I want to show the dangers of home canning, This article from the consumer Eroskiexplains very good, I leave it to youyou read and then I put a few little tricks conservation and consumption of canned.
Mar.marcos
Article extracted from :
Eroski consumer
(food security)
Safety in home canning
Good practice and the correct selection of food is essential to develop safer home canning
Canned food are the result of one or more processes of food handling. The aim is to preserve the attack of pathogenic microorganisms and keep them in the best possible conditions for a longer period of its useful life. During his food processing qualities are retouched and original properties are modified, as taste.
· By NATÀLIA Gimferrer MORATÓ
· 5 March 2008
The development of home canning is a practice highly valued by consumers and conducted numerous families today. Among the most common are the ketchup, thejams or pickled vegetables. However, Organization United Nations Agriculture and Food (FAO) advised not to consume or prepare homemade preserves due to the risk of contamination by pathogens occur. The main threat is caused by Clostridium botulinum ', bacteria containing toxin and can cause the disease known as botulism. In the worst case, This disease can cause death.
The dangers that threaten the development of home canning are real and not a little dangerous. Therefore, is necessary to take preventive measures to avoid the proliferation of unwanted microorganisms and ensure food safety. The bacteria responsible for the deterioration easily contaminated food when environmental conditions are favorable for multiplication. If weaknesses are known pathogens can be carried out making homemade preserves with minimal risk.
Raw material and processing
The preserved, once opened, must be kept at low temperatures
One of the most important points home canning is the correct selection of food to preserve. Its quality should be optimal, should choose fresh foods, no bumps or bruises and similar size. So, retains fluid is distributed more evenly. Food should be washed properly and remove all traces of dirt and the same plant. So, surface microbial load is significantly reduced.
Fruits, vegetables should be on your right ripeness. They can not be very green because it preserves causes loss of taste and would be insipid; nor ripe as due to excessive sagging break in processing.
The hygiene should be monitored throughout the process: hands must be clean and sanitized utensils and containers and well drained. Cross contamination may also be frequent and, to avoid, must use clean utensils for each food. They should never be reintroduced in a jar utensils with traces of other food, Least they are. To sterilize all instruments used can be boiled for 15 minutes, later, escurrirlos well. When manipulating, should never touch the inside of the container. To package should be used canned approved containers for food use, and it is recommended that these are new glass and with a good seal, although they can also come from old industrial canning.
It is preferable to prepare canned in small quantities and in shallow containers. If it is too high and deep the innermost layers are deprived of oxygen, which favors the growth of Clostridium '. It is therefore important to develop preserved in the right measure for, once opened, consumed whole or, failing, They can be kept in the refrigerator without contamination.
Better safe than sorry
The botulism It is the most common toxiinfección derivative of home canning, and is produced by the toxin produced by ingesting 'Cl. botulinum’ in food. Often, contamination can occur in the most absurd way. An example is when you suspect that the food is bad and try some finger. In this case, if food is contaminated with bacteria, it automatically transmits. Therefore, is vital to the prevention of toxin in food.
‘Cl. botulinum’ is a heat sensitive microorganism (including inactivated 80ºC and 115ºC) sensitive to acidic pH and (it does not multiply at pH below 4,5). During processing of canned foods should be cooked well (about 120ºC) to remove the most resistant pathogen spores. However, to ensure no contamination in canned ready to eat foods is advisable to boil over 10 minutes before consumption and eliminate the botulinum toxin in the case of having formed. In foods that do not receive heat treatment toxin growth avoids modifying the pH and / or water activity.
The pathogen is inactivated at low temperatures, whereby during the times 'dead', i.e., between a step and a drawing, be sure to keep food at low temperatures. Is not easy to detect the presence of the toxin in food. Therefore, the most important thing when home canning is to incorporate GHP, processing, monitor each step and devote special attention to the guidelines of the recipe, heat treatment, temperature during the process, temperature storage and shelf life of food. It is recommended not canning of animal origin and which by nature are very delicate to handle and susceptible to contamination, and require a high degree of control over their processing.
Storage of canned
The well-crafted and well packaged canned can be maintained for long periods of time if stored under favorable conditions to ensure quality. The most appropriate places are those whose temperature does not exceed 30ºC or where not give sunlight directly. The better preserved of light is the conserved, better nutritional value remains inside because the oxidation of nutrients be avoided. If the temperature is high, pathogens are able to multiply in a wide range of foods. The artisans working or small-scale home meals are easily susceptible to pathogen contamination.
After opening the preserves, if not consumed entire, should be kept refrigerated up to seven days. The bottles must be labeled indicating the content, weight, the date of packaging and liquid preservative if necessary, such as brine, vinegar or oil. It is important to indicate the quantity and type of product in the container and are advised not to keep stored for over a year. A bulging cap may be synonymous with the presence of microorganisms within, so it is advisable not to consume the product, as when the containers are breaks, are rusty or dented or opening date is unknown.
This information has been provided by Eroski CONSUMER