# Green beans okay?



## sparkysarah (Dec 4, 2007)

I pressure canned for the first time a load of green beans. Being unfamiliar I followed the directions in the book. This is a large mirro canner from my mom. It is probably 20 years old. I put everything in the canner, put the weight on and waited for the sound to change (jiggle) then set the timer. Everything seems fine. Now I am reading about pressure canning other things and I'm reading that you are supposed to let it vent for 10 minutes before putting the weight on? Now I am concerned about my green beans I did a month ago. I would boil them for 10 minutes before eating if they are okay. I'm just extra paranoid with low acid foods because its my first year and I have small children. What would you do? Your opinion is appreciated!


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## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

I'm sorry, Sarah. I'd be nervous too, especially with a low acid food. 
Your best bet would be to find an extension office and give them a call. Every instruction book or video I've read/heard stresses the initial venting.


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## Catalpa (Dec 18, 2011)

The description of your canner sounds a lot like mine; Mirro, weight only no pressure gage, though I believe mine is from the 70s. I have the instruction book for it and it does say to put the weight on right away, and to start timing after the weight has jiggled forcefully.

After reading recipes in the Ball book, I took the approach of letting the weight jiggle full speed for ten minutes, then turned down the heat to get the several times a minute jiggle as described in the book and started timing from that point. A lot of my beans and corn seemed to be over-processed.

After re-reading everything, and watching how the canner spits and hisses and has steam and water coming out everywhere as it comes up to pressure, I believe the canner has vented before the weight starts to jiggle. It takes a long time for it to get to that point and a lot of steam comes out under the weight and around the gasket until everything is up to temp, the gasket has expanded and sealed, and the weight starts to move.

So now I start timing the batch when I turn down the heat after enough pressure has built up to really make the weight bounce and jiggle. The sweet corn still gets a little brown where it carmelized, but not as bad as before and the beans don't seem so overprocessed.

That's just the method to my madness that I share to give you a different perspective. You'll have to weigh your options and decided how you want to proceed. If you're concerned, simply let the weight jiggle for a full ten minutes before turning down the heat and starting the clock.


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## sparkysarah (Dec 4, 2007)

I think I started the timer on mine late and with first timers paranoia I know I cooked longer than it should. Mine does spit and sputter for quite a while before it started jiggling around. It has a little hook looking thing that comes down into the handle and that took a while to come down but it was before the weight started jiggling. I wish I could've had someone here with me with experience...


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## phbailey (Sep 18, 2012)

Catalpa said:


> The description of your canner sounds a lot like mine; Mirro, weight only no pressure gage, though I believe mine is from the 70s. I have the instruction book for it and it does say to put the weight on right away, and to start timing after the weight has jiggled forcefully.
> 
> After reading recipes in the Ball book, I took the approach of letting the weight jiggle full speed for ten minutes, then turned down the heat to get the several times a minute jiggle as described in the book and started timing from that point. A lot of my beans and corn seemed to be over-processed.
> 
> ...


I also have a weighted gauge only pressure canner from the 70's - mine is a presto brand. I had never heard of not venting before putting the weight on, and had actually read that it is done so that heated steam builds up inside and not just hot air trying to escape - the beginning vent lets that out. I looked around and found an instruction manual for mirro online - it also recommends venting before putting on the weight. ? Not sure - but if you are curious, you can read the manual here: http://www.uncledavesenterprise.com/file/garden/vegetable/mirropressurecooker.pdf
The canning portion is near the very end.

For the op, not sure about the green beans - I do know that boiling is supposed to kill botulism and its toxin, but I would also try to contact your extension office as well.

eta: just did some more looking around and found a paragraph about it on nchfp website that says not venting can lead to underprocessed food: "serious errors occur when Air is trapped in the closed canner during the process. Air trapped in a pressure canner lowers the temperature obtained for a given pressure (for example, 10 or 15 pounds pressure) and results in underprocessing. To be safe, USDA recommends that all pressure canners must be vented 10 minutes before they are pressurized. "


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

If you processed them longer than the recommended time they will be fine. I have forgotten to vent before, but since I don't start timing until the weight is jiggling vigourously plus the lock clicks, I've never had a problem. "Back in the day" we didn't vent but it is a good idea in order to get the air out. All home canned food should be boiled for 10 minutes before eating so you can detect any off flavours, so let that be your guide.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Catalpa said:


> The description of your canner sounds a lot like mine; Mirro, weight only no pressure gage, though I believe mine is from the 70s. I have the instruction book for it and *it does say to put the weight on right away,* and to start timing after the weight has jiggled forcefully.


My Mirro canner is from 1982 and it also says to put the weight on right away. It says that when it starts to jiggle, the air has vented.

I wouldn't worry about it. I think you did ok.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

phbailey said:


> *I do know that boiling is supposed to kill botulism and its toxin*


Think again. If that were true, all you would need is a boiling water bath canner.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

suitcase_sally said:


> Think again. If that were true, all you would need is a boiling water bath canner.


I canned beans for thirty-five years in a water bath canner. I would do it again if I had too, but pc are just faster.
Personally, I woudln't hesitate to use the OP's beans.


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## phbailey (Sep 18, 2012)

You're right SuitcaseSally! - I meant this instead:

"For example, if a low-acid food, such as green beans, is canned improperly (not canned under pressure or improperly canned using a pressure canner), C. botulinum bacteria and other bacteria present will be destroyed by the boiling of water and food, but the C. botulinum spores will not be destroyed. The canning process will remove the oxygen from the jar, creating a low-oxygen environment that is will allow the spores to grow into active bacteria. When the jars are stored at room temperature, the spores can germinate and produce the toxin. However, the toxin is sensitive to heat and can be destroyed if the food in question is boiled for 10 minutes (longer at high altitudes)." (from here: Fact Sheet on Clostridium botulinum | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service)

This is how I understand it (and I could be wrong). Let's say you have a jar of green beans with botulism in it - live bacteria colonizing it, with toxin as a by product present. When you open that jar - if you take a taste of it right out of the jar - that can be deadly. If you boil those beans for 10 min it will destroy the toxin (the deadly part) but not the spores. Those spores won't have time to "come to life" to produce toxin as they will be eaten and destroyed in our bodies. As an aside, we don't give honey to babies as their stomachs aren't hostile enough (acidic) to prevent botulism bacteria from colonizing there.

Also, botulism can be in foods that do not have an off smell, or taste. Another aside: adding time to processing will not help if the temperature is not 240 to 250 inside the pressure cooker and the jars. The only way to get to that temperature is to have pressurized steam, not just hot air.

Me personally, there are certain risks I just don't like to take.

Also, I hope I am not being seen as arguing about canning methods - I am just a nerd who likes to read about canning... and I am actually agreeing with sally. :teehee:


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## pumpkinlady (Sep 3, 2003)

Wow, I have never of venting for 10 minutes before. For over 30 years I have just waited until a nice steam comes out before putting on the weight. I do wait until I get a steady jiggle before turning down the heat to hold at the desired pressure I want. I have both the weight and weight for my presto pressure canner. I never had a problem but maybe I will try waiting a little longer now.


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## sparkysarah (Dec 4, 2007)

Thank you everyone! If I had known I would have done it. I have the original manual which is what I followed and it never speaks of venting. Fortunately it was only 9 pints. I will still use them before my frozen beans and boil for a good ten minutes. Next year when I only can and will not freeze I will vent!


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