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How to Check for and Handle Spoiled Home Canned Food, How to Can Green Snap or Italian Beans

Preserving - Other
I am sorry, but you grew botulism most likely...
You cannot safely water bath any vegetables unless they are highly acidified and pickled. Vegetables must be pressure canned to preserve them. It takes temperatures higher than boiling water temperature to destroy botulism spores. No matter how long you boil water it cannot reach high enough temperatures to destroy botulism.
You need to be VERY careful, and detox the whole batch.
Then, if you want to can green beans in the future you must use a pressure canner, ( not a cooker ) and process them properly.

HANDLING SPOILED CANNED FOOD:
Look closely at all jars of food before opening them. Do not eat food which shows signs of spoilage. Do not taste foods that show signs of spoilage or foods from a jar with unsealed lids. All suspect jars of spoiled low-acid foods, including tomatoes, should be treated as containing botulism toxin.

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 cottony mold growth (white blue, black, or green) on the top food surface and underside of lid.

DETOXIFICATION PROCESS BEFORE DISPOSAL:
Carefully discard any jar of spoiled food to prevent possible illness to you, your family, and pets. Detoxify unsealed, open, or leaking jars of food before disposal to prevent the spread of toxin

If suspect glass jars are still sealed, place them in a heavy garbage bag. Close the bag, and place it in a regular trash container or bury it.

If suspect jars are unsealed, opened or leaking, detoxify (destroy bacteria and toxin) as follows before disposal. Place suspect jars of food, including lids, on their sides in an 8-quart volume (or larger) stock pot. Wash your hands thoroughly in hot soapy water. Carefully add water to the pan until it is at least one inch above the containers. Avoid splashing the water. Place a lid on the pot. Heat to boiling, and boil rapidly for at least 30 minutes to insure detoxification and destroy all bacteria and toxin. Cool and drain water and dispose of the containers, lids and food in the trash, or bury in soil to prevent accidental poisoning.

Thoroughly scrub all counters, containers, and equipment that may have touched the food or containers, and other equipment or utensils used in the process with a solution of 1 part chlorine bleach to 5 parts water. Wet the surface with this solution and let stand 5 minutes before rinsing.

Wash clothing in hot water and soap.
Wash hands thoroughly in hot water and soap.
Place sponges, wash cloths and towels that were used in clean-up in a plastic bag and discard them in the trash. Boil all items in the water for 30 minutes. Cool and discard jar contents in garbage or bury in soil. This will prevent accidental poisoning.

HOW TO CHECK FOR SPOILED CANNED FOODS
Improperly canned low-acid foods can contain botulinum toxin without showing signs of spoilage. Low-acid foods are considered improperly canned and not safe if any of the following are true:

The food was NOT processed in a pressure canner.
The gauge of the canner was inaccurate.

Up-to-date researched processing times and pressures were NOT used for the size of the jar, style of pack and kind of food being processed.

Ingredients were added that were NOT in an approved recipe.

Proportions of ingredients were CHANGED from the original approved recipe.

The processing time and pressure were NOT correct for the altitude at which the food was canned.
Because improperly canned low-acid foods can contain botulinum toxin without showing signs of spoilage, they should also be detoxified and then discarded.

BEANS, SNAP AND ITALIAN -- PIECES
Green and wax

QUANTITY: An average of 14 pounds is needed per canner
load of 7 quarts; an average of 9 pounds is needed per
canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 30 pounds and
yields 12 to 20 quarts -- an average of 2 pounds per
quart.

QUALITY: Select filled but tender, crisp pods. Remove
and discard diseased and rusty pods.

PROCEDURE: Wash beans and trim ends. Leave whole or cut
or snap into 1-inch pieces.

Hot pack-- Cover with boiling water; boil 5 minutes.
Fill jars, loosely leaving 1-inch headspace.

Raw pack -- Fill jars tightly with raw beans, leaving 1-
inch headspace. Add 1 teaspoon of canning salt per quart
to the jar, if desired. Add boiling water, leaving 1-
inch headspace. Adjust lids and process.

Recommended process time for SNAP AND ITALIAN BEANS
in a dial-gauge pressure canner, use 11 lb. pressure, weighted gauge, use 10 lb. pressure, unless you need to adjust for higher altitude.
Pints 20 min. quarts 25 min.
MsgID: 207660
Shared by: Linda Lou,WA
In reply to: ISO: Canning green beans went wrong
Board: Canning and Preserving at Recipelink.com
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Reviews and Replies:
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  Linda Lou,WA
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