Canning Pressure Cooking
The Safe Way to Can Vegetables
If your purpose is to can low-acid foods, you need a canning pressure cooker. Be aware that a canning pressure cooker is not the same as a pressure cooker. Regular pressure cookers are not recommended for pressure canning.


The Three-Way Test for Proper Seal of Jars
  • Hear the seal – As your jars are cooling, you will hear a “pop.” That is a good indication that your processed jar has a good seal.
  • See the seal – A properly sealed jar will have a curved lid, or an indentation in the middle.
  • Feel the seal – Do this only after the jar has completely cooled. Press the center of the lid. It should not move at all. If it does, you need to reprocess the food.
Contaminated Food and Botulism
Canning pressure cooked foods are not worry-free from botulism, a serious foodborne disease. Once ingested, it takes somewhere between four to 36 hours for the incubation period. Symptoms can vary, but look for double vision, dry mouth, with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Constipation, muscle paralysis, and breathing problems may also develop. Get immediate help if botulism is suspected. Depending on a person’s constitution, botulism can take from a week to a full year to fully recover. Botulism can be fatal.

What to Observe
It is easier to dispose of contaminated food before you open a can or a jar. Do some checking before you open it. Watch out for the following:
  • Leaking seal
  • Tiny Bubbles in the jar
  • Mold in jar or around the seal
  • Dark, unnatural color of food
  • Cloudy Liquid
  • Bulging ends, if cans
Once you have opened a can or  jar, be even more careful for these signs. DO NOT taste them:
  • Slimy food
  • Soft texture
  • Disagreeable odor
Discarding Contaminated Canned Foods
Contaminated foods should be treated with much care. Do not discard them where humans, pets, or other animals can get to them.
  • Suspected canned goods that are still in an unopened tin or glass jar can be placed in a regular trash bin ready for the garbage collector.
  • If you have already opened the canned good, and then suspect that there might be some contamination, it is a good idea to boil both container and contents prior to disposal. You can place the jar or tin with the contents in a large pan that will accommodate enough water to boil both container and contents for at least forty minutes to destroy the bacteria. After cooling, dispose of it in a container in the trash for the garbage collector. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly and sanitize everything that the contaminated containers and foods could have touched. If you used any washrags, sponges, etc., simply discard them. It is better to be safe than sorry.
Remember that even a most careful canner can sometimes have jars or cans that would lose their seal after a  short period of time. It is important that you check your canned products regularly. Doing your canning pressure cooking saves you a lot of money, but only if you follow directions precisely and take necessary care to dispose of contaminated foods.

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