# Can I trust my home canned food?



## GBov (May 4, 2008)

I keep reading that I should heat my home pressure canned foods to the boiling point but as I have canned FISH to eat with crackers, I really don't want to do that!

Isnt the point of home canning to have really good food on hand all the time?

So are the guide books right that I need to boil the heck out of everything I put up or can I trust my food and eat it straight out of the jars?


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## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

Are you referring to a canning book like Ball when you say guide books? I would follow their directions. They are the experts on this subject. I seldom deviate because I don't want Mr Botulism to visit.


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## Fourthistles (Feb 24, 2003)

Keep in mind that the canning references will always err on the side of caution due to possible legal action. That being said, I have never boiled my home canned foods prior to eating, just heat things up to temperature. Remember, boiling is not effective against botulism anyway; that's why we pressure can.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

We can salmon, sturgeon and tuna, smoked and raw packed, all the time and eat it right out of the jar. Also chicken for chicken salad sandwiches....James


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## arrocks (Oct 26, 2011)

Assuming you used approved guidelines when canning the fish and assuming you did it properly then the food is safe to eat out of the jar. I don't know where you are reading this claim but I suspect it is an outdated or unapproved source as the current guidelines do NOT stipulate that food must be boiled before eating it when the proper procedures are used.
However if there is any doubt that you did not follow current guidelines (See: http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_05/fish.html then yes you should boil it as the risk is too great.


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## dyrne (Feb 22, 2015)

I was going to post that with botulism, the toxin is the concern and not the bacteria or spores when eating from the jar but I guess the toxin also does break down over 185 degrees F... If you are a government agency or publishing a book you might cover yourself by recommending folks boil their canned food prior to consumption.


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## GBov (May 4, 2008)

Thank you all very much. It was confusing me as I am following the directions to the letter with everything I am canning so I thought the food should be safe. Will enjoy my fish on crackers now, thanks again.


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## M88A1 (May 21, 2012)

jwal10 said:


> We can salmon, sturgeon and tuna, smoked and raw packed, all the time and eat it right out of the jar. Also chicken for chicken salad sandwiches....James


jwal,

you just me home sick for fishing the Columbia river for salmon, steelhead and sturgeon...my mom and grandma used to get tuna off the boat in Ilwaco and can it.


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## bugstabber (May 12, 2002)

I was at a canning lesson a couple years ago, and the extension person said that they no longer tell people that. She actually said that they didn't know why they were telling people that because it is unnecessary.


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## kyweaver (Nov 30, 2009)

It is recommended not to feed home canned food to infants under one year or anyone with a compromised immune system. But those same experts recommend not feeding anything uncooked, so yeah, a little overcautious!


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