[Artemisia] A New Discussion - SCA Skills in a Modern Plague

[L.J. Richards]

Padruig, this is flirting with the 'uninvited' deadly dinner guest named 
Botulism.  I don't know if you can test to be absolutely sure there is no 
botulism present - besides eating it.  The fact that it appears to be sealed 
to the naked eye does not mean it is.  I don't agree that they could be 
reused in a pinch.  (And even today we have people canning in the oven and 
microwave and died eating the 'canned' food.  One cannot get a high enough 
temperature to destroy the bacteria that produces botulism.)  You can still 
salt, pickle or dry the food....

The women in my family might keep unused lids until the next year, but 
anything older than that was pitched because the rubber was hardening, 
making it useless.

Besides, we'ld like to keep you around for a while....

Bronwen of I.

(PS:  Just ask my Mom about botulism.  In her extended family, her 
brother-in-law's sister and family - 3 died at the table, 1 who it appears 
had got up to help and sank to the floor dead, and one, a child, managed to 
survive.)


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Padruig" <rayzentz at aim.com>
To: <artemisia at lists.gallowglass.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 26, 2010 9:54 PM
Subject: Re: [Artemisia] A New Discussion - SCA Skills in a Modern Plague
>
> As an experiment, I have reused contemporary canning lids. I pressure 
> cooked them, to kill any bacteria in the rubber, and then soften and 
> smooth out the rubber itself. Was very cautious about what I re-canned (hi 
> acid foods, only), but it seemed to work. I also would stockpile lids... 
> lots of lids, but in a pinch, they could be reused...
>
> Padruig
>
> Dr. Raymond Zentz
>