Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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Do not taste food from a jar with an unsealed lid or
food that shows signs of spoilage.
You can more easily detect some types of spoilage in
jars stored without screw bands. Growth of spoilage
bacteria and yeast produces gas which pressurizes the
food, swells lids, and breaks jar seals. As each
stored jar is selected for use, examine its lid for
tightness and vacuum. Lids with concave centers have
good seals.
Next, while holding the jar upright at eye level,
rotate the jar and examine its outside surface for
streaks of dried food originating at the top of the
jar. Look at the contents for rising air bubbles and
unnatural color.
While opening the jar, smell for unnatural odors and
look for spurting liquid and cottonlike mold growth
(white, blue, black, or green) on the top food surface
and underside of lid.
Spoiled low-acid foods, including tomatoes, may
exhibit different kinds of spoilage evidence or very
little evidence. Therefore, all suspect containers of
spoiled low-acid foods, including tomatoes, should be
treated as having produced botulinum toxin and handled
carefully in one of two ways:
* If the swollen metal cans or suspect glass jars are
still sealed, place them in a heavy garbage bag. Close
and place the bag in a regular trash container or bury
it in a nearby landfill.
* If the suspect cans or glass jars are unsealed,
open, or leaking, they should be detoxified before
disposal.
Detoxification process:
Carefully place the suspect containers and lids on
their sides in an 8-quart volume or larger stock pot,
pan, or boiling-water canner. Wash your hands
thoroughly. Carefully add water to the pot. The water
should completely cover the containers with a minimum
of a 1-inch level above the containers. Avoid
splashing the water. Place a lid on the pot and heat
the water to boiling. Boil 30 minutes to ensure
detoxifying the food and all container components.
Cool and discard the containers, their lids, and food
in the trash or bury in soil.
Thoroughly scrub all counters, containers, and
equipment including can opener, clothing, and hands
that may have contacted the food or containers.
Discard any sponges or wash cloths that may have been
used in the cleanup. Place them in a plastic bag and
discard in the trash.
* USDA Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539 (rev. 1994)
* Meal-Master format courtesy of Karen Mintzias
