Doomsday DefenseFood
Food Storage & Preservation
Long-term food storage, home canning, drying, smoking, salting and fermenting, and the botulism rules you cannot break.
Field notes
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Home Canning Safety: The Botulism Rules You Can't Break
Low-acid foods (vegetables, meat, fish) must be pressure-canned. Follow tested USDA times, and when in doubt, throw it out. Botulism kills.
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The Food Danger Zone: 40°F to 140°F
Bacteria multiply fast between 40°F and 140°F. Never leave perishable food out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. It matters most when the power is out.
In the library
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Canning, Freezing, Storing Garden Produce
USDA's guide to preserving a harvest: canning, freezing, drying, pickling, jams, root-cellar storage and community canneries (1977).
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Home Canning of Fruits and Vegetables
USDA bulletin on choosing the right canner for each food and canning fruits, tomatoes, pickles and vegetables at home (1965).
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Home Canning of Meat and Poultry
USDA bulletin on pressure-canning meat, poultry, sausage, stew and soup stock at home, with spoilage checks (1966, revised 1972).