Prep Genrl Canning safely in a water bath….the scientific safe way

[Night Owl]

So much has been said there how unsafe water bath canning is, BUT if you can’t pressure can because no electric or gas to get controlled high temperatures for long periods of time to can meats and vegetables, what can you do besides smoking and salting meats? This will give you the safest times in water bath cannning and the scientific reason why it will work.The 3 hour Amish water bath canning isn’t what needs to be done for safety reasons, but water bath canning can be done to prevent botulism.

I know some here might not want to know this or argue about this, but when you don’t have a choice to preserve, you can remember this might be the answer for you.

View: https://youtu.be/deP_xyROjME

 

[moldy]

Not to argue, just asking: Has anyone here pressure canned on a woodstove or over an open fire?

 

[Night Owl]

Moldy….sorry I forgot to click reply.

Not me. How could you control the wood burning heat for a hour plus, to keep pressure at 10-12 pounds?

 

[moldy]

I think it's doable with careful watching, I just have never personally done it.

 

[Illini Warrior]

you cook over coals - just like with a dutch oven >>> I'm sure I have database intel on open fire pressure canning somewhere ....

 

[Border Collie Dad]

I know my parents and grandparents water bath canned lots of meat.
It was pretty darned good.

I did it until people scared me into getting a pressure canner

 

[EMICT]

Not to argue, just asking: Has anyone here pressure canned on a woodstove or over an open fire?

I did so once on a Rocket Stove (large one, double door to adjust heat) just to see if it would bring the pressure up and it did so. Regulating the heat was a challenge with the 'sticks' but was doable. It was like herding cats and playing Goldie Locks (not to hot and not to cold) to get the fire consistent. A canner with a pressure gauge is a must.

 

[summerthyme]

I've canned on a wood cookstove.... definitely doable, but you won't get doing much else during the process.

As far as the OP... there is NO "scientific safe way" to can low acid vegetables and meats without pressure. If you are surgically clean, have a near sterile kitchen and absolutely prevent any possible trace contamination with soil from start to finish (this is categorically impossible with all root vegetables and almost any home butchered (or hunted) meat!), you probably will get lucky.

If you ALWAYS follow the rule of bringing all canned foods to a rolling boil, and holding that temperature for a minimum 9f 10 minutes, you should inactivate any botulism toxin present.

But all it takes is a few botulism spores, a well sealed jar, and someone "forgetting " and taking a quick taste before thorough cooking, and they're dead.

Why risk it?

Summerthyme

 

[oops]

Thank God gran n mom taught me to can instead of the internet n fda...

 

[moldy]

I take canning low acid foods very seriously due to taking care of a patient with botulism from canned foods.

 

[Night Owl]

I've canned on a wood cookstove.... definitely doable, but you won't get doing much else during the process.

As far as the OP... there is NO "scientific safe way" to can low acid vegetables and meats without pressure. If you are surgically clean, have a near sterile kitchen and absolutely prevent any possible trace contamination with soil from start to finish (this is categorically impossible with all root vegetables and almost any home butchered (or hunted) meat!), you probably will get lucky.

If you ALWAYS follow the rule of bringing all canned foods to a rolling boil, and holding that temperature for a minimum 9f 10 minutes, you should inactivate any botulism toxin present.

But all it takes is a few botulism spores, a well sealed jar, and someone "forgetting " and taking a quick taste before thorough cooking, and they're dead.

Why risk it?

Summerthyme

If you watch the entire video the scientific proof shows at 5 hours and 15 minute you can kill botulism of anything if under 1000 elevation. I believe in science if I don’t have any other way to pressure can. Pressure canning would be exhausting to watch and deal with fire/heat for an hour and a half for meat or and hour and 50 minute for wild fish. if the pressure goes below 10 lbs. Are you going to start the timer all over again to re can the length of designated time?

This really seems to be an easy answer for me to water boil for 5 1/4 hour in a no power emergency and keep doing your chores.

 

[moldy]

Your choices, your consequences.

 

[summerthyme]

If you watch the entire video the scientific proof shows at 5 hours and 15 minute you can kill botulism of anything if under 1000 elevation. I believe in science if I don’t have any other way to pressure can. Pressure canning would be exhausting to watch and deal with fire/heat for an hour and a half for meat or and hour and 50 minute for wild fish. if the pressure goes below 10 lbs. Are you going to start the timer all over again to re can the length of designated time?

This really seems to be an easy answer to water boil for 5 1/4 hour and keep doing your chores.

Last comment... you'd better have a second pot of water going all the time, because your canner water level isn't going to stay above the jars boiling for those times. And if you add less-than-boiling water at any point, you've created the same danger (assuming somehow 212* for 5 1/2 hours DOES equal 90 minutes at 255*... I'm skeptical) as letting your pressure canner drop below 10#.

Nothing about surviving in a post modern world will be remotely "easy". Without access to modern health care, I'm going to be MORE careful to follow proven methods, not less!

Summerthyme

 

[Wildwood]

I take canning low acid foods very seriously due to taking care of a patient with botulism from canned foods.

I've heard it's brutal.

 

[moldy]

It was. But it was made worse by age (not her fault) and attitude (totally within her control).

 

[Night Owl]

I know there is many that don’t believe and of course that is fine. I lived on a rural island, it’s amazing how much you can do to preserve food when you need to, Your choice.

 

[Night Owl]

Last comment... you'd better have a second pot of water going all the time, because your canner water level isn't going to stay above the jars boiling for those times. And if you add less-than-boiling water at any point, you've created the same danger (assuming somehow 212* for 5 1/2 hours DOES equal 90 minutes at 255*... I'm skeptical) as letting your pressure canner drop below 10#.

Nothing about surviving in a post modern world will be remotely "easy". Without access to modern health care, I'm going to be MORE careful to follow proven methods, not less!

Summerthyme

Yes, but don’t have that problem,I have this:

 

[Night Owl]

Your choices, your consequences.

Make you meat or veggies acidic if you have to. My grandmother would can beef with vinegar/water and dill and then add sour cream when she warmed it up and put over dumplings.

I make the best sauerkraut by canning raw cabbage with a teaspoon of vinegar and salt and water bath for 15minutes. It takes a month to cure, but it’s truly the best And has the long shelf life. Longer than fermenting in a crock.