How to kill botulism spores?
love2troll
16 years ago
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ksrogers
16 years agolove2troll
16 years agoRelated Discussions
Is this recipe safe from botulism?
Comments (14)Dave, didn't even realize I was correcting you...saw you suggested a search and figured I would recommend my favorites real quick. Anyway, just to clarify for anyone who didn't know...the Ball Complete Book and the Ball Blue Book are different. The Blue Book is small and cheap. The Complete Book is at least $20 and it's much, much bigger with tons of recipes, including some really interesting combinations. It also includes all the directions you need for the canning process. The Blue Book, at least the older editions, is mostly about the canning process and doesn't have as many recipes, mostly directions for tomatoes, plain jam/jelly with pectin, etc. Make sure you're buying the one you want. Melissa...See MoreRoasted Garlic-Oil and Botulism
Comments (7)It is the garlic solids. Without testing there's no way to determine whether roasted garlic is safe or not, but my guess is not because you'd have to be 100% certain there was no water activity left in the garlic whatsoever. That's why infusing oil with dried garlic flakes or dried peppers isn't a problem. My inclination is not to take any risks with botulism. If you wish to keep the roasted garlic in the oil, again, freezing is the safest option for long-term storage. Given that it's oil, it's not going to take long to thaw. It's similar to what many Italian restaurants do. They often store chopped garlic in oil in the freezer, scooping out what they need as demand requires. Carol...See MoreCan botulism grow in a fermenting vessel?
Comments (6)Sorry, I didn't mean to confuse things by using the term "pickled". I think of sauerkraut as a pickle (as in fermented pickle) so used the term incorrectly. Vinegar is not part of the recipe with the cabbage in question. Actually, I followed the NCHFP recipe almost exactly (except I only made 15lb and did not boil the brine that I added), used a very good digital scale, sterilized a food safe pail, and carefully measured pickling salt. Should be right on, so... Trying to clarify, but not sure if I can: If the proper amount of salt was there and the container it ferments in was open to air (though the cabbage itself is submerged fully below it's brine with a weighted plate, as directed by many recipes), then would botulism spores be able to produce the toxin in that environment? It seems to me that in everything I can find including some data at the FDA, vacuum packed foods and/or canned foods that are improperly processed are where the botulism risk is, and any container open to air is not the correct atmosphere for it to produce toxin. So to ask my second question about the acidity of kraut a different way: When you make a pickle or tomato sauce there is a known amount of acid that must be added to the recipe to make it safe. How would you know that the amount of lactic acid in your kraut is enough for it to be safe to bwb can? Is the mere fact that it did turn into kraut proof that the pH is low enough? It just seems like such an unscientific process amidst so much safety data about canning. This is a new process for me and I'm just trying to understand this more clearly....See MoreBotulism Question
Comments (21)Quote "The acidity of a food is very important in food preservation. Pathogenic bacteria, particularly Clostridium botulinum, do not grow when the pH is below 4.6. Foods that have a pH of 4.6 or lower are called high-acid foods and include fruits, tomatoes and pickles. Low acid food have a pH between 4.6 and 7.0. They include meats, poultry, fish and vegetables." This is from the Food Preserver class material from the U. of Idaho which teaches all USDA and NCHFP guidelines. Also, from the same source, "Most bacteria grow best in foods with pH values of 6.0 to 8.0. However, a few bacteria prefer, and many others tolerate, the acidity of foods having pH values from 4.0 to 6.0. Bacteria that cause human diseases (pathogenic bacteria) will not grow in highly acid foods (pH below 4.6). However, some, such as E.coli:O157:H7, can survive in acidic foods in levels sufficient to cause illness." You can detoxify canned foods that have spoiled, but you have to be so careful because even physical contact with botulism toxin can wind up being fatal whether it is ingested or enters through the skin. I personally, and a lot of other knowledgeable long time food preservers would prefer to properly dispose of the containers of spoiled canned goods in the manner I specified in my previous post....See Morezeuspaul
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