Stick to the plan
Canning meat is not the time to experiment with a recipe. Follow the recipe to the letter, making notes on your experience, so you can then see how to change your technique, if desired, the next time.
Check everything twice
Make sure your pressure canner is in excellent condition (refer to Chapter 9 for what constitutes “excellent condition”). Before using the pressure canner, be sure to check its safety valve. You can do this with a string or fine wire. A sure way to know that the safety valve is clean is to hold the lid up to the light. When clean, you will be able to see light through the hole. Check the safety valve every time you can. Check it between loads of jars during a single canning session as well. It only takes a couple of seconds and can eliminate any major accidents.
Also make sure to check all your jars for nicked rims before and after sanitizing (glass jars with lids and bands are recommended). Sometimes a jar will be perfect when coming out of storage but will get a small nick or crack in the cleaning process. A nicked rim won’t keep a jar sealed.
Be as clean as a whistle
Wash all your work surfaces with hot soapy water and rinse well. You may want to add bleach to the rinse water and let the surfaces dry on their own. This ensures you have a sanitary work surface to sit your jars and utensils on. Note: You don’t have to sanitize the entire kitchen, just the area that you will be working at (doing a trial run lets you know exactly where your work surfaces are). You also need to ensure that your jars, rims, and lids are sanitized (go to Chapter 4 for details).
Selecting and preparing the meat
When canning meat, use only the best meat you can buy. This means the freshest meat that has been raised and handled properly. Here are some ways to ensure that you are starting out with the best meat.
Raise your own food animals
Buy from a local small farmer
Buy from a local butcher
You can certainly use meat from the local big-chain grocery store, but note that they won’t have the freshest meat available, and the meat itself may be raised in a way that you may not want to support.
When preparing meats to can, you remove as much bruising, gristle, and fat that you can. You remove the first two because they’re blemishes that don’t can well. You remove the fat because fatty meat shouldn’t be canned; it increases the chance of spoilage and can lend an off flavor to the finished product. You won’t be able to remove every trace of fat, but cut off as much as possible during preparation.
How you cut the meat — into cubes, strips, and so forth — depends on the type of meat you’re canning. You can find specific guidance for the various types of meats in the upcoming sections.
Only prepare enough meat for one canner full of jars at a time. You do not want meat to sit out at room temperature for any longer than necessary. Meat is more susceptible to bacterial growth than other foods and must remain as cold as possible until used.
Meat canning, step by step
Your equipment and supplies are checked and assembled, and you’re ready to begin. The following steps provide a general overview of the process for canning meat; for detailed instructions on canning low-acid foods, refer to Chapter 9.
1. Place the wire jar rack into the canner and add the water to the canner following your canner’s manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Fill the jars following the recipe’s instructions and close them hand tight.
For info on preparing your meat, refer to the earlier section “Selecting and preparing the meat.”
Don’t overtighten the jars. By hand-tightening them, you leave a miniscule amount of room between the rim and the lid, enabling the pressure of the canner to force air out of each jar as it becomes pressurized during the canning process. As the pressurized cans then cool, the lids will be sucked tightly onto the jars, providing an airtight seal.
3. Place the hand-tightened jars in the canner and then place the lid on the canner and fasten, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Begin processing.
When the water comes to a boil, vent the steam for at least 10 minutes to ensure that the pressure gauge has an accurate reading.
4. After the 10 minutes venting time, close the vent and watch the pressure build; then maintain the pressure specified in the recipe for the recommended period of time.
Stay nearby because you need to adjust the heat source so that the pressure builds high enough but not too high. Read your particular pressure canner’s instructions to be sure of the technique the manufacturer recommends for your unit. If at any time your pressure falls below the recommended level during the canning process, you must bring it back up to the correct pressure and start timing all over again.
5. After the specified cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to return to 0. Then remove the jars from the canner, allow them to cool completely, and then store.
6. Before tasting or eating, boil the contents of each jar for 15 minutes.
The following sections provide specific instructions for various types of meats.
Canning Beef and Pork: Cubed Meat
Cubed meats, such as beef, pork, goat, and sheep, are easy to can and can be the main ingredient of many delicious dishes. You can use strips, cubes, and ground meats (covered in the next section) in any recipe that calls for that type of meat.
Canning is an excellent way to use the less expensive cuts of meat and still end up with a delicious dish. When you preserve meat this way, your family will never know that you started with a tougher cut of meat, and children often prefer canned meat to the noncanned version.
Preparing the meat
Before placing the meat into the jars, cut it into bite-sized pieces, about 1-inch square, and cook it in a frying pan on high heat until it’s about half-way done and lightly browned on each side. Meats that have a strong flavor can be soaked in salted water for an hour before cooking. You can also use a tomato-based liquid in these strong-flavored meats (as the Wild Game in Gravy recipe does later in this chapter).
You can also cut strips of your desired meats from roasts and steaks. If you do so, make sure you cut with the grain of the meat so that it will fit the length of the jar. Cutting in this way results in a more tender and aesthetic-looking piece of meat. Cutting across the grain can cause the meat to fall apart and result in a stringy texture.
Filling the jars
Pack the cubed meat while still hot into hot jars. (When canning chunky meats, use wide-mouthed jars; this makes it easier to fill the jars when you’re canning and easier to remove the foods later on.) Leave 1-inch headspace.
Fill the jars until they’re full but not overly packed. By leaving a bit of room, you allow all the air to be driven out of the meat. If packed too tightly, some air may become trapped, and your resulting meat won’t be safe to use.
Pour your hot liquid of choice (tomato juice, boiling water, or stock) over the meat. This additional liquid fills in any air spaces that remain. (Don’t use thickened gravy because it becomes gooey or too thick during the canning process and you’ll end up with an unsatisfactory product.)
Using a plastic or nonreactive utensil (not metal), release any air bubbles and add liquid as necessary to maintain the proper headspace. Then hand-tighten lids and process according to the recipe’s instructions.
Chopped or Cubed Meat
Cubed meat is tender and delicious and is guaranteed to be one of the first things you reach for when you need a fast meal maker. Whenever a recipe calls for cubed or chopped meat, use this and cut out a major portion of the work. Serve this meat over biscuits in wintertime for a stick-to-your-ribs meal that really tastes great.
Preparation time: 1 hour
Processing time: Pints, 1 hour 15 minutes; quarts, 1 hour 30 minutes
Pressure level: 10 pounds
Yield: About 8 pints or 4 quarts
6 pounds lean meat
Water, tomato juice, or broth
Canning salt or beef bouillon (opt
ional)
1 Cut meat into cubes and brown lightly in dry skillet until the meat is about halfway done (the canning process finishes the cooking). While the meat is browning, heat up your choice of liquid until boiling.
2 Prepare the canning jars and two-piece caps (lids and screw bands) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep the jars and lids hot. (For detailed instructions on preparing your jars, see Chapter 4.)
3 Ladle the cooked meat and your choice of boiling liquid into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add a bouillon cube or 1/4 teaspoon salt to each pint jar or 1/2 teaspoon salt to each quart jar, if desired. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil (refer to Chapter 3). Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.
4 Process your filled jars in pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for 1 hour 15 minutes (pints) or 1 hour 30 minutes (quarts). When the processing time is done, allow the pressure to return to 0, wait an additional 10 minutes, and then carefully open canner lid. (Head to Chapter 9 for detailed processing instructions for pressure canning.)
5 Remove the hot jars with a jar lifter. Place the jars on a clean kitchen towel in a draft-free area. After the jars cool completely, test the seals (refer to Chapter 4). (If you find jars that haven’t sealed, immediately refrigerate them and use them within one week.) Boil the contents of each jar for 15 minutes before tasting or eating.
Per 4-ounce serving: Calories 266 (From fat 115); Fat 13g (Saturated 5g); Cholesterol 115mg; Sodium 76mg; Carbohydrates 0g (Dietary fiber 0g); Protein 35g.
Wild Game in Gravy
Wild game is inexpensive, and the unique taste is often a welcome change. You can use this recipe for venison and rabbit, as well as any goat that might have a stronger-than-normal flavor. Although this recipe works well with strong flavored meats, it is still imperative to start with fresh, clean meat.
Preparation time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Processing time: Pints, 1 hour 15 minutes; quarts, 1 hour 30 minutes
Pressure level: 10 pounds
Yield: About 4 pints or 2 quarts
3 pounds game
Canning salt
Beef broth or tomato juice
Water
1 Cut your meat into 1-inch chunks. In a large nonreactive bowl, cover the meat with a brine solution made up of 1 tablespoon of salt per quart of water. Leave the meat in the brine for 1 hour. Then rinse thoroughly. In a 8-quart pot, brown the game over medium or medium-high heat until it is about two-thirds done. While meat is browning, bring your choice of liquid to a boil.
2 Prepare the canning jars and two-piece caps (lids and screw bands) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep the jars and lids hot. (For detailed instructions on preparing your jars, see Chapter 4.)
3 Fill the prepared jars with pieces of game and boiling hot liquid (broth or tomato juice), leaving 1-inch headspace. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil, adding liquid as necessary to maintain the proper headspace (refer to Chapter 3). Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.
4 Process your filled jars in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for 1 hour 15 minutes (pints) or 1 hour 30 minutes (quarts). When the processing time is done, allow the pressure to return to 0, wait an additional 10 minutes, and then carefully open the canner lid. (Head to Chapter 9 for detailed processing instructions for pressure canning.)
5 Remove the hot jars with a jar lifter. Place the jars on a clean kitchen towel in a draft-free area. After the jars cool completely, test the seals (refer to Chapter 4). (If you find jars that haven’t sealed, immediately refrigerate them and use them within one week.) Boil the contents of each jar for 15 minutes before tasting or eating.
Per 4-ounce serving of venison: Calories 126 (From fat 51); Fat 6g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 63mg; Sodium 251mg; Carbohydrates 0g (Dietary fiber 0g); Protein 18g.
Per 4-ounce serving of rabbit: Calories 126 (From fat 46); Fat 5g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 50mg; Sodium 341mg; Carbohydrates 0g (Dietary fiber 0g); Protein 19g.
Canning Ground Meat
Ground meat is a family favorite. Canning it makes this handy staple even faster and easier to use. When canning ground meat, use any that your family enjoys. From poultry to red meat, all of it tastes wonderful when preserved this way. Use canned ground meat in the same way as you normally would — in any recipe that calls for already-cooked ground meat. You may find that your family prefers ground meat cooked this way, as it is far more flavorful than cooking in a frying pan.
When canning ground meat, keep these points in mind:
Preparing the ground meat: Brown the meat just until it loses its pink color.
Filling the jars: Using a wide mouth canning funnel, carefully fill the jars with ground meat, leaving 1-inch headspace. It is not necessary to add any additional liquid because the canning process forces out the meat’s natural juices. This juice is rich in natural meat flavor.
Canned Ground Beef
This basic canning recipe makes the most of a common food: burger! Use this tasty food in any recipe that calls for ground beef. You may find the texture to be a little finer, but the flavor is outstanding. Remember, you may have to use a spoon to remove the ground meat from jars. No worries — once it’s heated, it’ll again be the crumbly texture you know.
Preparation time: 1 hour
Processing time: Pints, 1 hour 15 minutes; quarts, 1 hour 30 minutes
Pressure level: 10 pounds
Yield: 8 pints or 4 quarts
8 pounds lean ground beef
Water, tomato juice, or beef broth
Canning salt (optional)
1 Lightly brown ground beef in a dry skillet. While the beef is browning, bring your water, tomato juice, or beef broth to a boil.
2 While the meat is cooking and your liquid is coming to a boil, prepare the canning jars and two-piece caps (lids and screw bands) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep the jars and lids hot. (For detailed instructions on preparing your jars, see Chapter 4.)
3 Ladle the ground beef into each prepared jar and cover with boiling liquid, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt to each pint jar or 1/2 teaspoon salt to each quart jar, if desired. Release any air bubbles with a nonreactive utensil (refer to Chapter 3). Wipe the jar rims; seal the jars with the two-piece caps, hand-tightening the bands.
4 Process your filled jars in the pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for 1 hour 15 minutes (pints) and 1 hour 30 minutes (quarts). When the processing time is done, allow the pressure to return to 0, wait an additional 10 minutes, and then carefully open the canner lid. (Head to Chapter 9 for detailed processing instructions for pressure canning.)
5 Remove the hot jars with a jar lifter. Place the jars on a clean kitchen towel in a draft-free area. After the jars cool completely, test the seals (refer to Chapter 4). (If you find jars that haven’t sealed, immediately refrigerate them and use them within one week.) Boil the contents of each jar for 15 minutes before tasting or eating.
Vary It!: Add a single bouillon cube per quart in place of the salt for a slightly different flavor.
Per 4-ounce serving: Calories 261 (From fat 123); Fat 14g (Saturated 10g); Cholesterol 101mg; Sodium 99mg; Carbohydrates 0g (Dietary fiber 0g); Protein 32g.
Poultry
Poultry is chicken, turkey, and other birds. To can fresh chickens (those that haven’t been frozen), you use the cold pack method. To can chickens that have been previously frozen, you use the hot pack method.
Canning is the perfect way to use roosters and older hens. (An older hen, known as a stewing hen, is one that is older than 1 1/2 years.) These traditionally tougher birds are made tender and succulent through the canning process. The younger chickens tend to become too soft and are better if frozen.
Canning fresh chicken: Cold packing
Cold packing is recommended for poultry that has never been frozen and makes a fast and efficient way to preserve poultry for
your pantry.
Preparing the chicken: If you have whole chickens, remove the breasts to freeze separately and can the remaining parts of the bird. Separate the leg pieces at the joint, so you have a thigh and drumstick for each leg. Place the pieces of cold chicken in a large bowl, only preparing enough chickens for a full canner load.
Canning and Preserving For Dummies Page 20