Cooking with Chef Jo: My Personal Position on Preserving Food

I make no secret that I don't follow every recommendation or guideline that is currently enforce while preserving my food stuff. Even Ball and the FDA has changed their own rules over the years on what is safe or unsafe to home can. I suggest you do your own research and make an informed decision based on what you learned. Don't take just a dozen 'notable' canner's word for it, myself included.

I am not paid or endorsed by anyone but me. Unlike to afore mentioned entities. Yes, what I do at home is different than what I did as a professional chef. There are standards for everything even for chefs. For chefs there's a test every five years called ServSafe. It's a huge test! Since my strokes and not being allowed in professional kitchens as a chief cook, bottle washer, macro and micro manager for taste, overseer of preparation and
service...otherwise known as an executive chef, I've let my license lapse. That's not to say that I've forgotten what I practiced for almost fifteen years full time and over 30 years part-time.

Now that this disclaimer is out of the way, let me tell you how I preserve food for my household. It's a multitiered approach. Part is from a grandmother-mother's knee approach. Part of my knowledge was garnered from others. I used to love hearing old timers' stories and how they did things in their time. Now, I'm getting to be the old timer. Some things I've watched videos and then researched it. Lastly, the Federal site and the Ball Canning book among other authorities.

For water bath canning my grandmother held firm to a 10% rule. Ninety percent or more of the food prepared has to be high acid. No more than 10% of low acid food added to the high acid is safe to water bath can. This is different than any guideline I've read. But, the food in question must not contain meat or meat byproducts. The exception is using already processed meat byproducts like shelf stable broths. They've already been processed at the higher temperatures to make them safe. But the 10% rule still stands. Did I confuse you?

For example, onions, peppers, herbs, and garlic added to a tomato based pasta sauce is okay to water bath can based on my experience (my mother's, grandmother's, and their descendants). The low acid foods are right at or below the 10% mark and fully cooked before canning. This is calculated by weight. In my case, there's more than 200 years of processing history behind this decision. Of course, each jar when opened is tested, if the product was still sealed and the contents haven't spoiled before being consumed.

Opening Jars Sealed Since 1999
The same goes for the age of home canned food. When I moved here five years ago, A case of various pickles and jams dated 1999 came with me. I cautiously checked the seals even though it survived being transported in a moving truck almost 600 miles. If you've every had a jar or seal explode on you, you'll understand my care. It doesn't happen very often but it can happen especially with old jars and some of my jars have been in use since the 1970s. The seals were still good. I popped open each jar expecting a foul odor. There was none. I carefully scooped out the contents onto a small plate and examined it. The texture was off so I trashed the lot. Technically, I could have tasted it. The aroma was true on all items. But texture, flavor, and presentation is a big thing with me. Push come to shove, I would have eaten it if I had to and been safe...probably.

Whether to use a home canned product boils down to common sense. I love myself too much to poison myself, or anyone else for that matter. If the seal is broken, it's bad even if it smells okay and there's no evidence of decay (mold or bad smell). It goes into the trash. If in doubt, throw it out is a good motto to have. That's common sense, isn't it? It applies to commercially canned food stuff too. I can't count how many times I've gotten food poisoning from a commercially canned product or restaurant in my over half century on Earth. Even once is too many times. My nephew and brother in law ended up hospitalized for over a week because of contaminated canned, name brand tuna. My sister is a stickler like I am said the tuna smelled alright in the can too. Even being careful doesn't always mean you are safe.

Cleanliness is next to godliness as far as home preservation of food stuff is concerned. It's my rule and I stick to it. How many folks wash their sink before preparing food? Even if they don't plan on using it? How many folks add a teaspoon of bleach to their washing and rinsing water pan when hand washing dishes? How many folks spray their clean plates and silverware with hot water or place the plates in the oven to warm before service for each meal? I'm guilty on all counts.

True confession time, I'm a slob except for when food prep and preservation is concerned. I really don't care if my hands are soft with manicured nails. If I have stains or rips in my clothes, at least they are clean. I rarely sweep, dust, or vacuum unless I can no longer stand it.  I don't care if my clothes are folded, properly, wrinkled, or put away. I will make my bed once a week because I've got to change the sheets. But my kitchen, that's another story. I need it organized just so, the floors are swept and mopped, the counters are wiped down with soapy bleach water before anything is made. As for the aftermath of cooking, I tend to clean as I go along, but the rest is up to Mel. I cook and she cleans up. The only exception was last week. She threw her back out by zigging when she should have zagged.

I'm a firm believer if it ain't broke, it doesn't need fixin'. I look at food preservation the same way. If its been canned, dehydrated, and put food by for a half century or more a particular way and it ain't broke (make me or anyone ill, or puts us in danger) why change because regulations change over the years? And, there have been many changes. Ball's Canning Book used to have recipes with milk and cheese, and how to can them. The same thing goes for vegetables like squash.  I even have a canning book on how to can a lot of no nos today. Yes, I understand that knowledge of food preservation grows with the time. There are also a lot of lobbyists paying out tons of money influences changes also. Sure cheese has a density issue, as most dairy products, but there are ways around it like heating products before they are pressure canned to name one technique. But then again, I have books and knowledge that stretches back to the 1700s too. I use my brain and research something on everything if I'm in doubt. I never take things at face value.

I will follow guidelines set aside for certification for cottage industries when making thing for sale because it's the law. DOH! But when it comes to home use, that's my position on food preservation. As always, do your own research and follow what you believe is best for you and your loved ones.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Chef Jo