1) The baking of bread or cakes in glass canning jars.
Unsafe practice: A batter of banana bread, zucchini bread or similar cake or bread is spooned into glass canning jars and baked. After baking but while jars are still hot, a canning lid and ring are secured. As the jar cools, the air is removed from the jar and the lid is vacuum-sealed into place.
2) The sealing of butter or margarine in glass canning jars.
Unsafe practice: The butter or margarine is melted and then placed in a glass canning jar. Once again, a canning lid and ring are secured while the jars are hot, and a vacuum-seal is created as the jars cool.
_ _ _In both cases, an environment supportive of botulism growth is created. In order for botulism to produce its deadly neurotoxin, it needs three things: no oxygen, low acidity, and a tiny bit of moisture.
If a botulism bacteria is placed in a this environment, it begins to produce a neurotoxin, which if consumed, begins to paralyze muscles. Victims often need antitoxin drugs to deal with it; others need life support when they can no longer breathe on their own, and others succumb and die.
Improper home-canning methods are a major culprit of botulism poisoning.
Canning Rules to Live by:
- Use a recently published canning book which contains tested recipes. Do not get canning recipes from the internet, old books, word-of-mouth, etc. Do not make up your own recipes.
- Follow the recipe and instructions exactly. Do not substitute or omit ingredients. This can change the acidity of the product.
- If the recipe says to pressure cook, do it! Pressure cooking and water bathing are NOT interchangeable methods. A pressure cooker is designed to bring low-acidic food up to higher temperatures.
- Process according to the appropriate time and pressure.
