jacqui{JB} wrote:

>
> I have to say that boiling unopened cans is way past my personal risk
> threshold. No criticism of those who do it; just a different point of
> view.

This was a hot topic of discussion amongst a group of avid cooks that
included several engineers. The consensus was that as long as it was
allowed to cook completely before opening the pressure cooker method was
completely safe and that if care is taken the water bath method is safe.

The water bath method was deemed safe as long as the cans were kept
completely covered with water and the cooking held to a simmer. The
condensed milk inside the cans has a higher boiling point than the water
around them and as such will never reach boiling point. As such the worst
that could happen is that a rare can might burst but would never explode.
I have done this several times and not seen a hint of a problem. If you
forget about it and the water boils away that is a whole 'nother story.

"Bill" > wrote in message
...

> > I have to say that boiling unopened cans is way
> > past my personal risk threshold. No criticism
> > of those who do it; just a different point of view.

> This was a hot topic of discussion amongst a group
> of avid cooks that included several engineers. The
> consensus was that as long as it was allowed to cook
> completely before opening the pressure cooker method
> was completely safe and that if care is taken the water
> bath method is safe.
>
> The water bath method was deemed safe as long as the
> cans were kept completely covered with water and the
> cooking held to a simmer. The condensed milk inside the
> cans has a higher boiling point than the water around them
> and as such will never reach boiling point. As such the worst
> that could happen is that a rare can might burst but would
> never explode. I have done this several times and not seen
> a hint of a problem. If you forget about it and the water boils
> away that is a whole 'nother story.

Thanks for the info -- gotta love engineers (my Dad is a retired
engineer, my sister dated engineers all through college, I dated
engineers, I was even married to one -- for a while, anyway ).
While I will probably pass on making dulce de leche by boiling the can
(personal risk thresholds are just that: personal), it's nice to know
that it's not as risky as it feels to me.

-j