Home-canned tuna

I love the idea of canning fresh tuna. But I want tuna for tuna salad. Would home canned tuna need to be heated to boiling for 15 minutes before eating. And wouldn’t that make a poor tuna salad?

Connie Moore
Clearlake, Washington

You do need to heat your tuna to boiling, but it doesn’t mean it’s yucky. What I do is pour the tuna in a covered baking dish, then heat it in my oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes. (It takes a while for the tuna to heat up to the boiling point.) Then I drain and refrigerate it in a covered container. When it’s cool, I flake it and use as usual. It’s great this way. I do it with salmon and northern pike too! — Jackie

Market baskets

Please give us the history on the round basket you use so often in your garden and about the house. I love it. It speaks volumes about your thrifty ways. One of the many reasons I read your blogs and books. My way of living also! Love the life!

Katie Daffin
Evans, Louisiana

My favorite baskets of all are the Vietnamese market baskets you’ve noticed. I bought my first (which I’m still using), years and years ago when our family sponsored a Vietnamese boat family. Xuyen, the wife, quickly introduced me to these baskets when I couldn’t speak Vietnamese and she couldn’t speak English. But we both spoke gardening!! We bought these baskets at a Vietnamese market down in Minneapolis. They are so handy, as they hold a lot of produce, are very sturdy, and you can wash dirty vegetables right in the basket as it drains out so well. I love them because of my bad back; I quickly learned why many women in “third world” countries carry loads on their heads. It relieves pressure on your back. So now I usually come from the garden with my market basket balanced on my head. The bottom of the basket is fairly soft and conforms to your head so nicely and comfortably! I pick up these baskets any time I see one at a yard sale or thrift store. — Jackie

Lima beans

I am planning my 2012 garden. In previous years my green beans produced like crazy and the same with my peas. However, my lima beans are just the opposite. We are lucky if we get a hand full. Last year I used triple 16 fertilizer, the beans were small and still only a hand full. My soil is very good and I water every day in the hot summer. I am very confused about this? Any ideas? What can I do to improve my yield?

Maida Gaddis
Myrtle Creek, Oregon

Try waiting longer to plant your limas. They like warmer weather and don’t get off to a good start if you plant them the same time you plant your other beans. We have a very hard time growing limas here, as they are such a long-season bean and like warm weather. They don’t like cool, extended periods of rainy spring! You also might try mulching your rows of limas with black plastic to warm up the soil around the roots. — Jackie

7 COMMENTS

  1. Judy is right. According to University of Missouri Extension http://extension.missouri.edu/p/GH1490, and other reputable sources, you don’t need to boil canned food, including meat, if you are sure you followed correct and current pressure canning guidelines. If you want to be extra-safe, you can boil all your low-acid canned food, including commercially canned.

  4. Judy and Glo D,

    Sorry gals, but not heating the tuna isn’t safe. I’m sure you’ve had good luck not heating it, as botulism is not common….but it is deadly. All responsible sources recommend heating all canned meats, fish and vegetables to boiling temperature (baking, boiling, etc.) for 10-15 minutes before eating. I can’t be responsible and advise eating it right out of the jar.

    Jackie

  5. Oh Judy,
    I am so glad that this has worked for you for so many years, my goodness. I have always, always read from any creditable canning site, book ect that home processed meats of any kind, including seafood has to be heated prior to using. You may get lucky and never get the dreaded botulism bug but I prefer not to play with something so dangerous. I just do not have that kind of luck and my family’s health is just too important to me.

  7. Hi Jackie…
    I was reading your answers like I always do! and noticed that you told a woman that she had to heat her tuna to boiling before eating! Sorry hon but that’s just not true! Once the tuna is canned properly…all you have to do is drain and add mayo or whatever. It’s totally cooked and ready to eat…just like chicken. I know where of I speak because I am a coastie gal…born and raised on the coast of Washington state and have been canning tuna for 30 years! :)
    Judy

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