I'd agree entirely.adam2 wrote:I would agree that caution and great care is required in home canning, which despite the name uses glass jars and not metalic cans.
In a previous thread on this subject, I advised caution, though not as forcefully as jonb.
As pointed out, the real risk is botulism which can be fatal.
Whilst only a fool would consume food that looked, smelled, or tasted spoiled, remember that food spoiled by botulism often seems fine.
Food affected by botulism is still dangerous to eat, no matter how thouroughly cooked.
(very thourough cooking kills the botulism spores, BUT the toxins produced by the spores remain, and can kill if eaten)
Pressure canning is less risky than water bath canning because the higher temperature is more likely to kill disease causing organisms.
Still NOT risk free though.
Canning of fruits and vegetables is considered less risky than meat, still NOT risk free though.
My personal preferenc is for freezing, useing at least two ultra high efficiency freezers and an off grid power source.
Deaths in the USA from home canned food have declined in recent decades, allegedly because the REA made electric power for refrigeration affordable and reduced the need for canning.
There are other methods that do not carry the risk, so would be safe (from a bot. point of view).
