Should I reprocess this?

[gracewriter]

I canned chicken stock in a pressure canner yesterday. It's the first time I pressure canned anything.

While I was venting I noticed I didn't have the lid on correctly. Pressure was up to about 4lbs and I hadn't put the weight on yet.

Anyway, I cut the heat and after it cooled to the point where I could get the canner lid off, I quickly adjusted the lid and processed 10 minutes longer than required at the specified 10lbs of pressure.

All the lids popped and sealed.

But I'm concerned because I don't know what I'm doing.

The water looked like it might have been cloudy, (I left 1" head space in jars) but it might also have been my freaked out imagination. A white paper towel showed nothing and the only thing I could really smell was the vinegar I had put in the water.

Logic tells me to stop worrying so much, but emotions tell me I'm going to poison my family.


I didn't use that wire thing that you set the metal rack/plate in. I just used the flat metal rack on the bottom of the canner and set the jars on that.

So my jars were sitting in about 2" of water.

Any advice or feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bigjim68]

I'd go with logic

 

[taxlady]

I'd go with logic

Me too.

I'll just ad a quote from the 1975 edition of Joy of Cooking:

"The government warns that all home-canned meats should be boiled in an open pan for 20 minutes before tasting or eating."

So, not quite as handy as store-bought.

 

[gracewriter]

Thank you.

I just wish my grandmother was still alive to advise me. I can't believe how straight forward and simple the advise from writers from decades ago compared to what seems paranoia from today's government advise.

It's enough to make one NEVER EVER want to can anything. Yet statistics show the people who actually get botulism is EXTREMELY low and always attributed to doing something dumb, like eating food out of a jar that became unsealed.

I've been pulling my hair out. Like who wants to can meat if you have to boil it for 20 minutes after you open it.

What would be the point? Makes me wonder if the canning industry is paying big lobbying bucks to scare the crap out of home canners.

I also wonder about Pectin lobbyists in the same way. How is any novice able to overcome all the fear mongering?

I already gave up on water bath canning cause it just got too scary. Now I'm about ready to throw out my $200.00 pressure canner cause I can't sleep at night wondering if I did it EXACTLY right.

Seems to not be worth the effort.

I thought this was going to be fun, but now it's a bloody nightmare worrying about getting everything exactly right.

thanks for your responses and letting me vent.

 

[mcnerd]

Processing of any meat product, including broth, must be processed at the proper temperature and time for it to be safe which is 11 psi for tested dial gauge canners. Anything less and the Botulism spore, if present, will not be killed.

Reprocessing is recommended but can only be done within 24 hours of the original attempt, otherwise it is not safe to do so.

Canning home foods is fun and practical, but it does demand respect because there are inherent dangers involved if down wrong and not corrected.

 

[taxlady]

Thank you.

I just wish my grandmother was still alive to advise me. I can't believe how straight forward and simple the advise from writers from decades ago compared to what seems paranoia from today's government advise.

It's enough to make one NEVER EVER want to can anything. Yet statistics show the people who actually get botulism is EXTREMELY low and always attributed to doing something dumb, like eating food out of a jar that became unsealed.

I've been pulling my hair out. Like who wants to can meat if you have to boil it for 20 minutes after you open it.

What would be the point? Makes me wonder if the canning industry is paying big lobbying bucks to scare the crap out of home canners.

I also wonder about Pectin lobbyists in the same way. How is any novice able to overcome all the fear mongering?

I already gave up on water bath canning cause it just got too scary. Now I'm about ready to throw out my $200.00 pressure canner cause I can't sleep at night wondering if I did it EXACTLY right.

Seems to not be worth the effort.

I thought this was going to be fun, but now it's a bloody nightmare worrying about getting everything exactly right.

thanks for your responses and letting me vent.

I have never canned any meat for that very reason. But, I wish I still had my pressure canner - my ex got it

But, when I still had it, I used it instead of the water bath canner, because it was quicker and all the lids always sealed. My ex used to make big batches of chili with beans in it, because it was a giant pressure cooker. It's also an autoclave, so it can be used to sterilize stuff.

 

[Bigjim68]

Why not just freeze? So much simpler and less dangerous. When I make stock I make a large quantity, 5-10 carcasses for chicken, reduce the stock to fill 2 or 3 ice cube trays, and freeze. Takes little room and easy to get the strength you need when using.

 

[taxlady]

Why not just freeze? So much simpler and less dangerous. When I make stock I make a large quantity, 5-10 carcasses for chicken, reduce the stock to fill 2 or 3 ice cube trays, and freeze. Takes little room and easy to get the strength you need when using.

I freeze stock in a silicone muffin pan. It's really easy to pop out the frozen chunks of stock.

I was going to say, because freezing takes so much space in the freezer. But, you have that covered. I will reduce my stock the next time. I had wondered if that would be good idea.

 

[jbrlzap]

I tried making pickled carrots this summer & had a similar problem. I am very reluctant to EVER try canning again!!!! I'll stick to jams

Thank you.

I just wish my grandmother was still alive to advise me. I can't believe how straight forward and simple the advise from writers from decades ago compared to what seems paranoia from today's government advise.

It's enough to make one NEVER EVER want to can anything. Yet statistics show the people who actually get botulism is EXTREMELY low and always attributed to doing something dumb, like eating food out of a jar that became unsealed.

I've been pulling my hair out. Like who wants to can meat if you have to boil it for 20 minutes after you open it.

What would be the point? Makes me wonder if the canning industry is paying big lobbying bucks to scare the crap out of home canners.

I also wonder about Pectin lobbyists in the same way. How is any novice able to overcome all the fear mongering?

I already gave up on water bath canning cause it just got too scary. Now I'm about ready to throw out my $200.00 pressure canner cause I can't sleep at night wondering if I did it EXACTLY right.

Seems to not be worth the effort.

I thought this was going to be fun, but now it's a bloody nightmare worrying about getting everything exactly right.

thanks for your responses and letting me vent.

 

[sparrowgrass]

Gracewriter, if I am reading your post right, you canned the broth for the recommended time (plus 10 minutes) and at the recommended pressure, right?

If that is true, I would not hesitate for one moment to use your broth. And I would not worry one bit about what a 1975 version of the Joy of Cooking says.

The USDA canning recommendations err on the side of safety, botulism is extremely rare, and you did everything right.

I have been canning for way more years than I want to admit. I have a Ball Blue Book, and I use the USDA Food preservation website, and I do not hesitate to use what I have processed. (I also work for Extension here in Missouri, and have advised many people on canning, and helped to teach canning classes.)

Canned broth and meat products are convenient, and you have no worries about power outages or freezer malfunctions.

If you are going to be afraid, be afraid of real dangers, like talking on the cell phone while driving.