If a suspect home-canned jar or can is still sealed and not leaking, put it unopened in a heavy garbage bag, tie the bag shut, and throw it away. If it is open or leaking, wear gloves and boil the container and lid in a deep, covered pot with water at least 5 cm above them for 30 minutes. Only then cool and discard it. Also handle every surface that came into contact with any spilled contents.
Throwing a suspect jar into the trash without opening it may seem sufficient at first, but that is not the end of the matter. The jar could break in the trash, its lid could pop off under pressure, or an animal rummaging through the trash could reach the contents. Botulinum toxin is extremely potent, and even a very small amount can cause serious poisoning. Place a sealed, non-leaking suspect jar unopened in a heavy garbage bag, close the bag, and put it in a trash container. Follow the same procedure even if the suspicion has not been confirmed.
If the jar or can is open, unsealed, or leaking, detoxify it before discarding it: wear gloves and lay the container and lid on their sides in a deep pot. Carefully add enough water, without splashing, to cover them by at least 5 cm. Cover the pot, bring the water to a boil, and start timing 30 minutes once it begins boiling. When the time is up, turn off the stove and let the jar cool in the water. Do not remove a hot jar from the pot; the glass may crack from the temperature difference and its contents could spill into the kitchen. Ventilate the kitchen during boiling and do not leave the pot unattended for a long time.
Once cool, the jar can be discarded. Put it in a thick bag, tie the bag shut, and place it in a lidded trash can to prevent breakage. Do not pour the contents down the sink or dump them in a garden or planter; contents spilled on the soil can put spores back into circulation. Discard the jar along with its lid; do not reuse it. Throughout the entire procedure, do not taste the contents at any stage or try to judge them by smell. If gloves were used, put them in the same bag and do not leave them outdoors.
If suspect contents have spilled, clean the contaminated surfaces carefully. Wear gloves and prepare a fresh solution of one part unscented household bleach containing 5–6% sodium hypochlorite to five parts clean water. Wet the surface and leave for thirty minutes. Wearing gloves, wipe with paper towels; put the towels in a plastic bag and discard them. Reapply the solution for thirty minutes, rinse, and wash thoroughly. Do not inhale bleach, let it touch skin, or mix it with other cleaning products. Discard the gloves and wash your hands afterward.
It is also clear which jars count as suspect. These include jars with bulging lids; lids that do not hold when the jar is lifted without the ring; an unexpected hiss when opened; foamy or unusually cloudy liquid; or a change in smell. A jar of low-acid food processed in a boiling-water bath belongs in this group even if it shows no signs, because a boiling-water process is not recommended for vegetables that have not been acidified. If in doubt, do not try to salvage the jar; if it is sealed, bag it unopened and discard it, and if it is open or leaking, boil it first. At the end of the year, handle any remaining suspect jars one at a time, not together.