CS-009: Preventing Botulism & Food Poisoning | Canning 101

In today’s session we get into preventing botulism and food poisoning. This is the third in my Canning 101 series.

I put this series together to give those new to canning as well as those more experienced a good review of the concepts central to the wonderful world of safe home canning and food preservation!  In this session we will learn the answers to these questions —

* What is botulism?

* How do you get it?

* What are its signs and symptoms?

* How do you prevent botulism or other food poisoning?

* What is meant by a low-acid versus a high-acid food?

* Why is it so important to understand acidity of the food you are preserving?

* What are the basic methods to safe food processing?

As a reminder, this series of shows is based entirely on information and expertise provided by the USDA, the National Center for Food Preservation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Ball Blue Book of Preserving.

Click here or on the picture to buy your own copy of the Ball Blue Book.  (Affiliate Link)

These additional links were provided to my by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  These sites are very detailed and should provide you with the information you are looking for.

* http://www.cdc.gov/features/homecanning/

* http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/botulism/

* http://www.cdc.gov/ncezid/dfwed/medscape/foodsafety.html#botulism

* http://www.foodsafety.gov/poisoning/causes/bacteriaviruses/botulism/index.html

* http://www.cdc.gov/nationalsurveillance/botulism_surveillance.html

* http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html

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This is the full transcript for this session —

This is the Canning Season podcast with John Gavin, episode #9.  Get out your pencils, your lunch boxes and settle in.  You’re back in school.  It’s Canning 101 and this is the most important lesson of this series.

Welcome to the Canning Season Podcast.  This is the show that’s dedicated to helping you get the most out of the home canning and preservation lifestyle.  In this community, it’s all about celebrating and sharing the abundance.  To lead the way, here’s your host, an avid home canner himself, John Gavin.

Hey everybody.  I’m John Gavin.  I’d like to welcome you back to this, the Canning Season Podcast.  I said at the beginning that this is perhaps the most – I didn’t say perhaps but it is – it’s perhaps the most important lesson of the Canning 101 series.

Today, we get into the topic of botulism and food poisoning.  When you are approaching the topic of home canning and food preservation, there is nothing more important that you must master as a concept.  Let me say that again.  If you are considering taking on home canning and food preservation as a hobby to provide for our family, your friends in any way at all, you must master the concepts related to botulism and food poisoning.

The good news is, it’s not that hard but it’s super important,