UNSEALED JARS AND SPOILED FOOD--WHAT TO DO



   Occasionally even the most careful home canner has jars which
become unsealed during storage resulting in food spoilage. 
Exposure to high temperatures or water during storage may cause
the seals to break open or the lids to rust through allowing
microorganisms access to the food inside.  Any time a jar of
home-canned food looks suspicious, treat it as though it were
spoiled.  Low-acid home-canned foods such as vegetables, meat,
poultry and seafood are a special problem because of their
association with botulism, so spoiled in these food categories
should be detoxified before they are disposed of.

1.   Do not taste food from an unsealed jar or any food which
     appears to be spoiled.  Presence of black discoloration,
     gas, swelling of the lid, unnatural odors, spurting liquid
     and mold growth (blue, white, black or green) indicate
     spoilage.

2.   Spoiled, low-acid foods (including tomatoes) may have no
     evidence of spoilage, so if they are suspect:
   
       A.      Swollen but still sealed jars can be put in the
               garbage (in a heavy bag) or buried.
   
       B.      Unsealed jars should be detoxified.

3.     Detoxification:

       A.      Place containers and lids on their sides in a
               large pot (8 qt or more).

       B.      Wash hands well.

       C.      Cover containers with water to at least 1" over
               them.

       D.      Put lid on pot and bring to a boil.

       E.      Boil 30 minutes.

       F.      Cool and discard (in trash bag or bury).

       G.      Scrub all counters, containers, equipment (can
               opener), clothing and  hands that may have had
               contact with the food.  Throw away sponges, wash
               cloths, etc. used in the clean-up.

ALTERNATE DETOXIFICATION METHODS:
   
Cover jar and food with chlorine bleach.  Let stand 24 hours. 
Dispose of as above.

Cover jar and food with a strong lye solution and let stand 24
hours.  Dispose of as above.
   
NOTE: Do not mix chlorine bleach and lye (sodium hydroxide)
together.


Prepared by Susan Brewer
Foods and Nutrition Specialist 
Revised,  1992                                                    
               EHE-680