathed 30ish minutes.

Am I screwed or do I remember wrong.
Darn Mandela effect.
I know one year we had hundreds of qts in the cellar cause I toted them. Up and down.
Can’t believe mom pressure canned all those.
Miss that woman......
These have all sealed well and look good.
Couple questions and I know this can be a touchy subject.
I’m going with they are safe to eat when cooked well on the stove before eating.
I think..
Am I asking for trouble?
Is it possible to pressure can sealed jars in the presto.
Hate to feed them to the chickens.
And I’m going to start using the presto for all the produce coming.
Still don’t think mom would....lol
Thanks again for any and all input..

I really, REALLY hate to have to say this, but your beans aren't safe. The Amish who use boiling water bath for low acid vegetables like green beans boil them for FOUR HOURS. (And they still aren't safe, because it needs a temp of 255 degrees to kill botulism spores. The tiniest bit of soil hiding in a bean could end up poisoning your family.

You could re-can them in the pressure canner, but they likely are going to be pretty soft. If you are determined to eat them as they are, then bring to a *full rolling boil* and boil hard for 10 minutes before tasting.

Summerthyme

 

[thorr]

Thanks Summerthyme,
I leaning towards recanning just because their probably all I’m getting, maybe 2 more quarts in the garden. And I have plenty of jars..
Transfer them to a hot jar or is it possible to recan the sealed jars? I will be using the presto from now on for low acid produce, which kinda looks like everything not pickled.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom..
Mark

 

[oops]

30 minute water bath for green beans?...oh boy...no...just no...

 

[summerthyme]

Thanks Summerthyme,
I leaning towards recanning just because their probably all I’m getting, maybe 2 more quarts in the garden. And I have plenty of jars..
Transfer them to a hot jar or is it possible to recan the sealed jars? I will be using the presto from now on for low acid produce, which kinda looks like everything not pickled.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom..
Mark

How long has it been since you canned them? And have they been refrigerated?

If it's longer than 12 hours, *especially * if you didn't stick them in the fridge, I'm sadly going to recommend you toss them (someplace animals can't get them)

If you're OK that way, I'd dump them into a big kettle (1 canner load at a time). Then put them in new jars. (You probably can reuse the lids, although that breaks EVERY rule... but since we're already way beyond that line... I've had only one seal failure with used lids (dog food, jam and jelly. Dog food pressure canned, jam water bath) in at least 180 jars. Just don't bend them when you remove them)

In other words, start over, hot pack, and reuse the liquid (because that's where your vitamins and minerals are). Add plain water if needed to top off the jars.

One more question... do you have pint jars? They take less processing time, and you'd likely have less quality loss. Plus, unless you're feeding 4 kids, a quart of beans is a lot of beans for a meal.

Summerthyme

 

[pauldingbabe]

Botulism is no joke.

Had Botox for migraine and had every symptom but the fever of Botulism.

5 years later:

I watch every bit of food, every sip of liquid.

I don't eat out anymore...ever.

I can eat for about 2 days then have to "clear" my system before thinking about eating/drinking again. Usually takes about 2-3 days of fasting.

An example from just the past 24 hours. I ate, not even full meals, for about 4 days. I woke up at 6am with pain all across the top of my abdomen. For about 2 hours, just cramping, nausea, sweat hot/freezing cold. Go to the bathroom, pain, pain, pain, go back to lay down, pain, pain, pain, go back to bathroom, throw up, pain, pain, pain, bowl movement. Return to bed pass out for about 4 hrs, start my day.

I've been doing this for 5 years now.

I've had to claim bankruptcy because of med bills.


This is my life.


But I am alive.

 

[Melodi]

Plus botulism can kill, my FIL a doctor born during the Great Depression was terrified when I started canning. It was only when I told him about my All American Pressure canner and sent him stuff from the Agricultural departments of a couple of American Universities and assured him I never broke the rules when it came to low-acid canning that he calmed down.

The reason was that as a child he knew people who died (East Texas farm country) and as a doctor, in the 1960s he trained to deal with it.

If those peas were done more than 12 to at 24 hours ago (and not in the fridge) I would toss the contents and clean the jars - and just accept it as the kind of accident that happens when we are learning a new skill. We once had to say the same thing to someone (I think on this or another prepping forum) who had canned a year's worth of potatoes leaving the skins on. That is also a no-no as even with pressure canning it can lead to serious illness if there are any spoors on the potato skins.

It is heartbreaking when things like that happen, but I think of it like my friend whose husband wore her very first, lovingly handknit sweater for the first time to change the oil in his car. He didn't know the damage was permanent and that it would have to be thrown away.