Quote Originally Posted by Irving View Post
Not to derail this thread, but can you build up a tolerance to botulism like you can to iocaine powder?
Unfortunately not. I think it has to do with the name: 'botulism' is rather final sounding, while 'iocaine powder' offers a little more hope.

There are some deaths from canning-related botulism, but they are few and far between. Care taken before, during, and after canning will help cut that down to nearly zero. I recall reading about a man that caned some elk meat improperly- he went WAY off recipe and didn't process it long enough, and it made the headlines both back then, and two years after the incident because he still had not fully recovered.

There are some golden rules to follow when canning foods:

-Use the freshest foods available. That doesn't mean that if you bought five bushels of tomatoes, you have to process everything before you go to bed, but plan on getting it done within the next couple of days.

-Don't use chipped jars or re-use lids.

-Cleanliness is the order of the day. Wash those jars and lids, make sure your funnels are clean, and never, ever cut raw meat in the same area (using the same utensils) as cooked meat or fruits and vegetables.

-Never process foods below the times given in the recipes. Remember to add processing times for the altitude as well- for every 1000 feet above sea level, add a minute of processing time. If you didn't notice the time when you began boiling or reaching the proper pressure, err on the side of caution and go a few minutes beyond, rather than below.
-There are certain foods that cannot be processed in a home kitchen. Our consumer products cannot reach the pressures and the heat required to safely can things like dairy products, bacon, refried beans, lard, purees or pumpkin butter, things with cornstarch and/or flour- from what I understand, you take a chance when you can these items because a home canner can't guarantee even heat distribution to kill those pathogens.

-Like rbeau30 stated, don't stack your jars. It can mess with the seal, and you'd have a very unpleasant surprise when you found the jar that had been on the bottom became unsealed over a year ago. Pew!

-Along the same line, don't store the jars upside-down, or in a place where the temperature fluctuates more than a few degrees. Try and keep them in a cool, dark place.

-Rotate your stock. Label your jars with the food item and the date, including the year.

Can anyone else think of more? I know there are more good rules that make it easier...but I'm taking longer and longer blinks.