Quote:
Originally Posted by Lowlander
so the first 48qts of puree,......do I really need to destroy them??? the tomatos used were "big momma hybrids" and "better bush improved", both of which I believe are high in acid content. They were also boiled for 4+ hours prior to canning, and will all be cooked thoroughly in whatever they are used in.
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48 quarts? No way I would destroy them. You commented that you have been doing it this way for a few years with no issues.
Just mark these quarts and make sure you boil the contents for 5 min.
That would kill any toxin, if there is any.
You actually only need to go to 185F or higher for 5 minutes, but 212 for 5 minutes will give you certainty and peace of mind and its easier to confirm boiling.
This kills the TOXIN not the SPORES. Spores are tough to kill and you need to go to 250 degrees to do it. But, we are not concerned about the spores.
Botulism spores are present and dormant in food all the time. It's when they start growing under the right anaerobic conditions, the byproduct they produce is the protein toxin.
Raw honey, by way of example, is considered to contain the spores. Which is why it is not recommended to give it to infants as they can develop intestinal botulism.
Healthy adults, with our stomach acid (who said that's not a good thing?) and other bacteria in our gut, don't have a problem with it. Without this protection we humans would have been dead a long time ago.
Canning guidelines - They are certainly there for a reason - they work and help keep the masses safe. But also keep in mind that they are positioned to allow for a margin of error. The USDA no doubt plays it very safe.
Another item to note is that prior to the mid 70's, adding citric acid or lemon juice was not part of the manual and no one added it.