Safety first when canning your own food

By Amber McIver-Traywick

The Surveyor

Fresh fruits and vegetables are packed with delicious flavor and can make for wonderful additions to anyone’s diet. But as many foodies know, it’s not always easy to find your favorite fresh fruits and vegetables at the grocery store.

Various fruits and vegetables are more readily available at certain times of the year when they’re considered inseason. Though such foods won’t necessarily be unavailable throughout the rest of the year, they might be harder to find in the offseason. n recognition of that difficulty, many people turn to canning.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the American Medical Association note that home canning can be an excellent way to store and preserve various foods, including produce. However, both the FDA and the AMA warn that improperly canned foods can cause botulism. Botulism is a rare, potentially deadly form of food poisoning. n fact the olorado epartment of ealth and nvironment reported five cases of botulism last year from improperly canned food.

The threat posed by improper canning is significant, and the and offer the following tips to help people safety and properly can their own produce. • Use the right canner. When canning foods, use a canner manufactured for canning and not just pressure cooking. When choosing a canner, make sure it’s the right size, as the FDA notes that canners that are too small can lead to undercooking. anning low acid vegetables, which includes green beans and corn, as well as meats, fish and poultry re uires the use of a pressure canner. oiling water canners should not be used for low-acid foods, as such products cannot protect against botulism. lean your pressure canner regularly. Maintaining a pressure canner also is vital to avoid food poisoning. f the canner has a rubber gasket, make sure it is flexible and soft and not brittle, sticky or cracked. Routinely clean openings on small pipes or vents to ensure these parts do not contain any debris. Air should be vented from the canner for 10 minutes before the canner is • Discard foods if you’re concerned about safety. The FDA and AMA recommend home canners adopt the “when in doubt, throw it out” mantra. Home-canned foods can be contaminated even if they look, smell or taste normal. nspect jars carefully when opening home-canned foods. Leaking, bulging or swollen containers may contain contaminated foods. Food also may be contaminated if containers are damaged or cracked or if they spurt li uid or foam upon being opened. ontaminated foods may be discolored, moldy or smell bad. dditionally make sure to check the seals on jars. mmedietly following canning the food if the jar has not sealed properly, refrigerate and consume within a couple of days. anning foods at home can be a great way to enjoy your favorite foods even when they’re not in-season. But safety should be the utmost priority when canning foods at home.