Bettacreek
Almost Self-Reliant
Mom and I are talking about canning together. Neither one of us has any supplies, so we'll need to get everything to start. She always had green beans and venison canned up while we were younger, but when we talked, she said she just used a regular water bath canner. I'm the kind of person who eats smoked, but still RAW steak (on the outside too, I just want it warm, not cooked) that I buy at the grocery store. I'll also eat ham if it was left on the counter in the summer over night and into the next afternoon. My eggs aren't fully cooked, and I'll eat raw brownie batter. You know, all the food safety issues that people say don't do or you'll get sick. Yet, I've never been sick from food. So, I'm thinking, what the heck, it hasn't killed me yet in my 22 years, so why stop now? I'm thinking that we're going to keep with the old methods and still water bath can everything, including the deer meat, ham, beans, etc. My mother also never added ANYTHING to make it more acidic, so, again, keeping with the old ways. Everyone says that it's not worth risk, but for real, you might get the skitters if you don't sniff your food before you cook it. You still get in your car and go for drives when you don't have to, but more to do something, and that's a bigger risk of killing yourself than eating food that might give you the hershey squirts. :/ Not that I'm recommending this for anyone else, just my personal choice. Does anyone else use this as their choice?
Well needless to say, I went back to the water bath method & learned a lesson in appreciating Ma's tried & true ways. We've rarely had a problem & have not been sick from food. I myself have only lost a total of about 10 jars of food in 30 years of canning and that's because I screwed up & I knew it.
I do it and will continue to do so....except now I have a steam canner. Just like water bath canning but doesn't use so much water....will try it out soon. 
