Disposal of suspected spoiled high-acid food - Ask Extension
Hello,
I discovered a jar of my home-pickled beets whose lid popped while in storage. I know that I need to dispose of it, but am wondering the prope...
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Disposal of suspected spoiled high-acid food #753164
Asked May 31, 2021, 10:08 PM EDT
Hello,
I discovered a jar of my home-pickled beets whose lid popped while in storage. I know that I need to dispose of it, but am wondering the proper procedure since it was a high-acid product. All the instructions I can find online and in my canning book appear to be for low-acid, botulism-suspect products. Do I really need to go through the whole detox procedure (boiling the jar with contents in and a ring on, followed by bleaching everything), or can I dump the contents and clean the jar? Thank you in advance!
Beth
Benton County Oregon
Expert Response
High acid foods such as pickles can be disposed of by composting, put down the garbage disposal or put in garbage. It is not a safety issue like with low acid food where botulism toxin could be present.
Hope that helps, Thanks for using Ask Extension
Nellie Oehler
Thank you, Nellie, that was just what I needed to know.
Beth
Beth
