Word of Caution: Some people have expressed a concern over the risk of botulism when canning bread. To play it safe, please consider storing your canned bread in the fridge until ready to use.
I am SO super excited about learning how to can bread!! I’ve seen bread in jars as gift ideas before, but when I read an article on Lehman’s Country Life stating that these breads will keep for up to a YEAR, I knew I had to give it a try.
Imagine being able to pull a fresh-tasting jar of quick bread straight off your shelf any time you want it!! What a great convenience food to stock your kitchen with, especially if you have hungry kids or unexpected guests!
And the very best part of it… you don’t even have to have a canner! Anybody can do this. All you need is your jars, lids, and an oven.
Instructions
1. Get 8 clean wide-mouth pint-size canning jars and lids. They don’t have to be hot like usual, just clean.
2. In a large bowl, mix up your favorite quick bread recipe as usual (banana bread, zucchini bread, apple bread, etc). I used my favorite Pumpkin Spice Bread Recipe, substituting 2/3 c. shortening for the 1 cup of vegetable oil it normally calls for.
3. Grease your jars with shortening, all the way around the inside.
4. Pour the bread mix into the jars, filling them halfway. DO NOT OVERFILL.
5. Bake the bread in the jars (WITHOUT lids on) at 325* for 45 min. Test one with a toothpick to make sure they are completely cooked before removing the jars from the oven.
6. When done, wipe the rims with a wet cloth and quickly screw the lids on.
As the jars cool, the lids will seal and keep your bread as fresh as the day you made it. Although, I haven’t exactly had a chance to taste any after letting them sit for several months. Ours only lasted three days before the husband and kids broke into them!
I’m thinking I’ll bake a bunch of these to have on hand for after this baby is born. Last time I prepared for a baby’s birth by doing a bunch of freezer cooking.
This year I’d like to stock our pantry with convenience foods in jars. And the way my kids snack, this is definitely a keeper!!
Have you ever made quick breads in a jar? What’s your favorite recipe?
A city girl learning to homestead on an acre of land in the country. Wife and homeschooling mother of four. Enjoying life, and everything that has to do with self sufficient living.
140 cases of botulism a year in the US. Risk management has changed in the last 18 months. I’ll take my chances. Thanks for the recipe!
There are so few cases of fatal botulism in the U.S. because the vast majority of people know not to try recipes like this that are a formula for botulism…
If you are scared of leaving the bread in the can could you just use the seal a meal on it (carefully) and freeze, refrigerate or maybe on the pantry??? What do you think???
I’m going to try this, with a twist! After I bake the bread (pumpkin spice) I’m going to water bath can it for 15/20 minutes. I will keep one as a control and see what happens. I’m so excited!
Did you ever do the water bath canning on the bread? Did it work?
I was told a couple of things, which concern me. One was the possibility of botulism by storing for more than a week even in the refrigerator. The other is that you can never water bath or pressure can again with the jars once you bake with them in the oven. Since you have small children, please research this further for your own benefit.
Why not reuse??
Glass isn’t porous, so why would that be a problem? Also, the heat isn’t hot enough to melt or disfigure the glass.
Did you do yet. How did it turn out
Did it work?
How did they turn out? I’d think they might float in the WB or over cook them?
Or get wet. I think there is some transfer of water with whatever is in the jar when water bathing. The water always smells like pickles after I make pickles. Good reason to clean the pot each time.
If you have your ring on finger tip tight, water does NOT transfer,, it siphons. big difference
If you can “can” dry things like nut-meats (pecans, walnuts, etc.) maybe bread is possible, too. Nuts are pressure canned. And the water certainly doesn’t get inside the jar. AND with the nuts going into the jar at 250 degrees (on trays for a half hour) there’s no chance for botulism. So you can do sweet bread, too. When it hits 240 degrees, and breads are baked much hotter, it then kills botulism and any thing that can make you sick. Some goods are so dense you can’t can or pressure can enough to kill germs. But, if you can successfully do meat, which is so dense (I tried creamed corn, first thing that didn’t work, too dense) and baked beans, which are so dense, you can do bread. Pressure canning 10# for five minutes would do it, because first all that 10 minutes of venting and then just barely pressure canning for five minutes, it will be at 240 for plenty long to kill botulism. You can pressure can milk that way, too, it only has to reach the 240 degrees and then immediately turn the burner off, then the gradual cool down. It kills all germs.
Just because some people survive, does not mean this is safe. Ask yourself how you would feel if a family member or friend died of botulism or wound up in the hospital. It’s not safe unless you store these jars in refrigeration and consume them within 2 weeks. Don’t risk it.
You can also place them in the freezer to keep longer, but definitely do not store on a shelf
There has literally never been a case of botulism tied to bread, canned or otherwise. The entire scare campaign is based on 1 article that says maybe possibly theoretically it COULD happen.
If you’re worried, check if the lid is bulging. If it’s not, you’re probably fine.
We have done this for years, storing them on the shelf. If you seal the jars as soon as you take them from the oven, there is no chance for botulism…..HOTTER then heck bread, 350 degrees plus the jar at that temp, seal IMMEDIATELY. Safe…..
Correct! There are foods that the FDA hasn’t tried and therefore just say “Don’t do it”. But, many families for generations have canned this and that, always successfully, that the FDA hasn’t tried.
In 1999 I made a batch of banana bread in a jar for Y2K! I used the same recipe as this:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/156/bread/ from Allrecipes.com. I made it exactly as the recipe directed, and it turned out perfectly. It has been kept in our root cellar with my other canned goods – no special treatment, and around 45F year round. The last time we had one was about 2 years ago, and I have 3 left (well, 2 now because the chickens had one for breakfast!). This thread prompted me to look at them so I might help answer the questions. The bread has not dried out and is still quite moist, but more so in the lower half of the jar. In future, I will turn the jars upside down once a year to help with this. Smelled normal, and in a pinch I would not hesitate eating it. I did taste a little, and it tasted good. But I am not in a pinch, and will be making more batches using chopped spinach, grated carrot, beets, etc. from the garden, so to the chooks it went and we will have eggs from it instead. If the jars and lids are sterile and all is done correctly, I would not hesitate to say this will last 10+ years! Hope this helps.
You cannot taste botulism. Because you are using pumpkin which is low acidity you are at risk for making you and your family sick. Stick to a USDA canning procedure which uses a pressure cooker to make sure your canned product will be safe.
pressure can breads?
Why not pressure can? I’d put the raw batter in the jars and pressure can long enough for them to complete the baking process. I’m going to give it a try with boston brown bread.
Have u tried it yet?
How’d that turn out
How do u think people 200 years ago canned. They didn’t have electric so no plugs for pressure cookers.. the canned things over a hot fire.
I just opened a jar of apple bread 6 yrs old and it was sweet, moist and perfect. Thank God for His provisions daily.
I agree. Done this many years… 🙂
Thanks for your word of wisdom and calm, instead of the hysteria in some comments that are on fear’s side.
I am new to canning and started to see comments on a variety of feeds about botulism and the risks.I like that Mary Handy quotes some research on the risks of these kinds of breads. Yes there was a quite large increase in the risk if the products were stored at 95 deg F. But who in the canning fraternity stores their canned goods at that sort of temperature. Most will have a basement or cool cupboard where the temp is kept very much lower.
I also came across research from the Federation of American scientists which says the number of cases annually in the US is about 140. Of these only 1-3 die. they also say that most are infant botulism caused by consuming honey and less than a quarter by canning.
While we need to be aware that there is a small potential for this problem I think some sensible precautions will be sufficient to keep the risk extremely low. How many people die annually from getting hit by a car for example? We need to keep this in perspective and maintain these important skills.
Great point!
YES. THANK YOU. I so appreciate that you added this perspective, as I share it also. Self sustainability and using less fossil fuels (yes electricity is fossil fuels unless you have solar) for our foods is so important right now!!! Canning is cooking in bulk in the best way possible. We can not allow the literal less than 1 person annually that dies from food borne botulism to keep us from these important life skills. What a waste to allow time honored traditions of sustainability to die and instead grab disgusting processed store bread full of gums and preservatives in unrealistic fear of botulism.
Amen, Amelia! Chalk up another voice of wisdom, common sense, and faith.
To those of you who have done this before and had it successfully: What temperature did you cook the bread? What kind of bread did you do? How did you store (temperature)? How long did it last?
I really want to do it! I read an article about it that recommended not doing it. They quoted a study that tested the bread periodically for botulism. However, room temperature bread was fine for 90 days and bread stored at 95 degrees Fahrenheit spoiled quickly by botulism. I don’t know why they quoted the study and concluded with something that had no evidence. Sorry. I’m a student actively engaged in exercise research, so I really like to critique articles 🙂
Those who had a bad experience: Please share as well!
I’ve baked quick breads many times. After I bake the bread in mason jars, I then boil the jars and lids in water (canning process). I’ve had bread on my shelves for over a year with no problems. After a few months, the bread doesn’t taste as fresh. It’s dry, but it is still edible and safe to eat.
The “powers that be” also will frown on canning meats as well, and tell you not to do it….do you buy tuna, salmon,chicken or corned beef in a can? If you can think it, it can be canned…please use sterile jars!
I can lamb, chicken, beef and pork in quart and pint jars using a pressure cooker canner. I’m still using them after 3 years. They taste fresh to me. I can almost anything including fruits of all kinds and veggies and lots of them. I probably keep 150 jars of canned foods in my pantry at all times keeping them rotated and write on the lids the date canned.
We can at least one full deer a year. Cold Pint Jars, 1″ cubes, 1 teaspoon of salt. 90 min at 15#. They get used fairly fast but I have eaten them at about 2 years in age. The meat on top gets a little dry but tastes great. And it is the only way we prepare bear meat.
I bought a book, cake in a jar, 12 years ago. The recipes that have no milk will keep indefinitly. They usually don’t last that long. We moved and I had 3 jars that got put behind other goods(kaluha chocolate cake). It DID shrink in size but it was moist and very good, 4 & 1/2 years later.
Can you can blueberry breads?
Well, some of the ladies comments are talking about using fruit such as applesauce and pumpkin, so why not blueberries?
I have been canning quick breads for years!! They stay good and fresh for about 6 months and then start to get a bit dried out but are still edible..when this happens we just slice and toast, add butter and eat…still very doable. Try it…you will see that it is a good way to have something quick for unexpected company and awesome in a gift basket!
Our comments will pretty much be the same. After about 6 months I make french toast and/or bread pudding. It is to die for. I have made pumpkin, applesauce, and lemon sweet bread in Mason jars. I make each recipe using a solid shortening.
Do you know if coconut shortening is okay to use? It’s solid at cool room temperature liquid at higher room temperatures.
Can u substitute for Butter?
Now that you mention butter, I’ve oven canned butter and cheese and had no problem whatsoever. I’m getting ready to pressure can milk.
Read the extension service articles from Utah State University. These breads are not recommended to be safe and are discouraged from making them and eating them.
Mary,
They aren’t shelf stable, but in the fridge they’re fine for several weeks. 🙂
Bread baked in jars should be refrigerated or frozen to be safe. Botulism has no smell or taste. If it would only kill one person in all the jars canned and kept on the shelf would you want to bear the brundt of responsibility?
Fortunately for us, there have been presented here many, many successful canning experiences with quick breads, and some from past generations that are tried and true. So we can pressure can without the fear from the FDA and the Utah State University, and just can’t take the place of fearless homesteading women.
My daughter and I are making these for a craft festival November 9th. We want to start baking these in October but know people will want to buy for Christmas as well. Do you think they will last that long????
Tracy,
They’d probably be fine for 2 months. If you want to be safe store them in the fridge, though.
I’m planning on trying some up today…I’ve got frozen bananas coming out my ears! Better to turn it into bread on my shelves rather than let it go bad in my freezer should we lose power…although in my neck of the woods everything is frozen solid & holding steady at 9*…. *sigh*
Oh wow, Stacey. Brrrrr!
Just looking for an update,I have yet to try this. Wondering how long you’ve been able to store the canned breads with success? Thanks, friend!
Stacey,
Honestly, as much as my kids love this stuff, I haven’t had it on my shelves for longer than two weeks, lol.
Read all the comments: anywhere between months to years of total success.
Looks like the issue of food saftey is already the comments, so my first comment is null and void. I should have known you would take care of saftey. Thanks again.
Thanks for the comment, Nancy!!
Hello, I just found a lot of jar cake and bread recipes and was wondering how long they would store. I googled it and the info I got was to cap and ring them and then only store them in the fridge. Here is a link to one site, it looked credible. So I will not do these for long term storage, as it could a dangerous practice. the recipes are great for short term gifting. thanks
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Looks like you’ll have to copy / paste this link.
My family is still alive and well just finished eating the last jar of Banana, Pumpkin, & Cranberry Bread in a Jar that I made in October 2011, This year im adding the carrott and apple to our pantry along with all the above, Im also trying the pie in a jar and maybe the cupcake in a jar not so sure I would do the salad in a jar but who knows. Yes use a cookie sheet and leave them in the oven only taking out one at a time to lid it and while your working on the second one you may hear the first ones seal pop sealing the jar. The cookie sheet makes it easy to pull the jars out one at a time.
Enjoy and eat the whole jar of bread right after opening remember there is more in the pantry to eat before the year is up.
My family has canned banana bread and spice cake and stored in the pantry since before I was born. We have eaten them up to a year of sitting. Now I have a family and am canning and want to make these but all these comments freak me out. Is this a true danger or is it a cholesterol, sauturated fat kind of thing? I made 6 pints of banana bread. I’ll let yall know if I’m alive in a Couple months. It just feels like they want the old way of life fine so they scare us away
Anonymous,
I kinda got freaked out by all of the botulism talk also, so I don’t put canned quick breads on the shelf anymore. Instead, I store them in the fridge. If you have room in your refrigerator, it wouldn’t hurt to keep your jars there just to be on the safe side.
If you will pressure can (yes, vent for the usual 10 minutes) at 10# at 5 minutes, or maybe less, the temperature at 10# will reach 240 F and kills botulism and other germs, salmonella.
So true.I agree the food industry’s want to keep the upper hand. If you really look all these studies are funded by food companies.can what you want just be safe and stabilize
Yep thanks for your common sense comment. The bottom line for them is always the almighty dollar. Keeps you afraid, not independent, and self-reliant.
Exactly! Well….how’d ya do?
They don’t want you to can things because they want you to BUY everything! Plus they put so many chemicals in them and call them safe! I know senior citizens that have water bath canned foods like green beans all their lives. This stuff is safe and has been going on by old timers for years and they didn’t die. Botulism is extremely rare, if you look at the statistics. There are rebel canners out there that have done something and lived to tell about it and so will I!
I have to agree with you Mary. I have never done this kind of canning but definitely will try it. I definitely would not hot water bath i but that’s just me.
I don’t have room in my fridge to keep a bunch of cake in a jar & so on the shelf it will go. And yes, I keep my jar rings on the canned items & only remove them to open the jar. Once opened, refridgerate.
Good point!
I am going to give this a try. You can buy canned brown bread at the store to go with baked beans. It is sweet and contains molasses and has never made me sick so I can do it too. As long as everything is clean and sterile and the vegis have been washed (which I do anyway). Thanks Kendra
I made that point several comments ago, and it’s a good one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can bread , and it is very good just make sure it seals and after you open it put lid back on and refrigerat .
Thank you so much for putting the update on this recipe. Canning breads is definitely not recommended due to safety reasons. However, processing it and storing it in the refrigerator is a great idea. It looks delicous! 🙂
Thanks for encouraging the people who visit your website to be safe…botulism is a deadly and horrible disease — definitely not something to mess with.
Thanks for your wonderful blog…I really enjoy it!
You’re missing the big picture here.
Better read some more comments from those who tried and have common sense and wisdom about this. If B & W brand can pressure bake and can their brown bread as safe, why can’t you?
My husband jokes that I’ll can anything that isn’t moving (too quickly), but I don’t feel safe doing “canned” bread. As others have said, it has all of the requirements for botulism creation. Not to mention that “oven canning” is unsafe for anything. The temperature in the bread wouldn’t come anywhere near close enough, for long enough, to kill any botulism.
And botulism does not make food look or smell spoiled, even though it’s potentially deadly.
I think it’s a lot easier and safer to just store all the ingredients. The zucchini, banana, apple, etc. can all be dehydrated, for example.
There again, the bread only need reach the magic temperature of 240F to kill all germs, not just botulism. Many have gained common sense, wisdom, and experience doing bread, cake, and pie by pressure canning. And again, if B & W brand, at your grocery store, can pressure can their brown bread as safe, why can’t you?
…and now I’m going to have to thaw some of the shredded zucchini in my freezer–all this talk has put my in the mood to make zucchini bread, lol! 🙂
Kendra, I think they are saying that because it’s the vacuum seal that actually creates the conditions for the botulism to grow on these types of breads, you want to avoid actually sealing them. They should have stated to just “put on the lids” after they are cool, since you are not really sealing them. Then the closed jars have to be refrigerated rather than just put on a shelf. At least it does state that they will keep for several weeks like this in the refrigerator, so still something that you could make ahead and keep on hand.
A good vac-seal created from pressure canning to 240F will kill germs and keep it sealed FROM germs during room temperature.
I was thinking of safety too when I posted. I also hope my comments weren’t taken in offense. I love reading your Blog!
P.S. There are other sights also that support the same safety information. One does say that if you really want to bake the bread in the jars, you should do the following as far as storing them goes:
“Some cakes or breads prepared in this manner have shown a water activity of 0.93 and a pH of 7.2. Harmful bacteria can grow under these conditions. Furthermore, the oxygen-free environment due to the vacuum seal is ideal for the growth of Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria that causes botulism. Therefore, baking bread or cake in a canning jar and storing it at room temperature is not a safe practice.
If breads or cakes are baked in canning jars, seal them after they are completely cooled (rather than when they are hot right out of the oven) so that a vacuum seal is not created. This will prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum. Also, immediately refrigerate. Refrigeration temperatures will prevent the growth of other harmful bacteria that can grow at the water activity and pH typically found in these types of products. The shelf-life in the refrigerator is several weeks.”
Please don’t take offense at my comments–I’m just concerned that you and your family are safe, especially when you have little ones. 🙂
Pam,
Thank you for your concern. I wonder what they mean by “seal them after they are completely cooled”. How would you seal them if not with a vacuum seal?
Pressure canning reaches the 240F temp that kills all germs, but for each different food, it must be determined for how long the germs killing temperature must be sustained in order to do the complete killing. Because it depends on the food’s density. The inside center of the food must reach the 240F.
Kendra,
As Izzy said above, this method is NOT safe.
“The problem with this is that the final system is anaerobic (no oxygen), and has both the pH and available moisture in the right range for the growth of C. botulinum. The product has the
potential to cause botulism poisoning and kill or seriously impair the person eating the bread. C. botulinum is found in soil throughout the world. The cleaning and processing of the ingredients that are used in bread would decrease its likelihood of being present, but by no means insure that it is not present. For example, it could be introduced into the batter by being in honey, on grated zucchini, or dust in the mixing bowl. Although no cases of botulism have been identified as being caused specifically by a home canned quick bread, the potential is there. The product meets all the necessary criteria for the organism to grow.”
So as you can see, all the conditions necessary for botulism to grow are present in the jars of bread when they are processed by this method. Botulism can be fatal. Here is the link to the entire document if you want to read it in full: http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/FN-FS_250_10.pdf
Please make and store dry mixes or make and freeze the bread. The people who’ve submitted comments saying they’ve tried this have been very lucky so far. It’s not worth risking you and your children’s health over.
I love,love to can. I’ve tried canning just about everything you can think of.However I thought I’d warn that canning bread is considered unsafe.Here is a case study from the Utah Ag.extension office [PDF]
SAFETY OF CANNING QUICK BREADS
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat – Quick View
Products such as zucchini bread are baked in wide rimmed canning jars and covered with lids and rings immediately after removing from the oven. …
extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/FN-FS_250_10.pdf – Similar
One year I made rum cake in jars like this and decorated them up for Christmas gifts. They were a great hit! I did manage to save a few for about a year and they were just as good as when fresh. A very good item to have on hand when unexpected guest drop in and there is no time to bake a treat.
I love this idea! I am definitely going to try this to have after-school snacks on hand. Thanks for sharing!
I made the pumpkin and the banana. They are great. I hope they’ll last up to a year…but with the way my family is gobbling them up, we’ll never know!
We haven’t eaten any of the banana bread yet, but they are sitting there waiting 🙂 I’ll let you know how they are! I don’t think they will last a whole year in the pantry though! (We’ll eat them first!)
Kendra, thank you for this! It’s a great idea and a perfect addition to any pantry.
I am happy to report that I made them today. I was going to do the pumpkin but I didn’t have any so I ended up doing the cranberry ones. They smelled so good and my neighbor and I got all giddy when the jars started sealing. lol
April,
Yay!! Glad you gave it a shot 🙂
I’m curious as to how long they’ll last before growing something or whatnot in the pantry… a friend of mine’s daughter said something about her inversion-sealed grape juice getting fuzzy a few months after the fact, so I’m not 100% sold on that method…
Pretty much everything I process is for at least a year, or five. So it’s all water-bath or pressure canned, with dry spice/baking mixes/ingredients all ready to go on the pantry shelves.
Ive been told to avoid doing this due to safety issues etc…but Im still eager to try it!!! LOL if it works out it would be really fantastic to send in care packages when my husband (or our friends!) deploys and misses his desserts! lol and for holiday gifts too! Id probably make it with coconut oil or something though(Ive got like a gallon+ anyhow!), shortening is no longer a friend in my house due to hydrogenation/processing/soy in it :/ although…I do have a stick of it left in the cupboard that Im hesistant to toss (hate to waste!) so I might just put it to use here at least for greasing! LOL
I also like that you mention prepping for baby’s arrival. Im due in May so itd be a perfect addition to my other canned/frozen goods, one less thing to stress over plus it provides a little luxury! 🙂
I had read it was not recommended as well. I asked a scientist once why more things were not recommended that used to be in the old days. She said that like some diseases, many of the food poisons have evolved into new generations that are more deadly or we haven’t developed immunities to yet. On the other hand, while food poisoning can be deadly, usually to someone with a compromised immune system, it almost never comes to that. Most people may get a little intestinal distress, and many people get no symptoms at all. Could be that people who aren’t as careful as the USDA develop more immunities than those that eat only commercially processed food. I don’t worry about the dates on most any commercially prepared food, but I generally avoid preserving techniques that might waste my ingredients and time. Quick breads are so easy and fast to make I would just make up the dry mixes and keep some pureed fruit in the freezer. For unexpected company I would stick to homemade frozen cookie dough rolls, 12 min to bake and make the house smell good too.
I am stunned! I never thought of doing this but I will try it. In building up my store of emergency goods, I’ve often thought that we’d miss many of the luxuries (like dessert) in a disaster. This is a great way to preserve a treat for the tough times.
I agree with Caroline somewhat, in that, if you have a tainted item, your body will tell you so with a little tummyache or something similar. Unless your family has compromised immune systems or are prone to sickness, don’t let fear stop you from trying this type of self-sufficiency. That fear is just the commerical food industry and our Big Brother governement trying to get you to doubt yourself.
In this case: IT’S BREAD. Bread spoils by molding. I’m sure you’ll spot moldy bread once you open the can.
it really does work. i made apple cakes and squash bread like that fall 09 and they are still fine!
Thanks for letting us know that they do last that long, Kimberly!! It’s good to hear from somebody who’s been doing this and knows for sure 🙂
This is what the National Center for Home Food Preservation says about this technique:
Can I can bread or cake in a jar?
These products are not recommended for canning; choose recipes that you can freeze. In fact, most of these products are not really “canned.” The directions call for baking in the jar and then closing with a canning lid. Many recipes for quick breads and cakes are low-acid and have the potential for supporting the growth of a bacteria like Clostridium botulinum if it is present inside the closed jar. One university’s research showed a high potential for problems. You will see these products made commercially; however, additives, preservatives and processing controls not available for home recipes are used. Canning jar manufacturers also don’t endorse baking in their canning jars.
——–
This is not a technique I feel comfortable with. Better safe than sorry.
Now this bread just spent probably 35 minutes in a HOT oven, should kill at least something while in there!
This is so cool, I thought I’d tried everything guess that shows there is always something to learn. Thank you Janice
Also, is there a reason you substituted the shortening for the oil? Does it help in the cooking process or did you just prefer shortening on the day you made it. Thanks.
Rachel,
I substituted the shortening for the oil ’cause the recipe on Lehman’s uses shortening, and I wasn’t sure if the oil would be okay canned or not. Just being safe 😉
Kendra,
This is the coolest thing ever. I’m going to give it a try this weekend – I am picking up some canned pumpkin today! Yay! Sounds like the perfect project to try this weekend.
I am picking up 50 lbs. of wheat berries today as well, to start grinding my own flour! Can hardly wait to try out the new grain grinder.
Thanks for sharing this post!
This sounds great, but Kendra, I am a little surprised that you use shortenning, isn’t it full of trans-fat?
Sophie,
In all honesty, I pay no attention to trans-fat. I use shortening all the time. But I just checked the label, and there is NO trans-fat in Crisco shortening 🙂
I have thought about doing this before,just never have, and ya know what my thought was? Christmas gifts!! Since they keep for up to a year you could make a bunch of these say in October before the holiday craziness gets out of control then come christmas time, pack up a basket with hm goodies and you have a great gift!!
Thanks for reminding me!!!
Dana
Oooh WONDERFUL! This is excellent because I was planning on making banana bread today and it would make it SO much easier for my husband when he’s home with the kids after this baby is born. Instant snack! I’m going to have to try this instead of traditional banana bread!
Jessica,
Please let me know how the banana bread turns out!!
I guess I am just worried about biting into bread that has gone bad. lol Which is crazy cause I am sure I would be able to tell it was bad before eating it. It took me a while to eat the blueberry and plum jelly my friend and I canned last summer. But I did get over it so I am definitely going to try this. I have heard stories about badly processed food making people sick so I lean on the side of caution. I did text one of my friends last night and tell her that we have to get together and try these though.:)
April,
That’s understandable. When I first started canning, I was pretty leery about eating the stuff, too. I think we are so conditioned as a society to rely upon the government to “test” food before it’s processed, we worry about doing stuff ourselves. But how many times have people gotten sick from processed canned foods that were supposed to be tested and safe? How many recalls have we heard from big food producers. In the end, I truly believe home canned stuff is much safer than anything we can get from the grocery store. Just follow basic safety and cleanliness, and you’ll be fine 🙂
Yes, you’d be able to tell if the food was bad before even biting into it. If the lid comes off of the jar easily, don’t eat it. If the lid is swelled, don’t eat it. If the food smells funny, or has something growing on it, don’t eat it. It’s pretty common sense. And I’d try to eat it before it’s sat for a year, just to be safe.
Happy canning!!
I Really want to can breads today. I am so undecided because of all the warnings. Does botulism really have no odor or taste???
Thanks for a quick response. Want to can shortly without fear.
Many Blessings!
Jeanne
Hi Jeanne,
Botulism really has no taste, odor, or appearance. I’d suggest that you put canned breads in the fridge, just to be safe.
What a neat way to do bread–I wasn’t familiar with that! Also, thanks for the link the Lehman’s blog. I was very familiar with Lehman’s store but wasn’t aware there was a blog, too.
this sounds like canning even I can do! did you stand the jars on a cookie sheet in the oven? Ive never looked at the Lehmans site before, but the other bread variations they list sound good too.
Sandra,
No cookie sheet, the jars just sit directly on the oven rack.
Kendra I love it. I think it is a wonderful idea. I will hopefully trying it this weekend and just maybe I can get the children involved with helping me lol. My family loves pumpkin bread, and some of the ones you mentioned above, so I will also be visited the Lehmans website to get more ideas. Thanks for the wonderful post.
Yes, please tell us if they *stay* good! ~grin~
This is so great but I am scared to try it. Lol. I might just have to though because that would be SO great to have on hand especially for breakfast and snacks. LOVE your blog.
April,
LOL, what are you scared of? Try it!!