Posted in Putting Food By
Do not taste food from a jar with an unsealed lid or when food shows signs of spoilage. You can more easily detect some types of spoilage in jars stored without screw bands because the jar lids will be lose! Growth of spoilage bacteria and yeast produces gas which pressurizes the food, swells lids, and breaks the seals. As each jar is selected for use, examine its lid for tightness and vacuum. Lids with concave centers have good seals.
Next, while holding the jar upright at eye level, rotate the jar and examine its outside surface for streaks of dried food originating at the top of the jar. Look at the contents for rising air bubbles, and unnatural color.
While opening the jar, smell for unnatural odors and look for spurting liquid and cotton-like mold growth (white, blue, black, or green) on top food surface and underside lid.
Discard any jar of spoiled food to prevent possible illness to you, your family, and pets.
Peggy and her husband John, along with 6 children (ranging from young adult through four years) live along the Appalachian mountains range in Pa. Peggy enjoys home canning, is a Master Food Preserver and has been putting foods by for over 23 years.
You can find her publishing a new monthly e-zine entitled, "The Simple Woman's Gazette". You can find a FREE sample issue at http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/
For more tips and encouragement for your canning endeavors, visit her "putting food by" blog here at HSB http://www.homesteadblogger.com/asimplewomanscannery/
