Canning Class

Home canning is a great way to preserve garden fresh veggies to enjoy all year long. Did you know that 1 in 5 households can their own food? However, home canning can be very dangerous if done incorrectly. Home canned vegetables are the most common source of botulism outbreaks in the United States. Botulism is a food-borne illness caused by the germ Clostridium botulinum. This toxin can affect your nerves, cause paralysis, or even death.

On July 1st, I had the opportunity to go to Virginia Tech and take a home canning class. During the class we canned tomatoes and make a strawberry-kiwi jam. Yum! We got to take our canned goods home at the end of the day. The tomatoes were canned using a pressure canner and the jam was canned using a hot water bath.

Joelle Eifert and Dr. Renee Boyer from the Food Science Department at Virginia Tech conducted the class. Each participant was also given a really neat recipe book that gives instructions on how to can.
Any low acid food needs to be canned with a pressure canner. Tomatoes are right on the line, so it is safer to can tomatoes using a pressure canner. Pressure canners increased pressure raises the temperature high enough to kill the germ that causes botulism, when processed at the correct time and pressure.

Incorrectly canned food may be leaking, bulging, or swollen. Never eat the food if the container is damaged or cracked, or if the food is discolored, moldy, or has a bad smell. It is always better to be safe than sorry. If in doubt, throw it out!

There are lots of sources for information on how to properly can. For more information, check out:

- The National Center for Home Food Preservation 
- Boiling Water Bath Canning - VCE
- Pressure Canning - VCE

You can also check out your local extension office for information or workshops. Our office at Carroll is going to be holding a water bath canning class July 30th. Participants are going to be canning peaches!