Food - Drink
Why You Should Stop Using Your Old Family Canning Recipes
By LAUREN CAHN
There are many reasons to appreciate canning food, but when done incorrectly, it can result in botulism, a dangerous foodborne toxin. This is the reason that many considered acceptable safe canning procedures are used today, such as sanitizing the canning equipment and leaving extra room in the containers.
Old family canning recipes may hold deep personal value, but it is best not to follow them and, instead, seek a new recipe — preferably one from a published cookbook. The main reason is that they may not comply with up-to-date safety standards, which include calibrating for food's precise acidity, methods and materials used for sealing, and accurate temperature tracking.
There have been decades of canning recipes written, archived, or passed by word of mouth through families. However, if the recipe can't be traced to a published, dated source or was created before 1994, consider updating to current safety standards or sending it off into permanent retirement.