On 04/09/2013 01:20, Christina Websell wrote:
"Gary Woods" wrote in message
...
Baz wrote:

I am going to do some beetroot, onions, tomatoes and some cucumbers
(gerkins?).

I may have missed mention of botulism; surely everybody knows that
non-acid
foods need the temperature of a pressure canner to be sure?
I had to dig out my EnglishAmerican reference to find out that we call
them "Mason jars," after the dominant (but surely not only) manufacturer.
What are use are similar to the pictures of Kilner jars, with a separate
ring (usually removed after the contents cool) and lid with rubber seal,
which is not to be re-used.

My grandfather managed to not kill us all with his kidney beans storage but
IIRC he used rock salt. It came in loaf shape and had be sawed by a knife.
Tina

Bit puzzled by that comment. Kidney beans contain a mild toxin
(although if you have eaten them when they haven't been cooked hot and
long enough, it doesn't seem /that/ mild. I speak from experience). It
is in a different league (or different galaxy...) from botulism. I'm
not sure, but I would guess that if you cooked kidney beans long enough
to inactivate their toxin - basically 30 minutes at a rolling boil - you
would also kill any C.botulinum or its spores,as well as inactivating
any botulinum toxin, but I am happy to be corrected.

I would also guess that high concentrations of salt prolong spore
survival time. The less water a spore is exposed to, the longer it can
survive. Excess salt, even in solution, would keep a spore partially
dehydrated and more viable. But then salt isn't used to control botulism
- what is needed is potassium nitrate (saltpetre).

More info on the first couple of pages he
http://www.foodsafety.govt.nz/elibra...s_Produced.pdf

--

Jeff