RAYMOND, Miss. -- With a renewed interest in home canning in recent years, advice and recipes are abundant, but experts remind home canners to be sure they use safe practices.

The foundation of safe home canning begins with research-tested recipes and the correct equipment.

“Cooking is an art, and canning is a science,” said Fran Brock, a family and consumer sciences agent with the Mississippi State University Extension Service in Oktibbeha County who has extensive training in home canning.

“Research-based recipes have been lab-tested to ensure that you will have a safe product free of bacteria that can cause life-threatening botulism poisoning. These recipes include the correct measurements of all ingredients, the size of jars you should use, the processing time and temperature, the amount of pressure, and the pH of the food,” she said.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation is the authority on safe home canning. Housed at the University of Georgia, the center uses the research-backed data supported by and gathered from U.S. Department of Agriculture testing.

Family recipes handed down through the decades are not safe and can result in food spoilage or food-borne illness.

“Research has evolved over the years, and we know more about safe practices of home canning,” Brock said.

Amy Walsh, a family and consumer sciences agent with the MSU Extension Service in Amite County, said she emphasizes the use of research-tested recipes.

“Don’t start with grandma’s recipes,” said Walsh, who also has extensive training in home canning. “If you have one you think you want to use, find a tested recipe that is similar. And don’t get creative and try to make up your own or adjust a recipe.”

Walsh also warns that not all canning advice and recipes on the internet are safe.

“Do not look to social media or non-educational websites for canning information. The internet is full of people who claim to be experts. They make up recipes and do not know if they are safe or not,” she said.

“If they are canning dairy products, they are not following safe standards. Don’t put the safety and health of your family at risk because a [social media] group you are in tells you that it is safe to can anything you want to can. Only follow groups that follow USDA safety standards.”

Using the correct equipment is the second step to ensuring a safe product.

Boiling-water canners and pressure canners are the only two research-tested canners. Boiling-water canners are used to process jams, jellies, preserves and high-acid foods, such as tomatoes and some fruits. A pressure canner is used when processing low-acid foods such as vegetables, meats and seafood.

Pressure canners with dial gauges should be tested every year before canning begins to ensure the gauge is accurate. This can be done at a local Extension office. Also make sure the vent port opening is clean and check the canner’s rubber gasket. It should be flexible and soft. If it is cracked or feels sticky, replace it, Brock said.

“Canned foods are not safe until they have been processed in either a water bath canner or pressure canner according to recipe directions,” Brock said. “The canning process ensures that food has been heated to at least 212 degrees Fahrenheit for water bath canning and 240 degrees Fahrenheit for pressure canning. This process ensures the food is in an airtight, vacuum-sealed container, which minimizes the risk of food spoilage.”

Walsh encourages beginners to start small with foods that can be canned in a boiling-water bath canner.

“Don’t overwhelm yourself when you first start. Start with smaller quantities when you are first learning. Get used to your equipment, and how long it takes you to can the items you enjoy,” she said. 

“People often get so excited about canning, they grow or buy very large quantities of vegetables or fruits. Canning is both time-sensitive and time-consuming. Having to can large quantities before they ruin is stressful and a lot of work. People will often cut corners and do not follow safe canning practices because they are exhausted.”

For more information on canning and research-tested recipes download MSU Extension Publication 1152, “The Complete Guide to Home Canning” and visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation at https://nchfp.uga.edu.

Many Extension offices offer canning classes. Contact a local Extension office to find out if one is scheduled.