food-bev PH testing

[patrick]

How important is it to test your PH when you are pressure canning? My folks canned veggies for a hundred years and I cannot ever remember them saying anything about it.

Thanks.

 

[NatGreenMeds]

How important is it to test your PH when you are pressure canning? My folks canned veggies for a hundred years and I cannot ever remember them saying anything about it. Thanks.

If you're following an exact, proven recipe for canning, that you got from someone you KNOW has made it exactly like the recipe, then you don't need to test the pH. It'll be fine, because it's always fine for that particular recipe.

However, pH is what determines if bacteria will grow in the canned food. If it's too high, you risk an $800 dollar emergency room visit or even severe illness up to death.

If you haven't done the exact same recipe or don't trust the person you got it from, then always test the pH.

pH testers are cheap by comparison to the consequences of getting ill.

 

[patrick]

Thanks.

Doesn't cooking the product under pressure for so many minutes kill all of the bacteria too?

There's a website, http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html , that lists the times that things need to be cooked for. Wouldn't following these guidelines make the product safe?

I'm not trying to find a way around getting a PH tester, that's going to happen very quickly, I'm just trying to educate myself.

Thanks again.

 

[NatGreenMeds]

Doesn't cooking the product under pressure for so many minutes kill all of the bacteria too?

No, pressure has nothing to do with it. Heat will destroy the bacteria initially, but the pH makes an environment that bacteria won't survive in during the long time the product is stored. There is no such thing as a man-made perfect vacuum. One tiny cell of bacteria gets in and without the pH being where it should be, that single bacteria will multiply into millions within a short time.

Having had food poisoning twice, I can unequivocally guarantee you that you do NOT want to go through it.....EVER.

Puking your shoelaces up through your nose is not something fun.

 

[patrick]

I understand the pressure doesn't kill any bacteria but it does allow the temperature to get hotter than the 212F that water boils at sea level. In fact steam can exceed 300 degrees F.

According to the USDA website food becomes sterilized between 240F and 250F. The amount of time that temp must be maintained varies according to the acidic level of what you're canning. At sea level 10lbs of pressure will get the temp up to 240F.

Nat I thank you very much for your comments, you made me do some research to find some answers.

You have my condolences for the food poisoning episodes, I've been there myself a couple of times and you're right, it isn't something that I would want to go through again or wish upon anyone.

 

[NatGreenMeds]

I understand the pressure doesn't kill any bacteria but it does allow the temperature to get hotter than the 212F that water boils at sea level. In fact steam can exceed 300 degrees F.

According to the USDA website food becomes sterilized between 240F and 250F. The amount of time that temp must be maintained varies according to the acidic level of what you're canning. At sea level 10lbs of pressure will get the temp up to 240F.

Nat I thank you very much for your comments, you made me do some research to find some answers.

You have my condolences for the food poisoning episodes, I've been there myself a couple of times and you're right, it isn't something that I would want to go through again or wish upon anyone.

I'm sorry you also experienced food poisoning. It's truly a major drag.

There are several ways to get the pH down in canning. Each involve adding something to your mix while heating it to initially kill all the bacteria. Then the pH makes the food environment so acid that bacteria can't thrive there. A selection of sources should supply you with several ways to bring down the pH effectively.

Good luck man!

 

[patrick]

Thanks for the good luck wish Nat, I'm off to find me a PH tester.

 

[NatGreenMeds]

Thanks for the good luck wish Nat, I'm off to find me a PH tester.

That said, if you're processing something that won't allow for an acid pH, then you're right on with the Pressure canning method. There are hundreds of examples of it on the shelves of our local grocery stores. When doing it at home, serious care must be used to make absolute certain that what you've canned is processed, sealed and stored properly.

Here's a really good link to a Pressure Canning page.

 

[patrick]

Awesome! Thanks again Nat, you the man!