This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
The art of potting all kinds of fresh or processed products is popular in Quebec. Groups of canning enthusiasts abound on social networks, as do recipes in the media and courses given on the subject. And it’s the perfect season to indulge in it to the fullest. But beware ! A good part of everything that is conveyed is false, even dangerous for health, indicates the chemist and popularizer of science Anne-Marie Desbiens, who recently produced the brilliant and accessible book How to preserve without poisoning your family.
Canned goods have always been part of our lives, whether in the stores where we buy our supplies or within our families. There is your uncle’s inimitable spaghetti sauce, made with tomatoes from his garden, or your cousin’s succulent jams, whose recipe is three generations old. We lick our lips thinking that the secret to a good preserve lies in the love and effort that we invest in preparing it… but that’s totally false!
Forget grandmother’s recipes, the advice of DIY gurus, the recipes circulating on the Web, as well as the fallacious teachings that were given to you on the fly. The art of canning cannot be improvised and, above all, it must follow a scientifically proven process so as not to become dangerous. This observation – or more honestly, this stone in the pond – was recently launched by Anne-Marie Desbiens, a food chemist known as a science popularizer for more than 15 years, with the publication of the book How to preserve without poisoning your family.
Fight false beliefs
The idea of a guide on the correct way to preserve food came to Mme Desbiens a little against his will. “Preparing it myself initially scared me, because I knew I could make a lot of mistakes that could have an impact on my health and that of those who would consume it,” she admits. straight away.
The scientist, lecturer on food safety and already author of a book on food preservation, was however inundated with questions about canned goods. “I realized that many people were just as afraid of home canned goods as I was, throwing them away before even opening them. But also that others took enormous risks by preparing them in any way,” she says, before recounting horror stories of canned goods whose contents were prepared in the microwave, slow cooker or even in the dishwasher in “disinfection” mode.
However, by proceeding in all these ways, the food is not at all protected against the proliferation of molds, yeasts and bacteria, in particular Clostridium botulinum, the cause of botulism. “We often ignore it, but it is one of the deadliest substances in the world, since one teaspoon of this bacteria can kill up to 100,000 people,” says the expert. What’s more, it is undetectable by taste and sight, which makes it even more formidable. »
In order to put an end to these questionable practices and to provide canned food lovers with good tools, Anne-Marie Desbiens has therefore embarked on the creation of a book that is both informative, practical and punctuated with touches of humor perfect for popularizing scientific concepts.
How to preserve safely?
To understand the process of sterilization and microbiological balance necessary for making good preserves, the author swapped her scientist hat for that of a storyteller in the first part of the book. We discover how, 200 years ago, the method of confectioner and distiller Nicolas Appert revolutionized the world of food preservation. From then on, the field of possibilities opened up with a rich series of discoveries (such as pasteurization), and the invention of multiple devices.
The heart of the book is nevertheless devoted to a practical approach to canning, the tools and measures to use and, of course, the correct process to follow for making preserves. “You must first use Mason jars, which are simpler to handle, more reliable and reusable, and follow a scientifically proven recipe (you can find them in the book, on the USDA website and in French on the de Bernardin), indicates the chemist. I also recommend that you choose foods that are as fresh as possible, as they present less risk of developing bacteria. »
Subsequently, in broad terms, the expert recommends the following process: the pots are filled, the disk of which is systematically changed, with the preparation. We close them and, only then, we treat them with heat, either in a bain-marie for everything that is acidic (fruits, tomatoes, etc.), or in an autoclave for everything that is not ( vegetables, meats, etc.). Be careful to respect the required cooking time and high temperature. Then, to properly seal the jars, we do not turn them over. Instead, leave them lid side up at room temperature, not in a cool place, for 24 hours. Once this time has passed, we inspect the lid of the jars (it must not move), then we remove the ring, now useless, so that it does not rust and can be used again.
By following this proven process — here very summarized for the purposes of the exercise, there are several parameters to respect depending on the foods prepared — can everything be canned? “Yes, in theory,” replies the author, “even if certain foods, such as lean meats, give less conclusive results. We also really need to ensure that the acidity level, the cutting of the food and the preparations we graft are correct. For example, don’t forget to add lemon juice to your canned tomatoes, and it’s better to favor winter squash over summer ones, because the latter have difficulty heating. »
Some very useful advice among many others, inside a book which could well become the new bible for all lovers of home canning. Good reading !
How to preserve without poisoning your family
Anne-Marie Desbien, Éditions La Presse, Montreal, 2023, 264 pages
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.