By: Cassidy Hobbs
Johnston County FCS Agent
Home-canned foods can be beautiful, personal, and inexpensive gifts for the holidays, but you may be giving a gift that kills. If you are considering the purchase of the recently popular Instapot, use it only for cooking. The unfortunate gift of botulism may be the most impactful gift you give this year.
Botulism is a form of foodborne illness, commonly termed “food poisoning,” that is caused by the toxin, Clostridium Botulinum. Clostridium Botulinum toxins attack the nerve endings that join muscles and may cause paralysis. Symptoms of botulism include drooping eyelids, difficulty speaking and swallowing, drooling, dry mouth, double or blurred vision, weak muscles, and/or a thick-feeling tongue. Studies show there is a 35-65% chance of death for cases that do not receive medical attention.
The most common source of botulism is improperly home-canned foods. This is why using research-based, approved canning recipes and processing times are crucial. Depending on the acidity of the food you wish to can, recipes may require the addition of an acid or use of a pressure canner rather than using the boiling water bath method. Low-acid foods, such as asparagus, beans, beets, okra, corn, potatoes, peas, squash, meat and seafood, must be canned using a pressure canner. A combination of acid and high temperature is required to kill the Clostridium Botulinum toxins. As a result, low-acid foods must be canned using a pressure canner in order for temperatures to reach levels high enough to kill C. Botulinum toxins.
For this reason, you may safely cook in a pressure canner, but you can not home-can in a pressure cooker. If you or a family member are receiving an Instapot this year, it is important to know how to safely use them. Instapots are the latest version of an all-in-one pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, as well as a sauté and steam machine. Canning can not be safely performed in an Instapot. Although pressure is created in order to increase temperatures for faster cooking in an Instapot, the temperatures do not reach levels high enough to kill the toxins responsible for Botulism.
An Instapot can be a great holiday gift, but only when it is used as intended! Home-canned desserts and breads might also be on your gift-giving list this year, but you could be giving the gift of botulism. There are many recipes for home-canned breads and desserts in beautiful glass jars, but they are not actually home-canned. The products are baked in a glass jar, and the heat from the baking process seals the lid. This is not the same as canning. Breads and baked goods can not be canned due to the low acidity. “Canned” pies and pie-fillings are also off the approved canning (and gift-giving) lists due to the high levels of moisture and low acidity of the pie fillings. In addition to high moisture and low acidity levels of pie fillings, heat is not able to penetrate to the center of the jars and kill the toxins responsible for botulism due to the thickness of the product. As a result, canned pie fillings, purees, and butters are not shelf-stable and must be kept in the refrigerator or freezer. If you insist on “home-canning” cakes or pies, use recipes that are intended for refrigerator or freezer storage.
Keep your friends and family safe this holiday season! If you would like more information or approved canning recipes, contact Cassidy Hobbs by calling the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Johnston County Center at 919-989-5380. You can also email Cassidy at cdhobbs3@ncsu.edu.
