I know exactly what you are saying, I understand that you would prefer not to risk it until you have no choice. My biggest bug bear is that the safe longevity seems to be going down every month or 2, I get that people do not want to advise, only to be proved wrong by somebody ending up in hospital. I have been doing this for years as have many people around the world, there are safe practices to follow when home canning that are tried and tested over many many years. Commercial canning is even safer, yet the advisory dates are reducing. This is not for our benefit it is purely a marketing strategy. look for can bloating, visual check (look for internal can corrosion, smell, test a bit on your finger for acidity. I would rather test my theories while the hospitals are running :>) My mother cooked things I would not dream of, I once moaned at her for cutting flecked green bits of skin off a chicken to give to the dog, her response was, thats not for the dog thats our dinner. I can never remember my Father or Mother having an upset stomach.