Don't Do This to Store Dry Foods 

Brenda: Thank you for using the evidence and canning safely. Jim

Me too. I only listen to her and Alaska Prepper for any of my preps.

@@laurenrae7695 I also trust Carolyn Thomas on Homesteading Family.

I have done that also.

I lean into what I learn here, and I appreciate how extensive Pam's food preservation tips are, but I find some of the other channels that share people's experiences with water bath canning and Amish canning techniques interesting too. As someone newer to home canning and food preservation, I'm not brave enough to try some things I've seen presented elsewhere though. I feel more comfortable with explanations that discuss the science behind things. I also find the adversarial, "in your face" tone used by a lot of self-described "rebel canners" somewhat off-putting.

I am all for killing the bugs and I like the idea of the freezing method but then aren’t the bug remains or, as mentioned in this video, the eggs still in the food? I’m new to canning and food storage and I agree with the other person that my favorites so far are Rose Red and Alaska Prepper. And Whippoorwill Holler😊

Yes, I seen that video too….Talking and showing us how to show us how to dry can. That video should be taking down. It’s misleading, it could make a lot of people sick or even kill them.

I had seen a couple of dry canning videos some time ago, and I was just recently contemplating dry canning some things, and then this video was suggested. So glad I watched! I didn't even know about this channel when I watched the other videos previously. I feel like it was a bit providential that this was recommended when it was. 😊

@@charmc4152 YES! Same here!!! I have canned for a few years but mostly froze my veggies. I had never heard of that oven canning. I had never heard of vacuum sealing in jars either. I've come a long way I 😆

@@ourcrazylife2952rrrirrrrrrrruaarrrouua😊rrro

Jennifer: Thank you. Yes, we are regular, ordinary people. Jim

@@RoseRedHomestead Ive been doing this for weeks - vac seal flour (boxed) and vac sealing dyhrated stuff - how long do dehydrated veg last in jars please?

@@RoseRedHomestead ❤️

I love the silly moments too !!!! I also love her serious nature as she is educated and does many trials to tests things herself, which is very time consuming, so she can teach us the safest way to store food, not only for safety but also so we don’t waste time and money on ruined products 🥰 I so appreciate her concern for safety and willingness to share her knowledge with us ……and let us see her silly side 🤣

Welcome Jennifer to a great community!

I’m not far from there. It’s been an incredibly hot summer. My garden snd grass have burned up even watering every day. That on top of everything else going on. Frightening.

All it takes is another Covid, its that simple. And there WILL BE another Covid, my guess is the death rate will be higher also.

Amen!

Excellent point. We need to come up with a term that accurately describes what it is that they're doing, that isn't "canning".

People have stored dryed foods in jars for 60 years that I've known about. You can call it whatever you want. Not just family, but everyone in town does it. Many cannot afford mylar, oxypaks, & foodgrade buckets. Storing it with any means available.Also, in the southwest US, weevils, other bugs, get into foods but not in a jar. Rodents can eat thru a foodgrade bucket. These dry foods, like, rice, flour, oatmeal, cornmeal are rotated constantly throughout the year. Flour used to come in a 5 gallon square can. So did honey. My mom's honey turned dark, even kept in a basement, so she wanted my dad to throw it away. He tasted it & said it was good, but she didnt want it black so out it went. Many people put their flour sacks in a freezer for a few days, many keep it in there or their fridge permanently. So whether the germination is killed by the oven or the freezer, at least you have something to eat for a few months. Pinto beans do not store well no matter how you do them for longer than a year. They become so hard you can't even grind them for a flour or powder. (Yes we tried).People can read the stats or check all the research you want, but each climate is different & to store food you have to do whatever you can where you live, & by the means you have available at the time. Sure, more technology & science is available, but just like waxing the top of jams & jellys, many things done to preserve food for the last hundred years or more still works, salting meat for instance, or smoking it. It will work! I wouldn't want anyone to be discouraged to store Whatever they can by whatever means necessary. People are thinking Short Term Storage today to get through this financial crises. Build a couch with cases of canned (in cans, not jars) food, put cushions on top. I've seen people do this, and store food under beds(I still am). Store what you can. Store what you eat, & eat what you store. If rotating constantly you'll be just fine.

Well said!

@@mayhembeading3737 it's just storing food. Anything's better than nothing.

What a great idea! I try and keep my used lids separate but like you if I get help its really not help. 😆

I do that also

I have done that also. But normally I write on the lid when I use it for canning, the contents and date, so I would know it had been used.

Ty, such an easy solution. I hate rummaging through my lids sometimes.

What she said 100% ☝️

I buy that sauce too! And I also use them for my dehydrated produce. 😁

We started saving all of our glass jars. Pasta sauce, pickles, olives, etc. Some of those jars can be fitted with regular or wide mouth lids. I haven't canned with any of them yet, but looking forward to experimenting.

I have saved all my bigger glass jars for several years. But never tried to can with them, im afraid they would crack or something under pressure? But I do put stuff in the freezer in them. Like soup, or cut corn off the cob, I just cook it like usual and then but in jars while hot and let them cool completely then freeze. Does anyone think this is not safe?

@@kimcollins9462 what aspect of safety are you concerned about? I wouldn't think the jars would break since you're cooling them first, and I would think freezing the food in them is safe as well. I would only wonder about freezer burn. I also save all good quality glass jars for food storage. I would think jars that go through a heat processing cycle for its original product would be safe for canning. But I've seen before not to trust them? That doesn't really make sense to me, but as of now I'm just using them for vacuum sealing.

@@kimcollins9462 if the jars seal properly I would not waste my freezer space for that. They should be able to stand alone. My freezer space is very limited so I pressure can and vacuum seal as much as possible

Me too! I say NO!! “YOU” need to watch Rose Red!!(sometimes out loud)

Don't go for supper is she's having spaghetti! Lol

Wow, thanks! We really appreciate that.

Charlotte: Thanks for the very kind comments. Jim

Many, many years ago, people actually canned in the oven. People actually died or were maimed doing this. If they opened the oven and someone opened the door letting in a cold breeze, the jars could explode covering them with scalding product and glass. I wouldn’t be surprised if dry products in jars might also explode. I wouldn’t take a chance.

You are correct. But of course the amount of heat is the main factor. At a certain temperature the glass will break. Especially if the jar heats unevenly. If you think dry canning in an oven is bad, don't try heating something in a canning jar it in a microwave. I tried that once. Once! I do take pride in my ability to learn from my mistakes.

I began visiting food banks (due to Actual Need) around that same time, and continued visiting them, as my husband and I were homeless (and I was pregnant) during the worst of the pandemic, and during that time I learned from these food banks (especially the government-funded ones, more so than the private ones in churches, etc.) have such a surplus of food that they told me to come even more than "the maximum" (this particular food bank is/was only open on Fridays and they told me, people are only supposed to come once per month, but they've been telling people to come in any or all Fridays because otherwise too much food is wasted.) I used to be embarrassed about "needing a food bank" and I used to think that I was taking food out of the mouths of those even needier than myself. But they all tell me that they exist to help people. I especially like getting the day-old produce and canning with it. I've made apricot jam, dried herbs and food bank eggs, made peach-tomato salsa. We currently have food bank blackberries in the freezer, as well as lots of meat, some of which we canned and some is in the freezer. Don't overlook food banks as a free prepping source.

Quite a while back I did pickle watermelon rinds, and they were wonderful.

Carol: Thank you for viewing out videos and building up your confidence to can safely. Jim

T: You are welcome and stay safe. Jim

Jessica: Thanks for watching our videos. We are so happy that you got so much out of them. Jim

Just a quick comment re:"I can't save seed from my garden because they are cross pollinated." You can! The offspring won't be the same exact variety of what is growing currently, but you will still get the same crop. Almost all crops have some level of cross pollination, the seed company just controls what grows with what to produce the same results (the store-bought variety) each time. With squash, you may get some interesting new variety, but they will all be edible. As long as you like what you grow now, chances are pretty good you'll get something that you'll like later.

@@sarahmcneill1237 Thank you Sarah! Much appreciated. Do you think I can save seed from my string beans now that I'm growing pinto beans?

@@adrabruzzese7610 Yep! Green beans are immature seed pods, so if you want dry beans/seeds just leave the pods on the plant until it turns dry and brown. Beans and peas are mainly in-breeders so the seeds you get from them will mostly be the same type (some beans are better as green beans while some are better as dry beans) although it is possible for them to be cross pollinate and have offspring with slightly altered types if the plants're planted within 6 inches of each other (this is a less than 5% chance of happening, though). In general, all common beans can be eaten as green beans, fresh beans (taken out of ths bean pod when it's more mature than the green bean stage but not yet brown), and dry beans, so even if they cross pollinate it's still fine

@@sarahmcneill1237 Thank you so much. I learned something new!

Most of the seeds I have saved from store bought veges will not sprout- that tells me everything I need to know about the designs on our food supply. I will be saving all the seeds I can from my heirloom plants.

The Hadster: Well said. Follow the science for safe canning and food preservation. Jim

You are very welcome.

🤣

They say that because it is the length of time the company will guarantee the seal, or how long the food will be at 100% nutritional value, look good or whatever factor(s) they measured.

*... vacuum sealing... 😊

vandern49. No, we have not. Jim

Pam lives in a very dry climate & seems to have no problems with rolled oats. I live in the very humid mid Atlantic & occasionally-but not often- get some rancid rolled oats. It’s easy to avoid rancid foods by smelling before using. I plan to get a vacuum sealer soon. It’s possible to buy flakers and make your own rolled oats from whole oat ‘berries’. I grind wheat for flour but don’t have a flaker. I like Pleasant Hill Grains for grains and mill type products.

Anna: Thanks for watching and recommending videos to others. We see explaining the science as part of safe practices and staying healthy. Jim

Yes. At approximately 9:20 she describes what happens.

I've been freezing mine 48 hours minimum as well. Then I heard someone say it had to be like a week and I got all worried, but the foods were all vacuum sealed before going into the freezer. I think that's good enough.

@@carlabythelake8162 There are just so many suggestions online. I feel that if meat freezes overnight, surely beans would freeze within that window also. I do the 48 hours (just to be sure) freezing to avoid bugs from hatching. I did occasionally get those annoying weevels in my kitchen pantry. But since doing the freeze, I have not had any issues in many years.

@@irenehaugen6143 That's encouraging! I've never had weevils, but I don't take that for granted.

Before u throw the food away, please give to a food bank, or local church

@@melfitch2088 No worries, the oats were only "oven-canned" 4 months ago. I have now transferred them to mylar bags and vacuum sealed. I plan to use these oats up within the year.