How common is botulism again?

[2dream]

I only worry about botulism from my DH's canning. He has canned for years and has way to much confidence.

I always heat up everything. He will open a can of anything and just start munching.

 

[MsPony]

Me&TheGals, do I want to know what cowboy caviar is? lol

 

[Beekissed]

No fear here. Too many years of eating from home canned foods to start getting scared now. Check the seal, look at the color, smell the goods...when in doubt, throw it out.

It seems that dogs cannot get botulism.....

I'd have more fear eating foods from under a heat lamp at McDonalds..... :/

 

[Blackbird]

I'd have more fear eating foods from under a heat lamp at McDonalds..... :/

x2

I've eaten canned food that's 10+ years old!

 

[Beekissed]

I've eaten honey that was placed in a jar, not heat sealed, 29 years previously. And it hadn't sugared and tasted just like it did when placed there.

 

[Blackbird]

Honey is pretty amazing stuff huh?
I've found that even if a lot of the canned goods look weird they are still perfectly good, such as food that have somewhat fallen apart. My mom only WB cans after the pressure canning accident. So unless you canners out there are REALLY sloppy and sneezing directly in your food, I wouldn't really worry. And even then you might not have to.

 

[Beekissed]

Oh, Merle....if you could have seen the buck goat I saw today!!!! I was at a livestock auction and he was simply the most beautiful goat I'd ever seen in my life!

I think he was a Kashmere or is it Cashmere? He weighed 400 lbs!!! And he was so regal and studly...and smelled like...well, I couldn't describe it but it was bad...real bad.

And he was sweet! He just wanted to be petted by all the guys at the side of the fence. Long flowing mane and beard, long, spiraling horns and a pretty coat...ran like a gaited horse into that ring and then just strutted around calmly making friends.

Now THAT was a goat!!!

 

[rebecca100]

Absloutely terrified of my own canning!! And not afraid to admit it! I follow instructions to the letter, but trying to learn without an experienced person to guide and help is terrifying. I always reheat whatever I can to boiling before I serve it, just to make sure any active botulism is killed.

Oh and talk about goats..... I almost got a buck. He was the size(almost) of my dd's mini horse and was 100% registered boer. He sold for $140. That was last Sat.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I don't worry about stuff I water bath canned. I just did meat this year for the first time. I just worry slightly about the stuff above the liquid.

Is that ok? Should I mix the jars up?

 

[DrakeMaiden]

When I first started canning I was suspicious of everything. Now I am only suspicious of the new types of food I am canning. So, as of this past week, I was worrying about my dill pickles because when I poured the pickling liquid into the jars, all the cucumbers became buoyant and floated up above the liquid. I added more pickling liquid than called for, in an attempt to submerge the cucumbers, but I couldn't completely cover them, without losing all the head-space. I am going to guess that this is not a unique problem to my pickling operation. I will be very nervous about eating my first home-canned dill pickle though. :/

Honestly, there have been a few times when I have eaten home canned foods that should be fool-proof (chutney), but that are a little older than I'd like, and have gone to bed wondering if I would wake up in the morning. I have to sample those things on days when I am feeling brave.