Canning red cabbage?

[animalfarm]

I agree with both of you - moolie & animalfarm - There may indeed be some sort of hidden agenda with the Powers That Be vis a vis home canning. Course it could just be that they are talking to the weakest link in the chain, the ones who think that "She does it (grandma, best friend's mom, that nice lady on u-tube), and it looks so easy; but why should I go to all the trouble of (insert time consuming but necessary step here)? It will probably be alright". I am a big believer in research, and my research and experience tell me that paraffin sealed jams are most likely OK, and (silly statement, really) "I haven't died yet". But I have a really hard time accepting gifts of pressure canned things (fish, meat - don't like canned veggies) unless I know the person who did the canning. Just too risky. A friend gave me a jar of salmon that her cousin had canned - cousin lives way up north in BC (probably only about halfway up, but that is still pretty far north ), and, one assumes, knows her stuff. It sat on my shelf for the longest time, and by the time I had got up the nerve to try it there was rust on the lid, so I tossed it out. I never had a problem with my mother's wax sealed jams, or with my German friends' jams where the lid was allowed to seal from the cooling of the heated jar; stuff that has been, or should have been pressure canned - yes, there I am more wary.
But I agree that those of us raised "back then", with parents who let us play in the dirt, etc. are probably better able to handle a slightly higher level of risk than many who were born later, and who have led a more sheltered life. Sad really, for them.
Animalfarm, your Aunt Bertha sounds like a feisty old lady, who was probably a wonderful person to know. Some of the more fun people I have known I have not seen entirely eye to eye with, but it didn't stop me liking them.

Know your source is a very important point. Cannot fault your reasoning one bit.

 

[ORChick]

ETA: This was in regard to the "dirty pool" comment

 

[Hinotori]

Traditional jams and jellies with all the sugar are pretty much self preserving because of the high sugar and acid content. Paraffin or open kettle does work just fine on them. If there was mold under the wax, we just tossed it since mold is the only real worry with it.

Mom had people she went to school with get very sick off home canned foods with she was younger. Culprit was water bath or oven canned vegetables and meats. She forgets she's told me and tells me all over again when I talk about what I'm canning. It's a small area and there are a lot of poor farmers there. Even poorer when Mom was growing up so people had to preserve things to eat in winter. Great Grandma always used her pressure canner for that stuff, as did Grandma. Mom only cans juices, fruits, jams, and jellies.

I want to try your recipe there. When I get up to the asian food store again I'll get me lots of cabbage. I need to make sauerkraut, I've been told so I will have plenty to try it.