Home Canning and Botulism

This post will share what the botulism toxin is and how it is easily avoided by using safe home canning procedures.

C Botulinum grows its toxin ONLY in a no-oxygen (anaerobic) AND low acid environment. That means you’ll not get it on your leftover pizza in the fridge, nor in raw milk for example because those environments have oxygen present. Many #rebelcanning recipes create a perfect environment for the botulism toxin to grow because they add diary (can’t be heated hot enough in the home canning process to kill plus it turns out gross), or pasta/flour (there’s a canning-safe starch called ClearGel– use that!) or they use a canner that cannot, no matter what, get hot enough (Instant Pots or a water bath canner for low acid recipes) to kill the bot spore. It requires a heat of at least 240 F to be killed. A water bath canner can ONLY get as hot as boiling water, which is 212F (even a rapid boil is only this hot, same as a simmer!). Instant Pots have been tested extensively by cooperative extensions and they simply don’t get hot enough inside the jars. 

High acid water bath canning recipes WORK because the acid prevents the growth of the bot toxin (as well as molds). Acid is amazing! High acid recipes include jams, jellies, and pickles. There’s a free Acid and Canning chart you can download here!

You do NOT need to be afraid of getting sick with botulism because you’ll never can a low acid recipe in a lower temp process and you’ll never can dairy and pasta. Canning is simple and easy. The rules aren’t made to ruin your fun nor are they politicized. They are simple facts. When I was at the Master Preserver Course we watched this wonderful video about a woman who got botulism from her improperly canned green beans. I suggest you watch it. 

Fear not and use science as your touchstone! Learn more safe home canning techniques from me, a Master Food Preserver, in my Free Canning Basics Course.