Here we go, again

11 years ago

This is in my neck of the woods. A botulism death, more very ill, and still more in observation. Being attributed to a church picnic, because all those who fell ill attended. Since I am a home canner (and a very careful and serious one who follows the latest guidelines) I am not only sad for the people who are sick, but the person who prepared the lethal dish, and all home preservers. This is the kind of incident and bad press making people quake in fear at the mention of home canned food. Most folks who don't can and preserve are even afraid of the relatively benign jars of jelly because they don't understand the rationale behind the process. It could just as easily have been a bad run of commercially prepared food, but as soon as the words 'home canned' appear, it flips a trigger.

I don't know about others here, but I do NOT bring low acid home canned foods to social gatherings. Just because. I also heat (and have instructed my husband how to do it) all low acid home canned products before I serve them to my family. These are the kinds of incidents that prompt localities to ban pot lucks unless professionally catered. The sad thing is it was totally preventable on several levels.

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digdirt2

11 years ago

Rather than scaring away those new to canning I just wish incidents like this would wake up some of the I-do-it-like-grandma-did-bunch of longtime canners who refuse to upgrade their methods despite all the research and evidence to the contrary.

How many times have we talked here about similar incidences? How many times here have we discussed the many unsafe practices still commonly in use today despite all the information so readily available. Sure in some cases it is just because they don't know any better but in most instances it is done simply out of stubbornness and a refusal to learn and change.

Even if it should turn out to not be from the home canned foods served there it should still serve as a wake up call to those who refuse to change, to progress, with their home canning safety.

Dave

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Comments (10)

malna
11 years ago
Oh, my :-(

I hate to see that on the news. I agree, it is preventable (with a little education). And will scare people from preserving food at home (even jam and jelly as you said).

I also feel horrible for the person(s) who prepared the whatever-it-was-food. But, I will say, it's a good, albeit a hard smack-in-the-face-it-REALLY-can-kill-you, reminder to take home canning seriously as a science driven process, not the "I just put it in a jar - it'll be fine - Grandma always did that and she lived to be 90" mentality.

So, so sad on many different levels. Thanks for sharing.
theforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Read about this on CNN yesterday and was going to post something about it here today. Very sad.

1 dead in botulism outbreak linked to Ohio church potluck

Rodney
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Kristina Seleshanko
11 years ago
From what I have read, they don't know the cause of the botulism
...so it may not be anything home canned.
Kristina Seleshanko
11 years ago
So they announced today the outbreak was caused by home canned potatoes :(
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/301462631.html
matthias_lang
11 years ago
Heart breaking.
morz8 - Washington Coast
11 years ago
It really is so sad. I'd like to know what the mistake was, I'm sure we won't have that detail though.
nancyjane_gardener
11 years ago
Uggg! My SIL sent us a jar of salsa that psssssssd when I opened it, so I didn't use it! It was her first attempt a salsa.

Personally, I make and freeze stuff with my Food Saver these days. I recall the summer days canning when it was 90* and don't really want to re-live those days! LOL Nancy
gardengrlz
11 years ago
I read about that too and was waiting to hear what caused it. So sad.
Helen Zone 6 Ohio
11 years ago
It was home canned potatoes made into a potato salad. The incident happened in a small town close to me. I think the news people were kind enough not to mention the person's name who brought the potato salad. I feel very sad for everyone involved with this tragic event.