If home-canned low-acid food processing is suspect, for how long must it be vigorously re-boiled before tasting?
Answer
10 minutes.
When dealing with home-canned foods, particularly low-acid foods like vegetables or meats, there is a heightened risk if the correct processing method, such as pressure canning, was not utilized, as this increases the chance that Clostridium botulinum spores survived. If there is any doubt regarding the initial sealing integrity or the correctness of the processing method, a specific safety measure is recommended before consumption. This procedure involves re-boiling the suspected food vigorously and continuously for exactly 10 minutes. This intense boiling period is intended to neutralize any potential toxins present, though discarding the item entirely is always the safest recourse if doubt about the sealing integrity remains.
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