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Why Most Internet Canning Advice is Dangerous

Homesteading Family

20,617 views

Are you worried about canning safety or afraid you might do something wrong? You’re not alone. But the truth is, safe canning isn’t complicated when you understand a few key principles.

In this video, I’m breaking down the 3 things you MUST get right for canning safety so you can confidently preserve food for your family without fear.

We’re talking about:

Why canning safety feels so confusing (and how to simplify it)
The difference between high-acid and low-acid foods
The biggest canning mistakes to avoid
When to water bath vs pressure can
Why sealed jars don’t always mean safe food
How to follow tested recipes with confidence

If you’ve ever second-guessed your jars on the shelf, this will give you the clarity and confidence you’ve been looking for.

👩‍🌾 Get the FREE Confident Canner Pack here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/confid...

To learn more, visit the accompanying blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/cannin...

🌿 Thanks to Azure Standard for sponsoring today's podcast. If you're brand new to Azure, get 15% off your first order of $100 or more with code "HOMESTEADINGFAMILY15": https://homesteadingfamily.com/main-a...

TIME STAMPS:
0:00 - Introduction
1:31 - Azure Standard
4:07 - Main Topic

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

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20 Comments

@TxSusieQ99 6 months ago

I have been canning for 2 years. I pull my canner instructions out every time I can to make sure I follow all the steps and canning time.

@domading-o5t 6 months ago

I've been canning long enough to be a veteran canner.. but every year I still come to you for my refresher

@YourOrganizedAuntie 6 months ago

Oh heavens, let me just start by saying your video title hit me with such pioneer‑level authority that I had to sit down and whisper to myself that this creator is basically the Gandalf of food preservation because calling them the only 3 rules you need for safe canning feels like you’re handing us the sacred scrolls of kitchen survival. Oh boy, the moment I saw safe canning, my brain immediately replayed the time I tried to can tomatoes for the first time and ended up staring at the jars like “Huh…” because they were bubbling in a way that made me question whether I had accidentally created a biological weapon, and my inner voice yelled “Luise, step away before you summon the health inspector.” And honestly, your title reminded me of this one season when I was deep into homesteading videos despite living in an apartment, and goodness, I once attempted to sterilize jars in my tiny kitchen and whispered “Ah…” as steam fogged up the entire room and my smoke detector started screaming like it was auditioning for a horror movie. But what I love is how your content makes canning feel human, like it’s not about perfection but about communicating with your food, respecting the science, and saying “Alright then” even when your jars look like they’re judging you. And seriously, thank heavens for creators like you who make the rest of us believe that if you can break down canning safety with humor and clarity, then maybe I can finally stop treating my pantry like a chaotic museum of questionable preserves and start canning things that won’t explode, ferment, or attempt to grow their own personality.

@amypendragon5129 6 months ago

You are such a great teacher Carolyn. Thank you for this education.

@YankeeSouthernBelle 3 months ago

Regarding the annual cases of botulism due to home canning, I would love to know the errors that cause the bacterial growth.

@kathygarner419 6 months ago

Carolyn: I have a battery powered Ph meter designed for both lab and kitchen use. It is easy to read, simple to use and did not cost a fortune. Many professional kitchens use them on a regular basis. I purchased mine on Amazon. The hardest part is calibrating the unit and it is done with distilled water and a small package of chemicals and you are good to go for quite awhile. I have also used the same unit for testing the Ph of my garden soil by combining multiple samples dissolving them in distilled water to know the exact Ph of my raised beds. It is then thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before it return to the kitchen which is its primary use. A good instant read thermometer is also a great help when canning. I agree that most people don't have Ph strips lying around. This is a very valuable lesson for beginners. Keep up the good work.

@vixxcottage 1 month ago

We must remember our ancestors were not rocket scientists. They were common people learning from each other. I remember buying my mother's ancestral homeplace. The basement were shelves of old time jars. There were old instant coffee jars used for canning full of food. At least 70-80 years old. The most important is cleanliness and checking seals and labeling the next day. I have never had 1 go bad but there is always a first time.

@marcusburns4377 6 months ago

USDA : Beware,, canning can be dangerous.
Also,
USDA: Glyphosate, perfectly fine.

@sandybrown3497 4 months ago

Altitude adjustments are also very important. You can easily have a ball blue book guide to preserving that's a few years old. You follow the recipe, but if you failed to read the beginning of the book where it talks about altitude adjustment, you have a problem.

@DahneR-y6w 6 months ago

Great video and informative. I've been canning for a little over a year and love the results. I was able to preserve ready to eat meats before price increases. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. 💜💜💜

@tmiller6989 6 months ago

I love it when you make content about canning!!
I agree with the other person who commented -I’ve been doing it a long time, but just hearing you go over it makes me excited for the upcoming canning season🎉❤
I’ve seen a lot of crazy stuff on YouTube and you can almost feel it inside when you see somebody posting something odd that you know the ball canning guide would never endorse the safe food roles that you referred to never endorse that and why would you risk it if you have children why do you dry can when you have little kids that are gonna eat that food??
I don’t know.🤷‍♂️ (speaking of dry canning, Rose Red Homestead did a great scientific experiment to show people why it is scientifically unsafe to do that!)
I appreciate you always pointing people to truth !!
don’t want to risk death for my family.
I’m always comfortable, forwarding your information and excited to do it!!!❤

@missychan63 3 days ago

What people forget when they say that they're using the same method and recipe that their grandma or great grandma used to use is that we aren't canning the same vegetables that Grandma and great grandma used to can. We have bred and crossbred the acid content out of so many vegetables that it's no longer safe to water bath can. My grandma used to put the leftover fried Chicken in the cabinet but you don't see me doing that... Because I know better. Grandma got lucky, I'm not taking that chance.

@leannshort2211 4 days ago

Thank you Carolyn!! I have sat on my pressure canner my husband bought me at least 10 years ago! I’ve done plenty of water bath canning and never had an issue, but pressure canning, for some reason just scared the daylights out of me! I used my pressure canner for the first time yesterday canning homemade chicken stock! I’ll be checking the jars later today to make sure they sealed properly after removing the rings. I’m nervous and hope they all sealed correctly.
I didn’t remove any fat first as I removed a lot of the skin prior to making my the stock so it didn’t have a lot of fat at the end. Hopefully that didn’t make a difference!

Thank you for your knowledge. I have enjoyed your posts for years! God bless! ❤

@nicolehodges4814 6 months ago

Thank you from Canada!!! Just found your channel. This year will be the first time I try canning. I've always been so afraid of it but the information in this video has helped ease my fears and build my confidence. Now I'm excited for this years garden harvest and canning things instead of putting them in the freezer. And now I'm off to check out some of your other videos. So excited!!

@eileen3475 6 months ago

Hi Carolyn, great video, thank you. Always useful reminders about discernment when looking for recipes, even for us more experienced canners. As you say, there are some very scary videos out there, showing unsafe recipes.

Hope you don't mind me pointing out that at 14:28 you miss-spoke and said ".... You can very, very safely water bath can high pH foods in your own kitchen". I know you meant 'high acid foods', but thought it worth mentioning to avoid confusing any beginner canners watching.

@carolmalko615 6 months ago

Good info for people that are new to canning. 🥰

@catinreno9797 6 months ago

One thing i just learned about was the pinholing that can happen. I'd open sealed jars and see that and thought it was mold, so I have tossed many jars running l thinking I'd done something wrong despite following the safe recipes and your canning guides to a T. I don't remember that in the classes on the homesteading kitchen or reading that in the canning guides. Wish it had been because i tossed a lot of home grown canned food! 😢 But I know now, so that's good. Perhaps adding that information would be helpful to others. Unless it's foul smelling or hairy looking, that black stuff on the lid is just pinholing and the food is perfectly safe!

@washburnbilly 1 month ago (edited)

My Mom has been helping me with canning ground beef and then tomatoes. So I'm getting there. I just bought another canner and outdoor burner so I can do double batches of tomatoes this year.😊 Thank you for the information, it does help!

@talllala 5 months ago

I'm in Europe and when I asked for a recommendation for a pressure canner in a canning group, I was asked why on earth I felt I needed one, and for the most part, Europeans don't pressure can. Not even meat. They water bath or even preserve in the oven. Just heat the contents thoroughly after opening or preserve using an acidic vinegar solution. I think you guys refer to that as radical canning or something? Our methods are similar to your Amish or Mennonites. I am curious as to where the differences between American and European methods emerged. I do agree that pressure canning is ultra safe and gives extra peace of mind if you're not confident. I am tend towards anxiety so am looking to get one not because I think the European way is unsafe but just for my peace of mind