How long to water bath can corn

[rhoda_bruce]

I can see the rational in putting vinegar or tomatoes to hot water bath a low acid vegetable. Depending on how much produce I'd be planning on processing would determine if I'd take a chance. Personally I'd rather have a few sources to refer to if I'd want to attempt that.
I only processed corn once and it was in a pressure cooker/canner, with my grandma.....cold pack, with an incredibly long processing time and I think 2 tsp/pint of salt. I wouldn't chance low acid to hot water baths, because I've seen myself following directions, using pressure on squash and it still went bad.....you could see it bubble on the shelf....very discouraging.
Hope you blanched the corn before freezing it.

 

[Beekissed]

Do as you do but don't make the mistake of thinking that your way is the only way.

I agree! So when someone posts an innocent question and gets several posts of an alarmists nature that scares her into another course of action because these people think their way is the only way, one needs to speak up and assure her that, no, pressure canning isn't the only way and water bath canning of corn can be done safely and has been done safely by many people long before pressure canners were in vogue.

Every single time someone doesn't adhere to the USDA recommended canning rules on this forum you see the same kind of posts..dire threats of botulism. Yes, I repeat, get a grip on reality...the USDA recommendations are not the only way to can and threats of botulism are the same as telling someone not to fly in an airplane, they are known to crash. Don't drive, cars crash. Don't climb a tree, you could fall and break your neck.

Yes..all of these things COULD happen, but there is such a thing as acceptable risks and those used to canning for many years do take those because they know that incidents of botulism are so rare as to be more urban myth than anything. Good hygiene during food prep is the best insurance against this type of thing and those canning yearly and for their family's consumption are pretty strict on it.

 

[Britesea]

Of course, you could always do what your grandmother's grandmothers did... dry, salt, or ferment, and above all- learn to eat what is in season. As I do this more and more, I discover that I begin to treasure each season's tastes- because I had to wait as much as a whole year for it... asparagus and peas in the spring, corn and fresh tomatoes for summer, luscious squashes and pumpkin in the fall, and frost-kissed carrots and kale in the winter.

 

[k15n1]

...water bath canning of corn can be done safely and has been done safely by many people long before pressure canners were in vogue.

This phrase triggered a memory about the history of canning. Apparently it's military technology, at least, it was originally. Before that, other methods were used--probably a lot of dried field peas, wheat, salted and fermented stuff, etc. But I read that the invention of canning used huge dangerous pressure cookers. So canning, in the usual sense of the word, has always been done with a pressurized retort. Read all* about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canning

The whole food safety thing is so weird. It gets... political, almost. There are factions and deeply held beliefs, opinions, and all manner of things that lead to strife. I've recently been reading about food adulturation and how big-government was able to cut back on some of the ridiculous abuses. And it's ancient history, right? But even a hundreds of years ago the food industry was equally short sighted and willing to cut corners to make a buck. So the USDA and its tested recipes are a Good Thing.


*Yes, it's the internet, so it's not completely reliable. But it's not completely unreliable. Compare to other sources and use your common sense, as usual.

 

[Denim Deb]

But, you can't post anything on the internet that isn't true!

 

[DeniseCharleson]

... Read all* about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canning
...
*Yes, it's the internet, so it's not completely reliable. But it's not completely unreliable. Compare to other sources and use your common sense, as usual.

IMO, the proper role for Wikipedia (and other such wikis) is not the easy-to-read text and descriptions but, rather, as a easy-to-follow bibliography ... and the sources cited in the wiki are the ones on which to base actions and advice.

Example: If someone says "Wikipedia says that canned fruits and vegetables are as rich with dietary fiber and vitamins as the same corresponding fresh or frozen foods," that (by itself) garners a low level of confidence from me. If, though, they say that "Rickman, et al, in a 2007 study published in The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, looked at changes in carotenoids, vitamin E, minerals, and fiber due to processing, storage, and cooking of fresh, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables. They found that these nutrients are generally similar in comparable fresh and processed products (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jsfa.2824/abstract)" then I have something I can examine and evaluate ... but that second statement was just pulled from the footnote/citation of the first statement in Wikipedia.

 

[k15n1]

But, you can't post anything on the internet that isn't true!

Can't see youtube from work, but I think everyone knows that misinformation is an issue, regardless of the medium.

Oh, I found another site that's more specific [1] about the discovery of canning. Apparently the initial experiments were done with jars and cork stoppers. Still, I think pressure cookers were used for military rations and other early cooked food.

1. http://discoverpressurecooking.com/history.html

 

[Kelly Ann]

Thank you Beekissed, I will ask you if I have any further questions. My grandmother and her grandmother never had pressure canners and none died of their canning practices. I do water bath can potatoes as well as green beans, have for years and have had no problems. I just couldn't find my time on the corn. Again, thank you sincerely!!!!

Do as you do but don't make the mistake of thinking that your way is the only way.

I agree! So when someone posts an innocent question and gets several posts of an alarmists nature that scares her into another course of action because these people think their way is the only way, one needs to speak up and assure her that, no, pressure canning isn't the only way and water bath canning of corn can be done safely and has been done safely by many people long before pressure canners were in vogue.

Every single time someone doesn't adhere to the USDA recommended canning rules on this forum you see the same kind of posts..dire threats of botulism. Yes, I repeat, get a grip on reality...the USDA recommendations are not the only way to can and threats of botulism are the same as telling someone not to fly in an airplane, they are known to crash. Don't drive, cars crash. Don't climb a tree, you could fall and break your neck.

Yes..all of these things COULD happen, but there is such a thing as acceptable risks and those used to canning for many years do take those because they know that incidents of botulism are so rare as to be more urban myth than anything. Good hygiene during food prep is the best insurance against this type of thing and those canning yearly and for their family's consumption are pretty strict on it.

 

[BarredBuff]

This is ridiculous.

Food safety is not a joke. I'm sure water bathing does kill the minor food spoilers. I'm positive it does, actually. However, it doesn't kill the most lethal of them all.

For those of you seeking long term food storage do not water bath your low acids, this is like playing Russian roulette. Most times the chamber is empty (in this case no botulin toxin), but the times when when a bullet is there and you pull the trigger it's not gonna end good.

It's not 100% safe. Its just not.

For the life of me, I cannot figure why (even if it was safe) you'd want to water bath most foods. I, by far, prefer pressuring to water bathing. You don't break nearly as many jars, it uses less water, times for canning food is not as long, and guess what it is very, very safe. With my canners, you can stack jars and processing a heck of a lot more than in the granny ware canner. Don't get me wrong I like to water bath pickles, fruits, and most tomato products, but pressuring is safer and not nearly as resource intensive (water and YOUR time).

I've said my piece. If you'd like to elaborate on this with me feel free to via PM.

 

[moolie]

I'm sure I'll (yet again) get slammed for my comments, but here goes anyway

The best thing to do is to be educated on the subject: http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthfiles/hfile22.stm

After that, make decisions based on the level of risk you are comfortable with.

I hate how divisive this issue gets in conversation here (along with a few other pet issues on this forum).

Live and let live.

But also, don't be so gosh darn quick to label someone's comments just because you don't agree with them. A "forum" is a place for discussion, which means varying points of view will be expressed.

Personally, I would never water bath can anything low acid. My choice, do what you feel is right for you.