When you can get meat at a killer deal–can it!
All Rights Reserved 2012 Preparedness Pro/Kellene Bishop
I think if the real Suzy Homemaker had to can 100 pints of meat, or anything, she would be haggard and worn. However, modern day technology and science makes the tasks of our ancestors a proverbial cake walk. I often tell my students that I truly am the laziest preparedness person they will ever meet. If there is an easy way to do something, I find it. I work full-time nearly 6 days a week and have to manage my physical and emotional energy wisely. I assure you that if canning meat was a real torture, I certainly wouldn’t be doing it. So today, I’m going to hold your hand and walk you through this task step by step. Why? Because it’s too easy and too cheap for you NOT to be doing it. I find that it’s about a quarter of the price of canned meats—even those at Costco. Not only that, but there is a distinct difference in taste between the commercially canned meat and that which you can yourself. Seriously; I’ve NEVER tasted store-bought canned chicken that’s as moist and tender as the meat I can myself. It’s truly a delight!
When your freezer is full–it’s time to can meat!
All Rights Reserved 2012 Preparedness Pro/Kellene Bishop
Why I love to can my own meat
Oh yeah, and another reason why I love canning meat is because my freezer is always FULL but I hate to miss out on buying loads of meat when it hits a rock bottom price just because I’m out of room. I mean really, I’m going to wish I had it later, right? So, when I can the meat instead of trying to find room in my freezer, I’m only limited by the number of jars I have on hand. Considering I can get those in abundance at Goodwill or at Salvation Army type stores; that really isn’t an insurmountable problem.
Just to answer a few anticipated questions initially; no, you do not have to add water to your canned meat. The meat, just like our own bodies already has sufficient moisture in it. However, I do so because I look at it as “free” broth that gets a deeper flavor over the years; so why not? Also, yes, you are able to can any kind of meat. I even can bacon! You can even can shrimp, halibut, ground beef, turkey, and steak.
Try to keep the meat in as big of a piece as possible so you don’t have limited uses for it once it’s opened.
All Rights Reserved 2012 Preparedness Pro/Kellene Bishop
I try to keep the meat in as big of a piece as I can so that I don’t get pigeon-holed into a specific use for the meat. For example, when I bottle pork sirloin, I keep it as large a piece as possible so that I can use it as a small pork roast with potatoes and carrots or I can cut it up for Pork Guisada. This is also why I do not pre-season my meat with ANY seasoning, though a pinch of salt is fine, it’s not necessary.
Here’s what you’ll need to can your meat:
- A pressure canner. (I use an All-American brand. They are currently about $200 bucks on Amazon.com)
- Clean Mason jars with NEW lids (it doesn’t matter which brand you use, Kerr, or Ball. I don’t think I’ve even seen the actual brand “Mason” is quite some time). I prefer to use the large mouth, pint size jars since 1 pint usually holds a pound of meat and that’s what most recipes call for.
- A sharp meat knife
All Rights Reserved 2012 Preparedness Pro/Kellene Bishop
- Paper towels
- White Vinegar (dampen your paper towel with it when you clean the rims of the jars.
- A butter knife
- Meat (with or without the bone in it. Your meat does NOT have to be cooked unless it’s ground meat. In which case you should brown it and then pack it.) When I’m bottling fresh fish, I take out the major bones as much as possible, but I don’t bother with the tiny ones. They tend to disintegrate in the jar through the pressure canning process.
Make sure the meat and fluid only come to the bottom rim.
All Rights Reserved 2012 Preparedness Pro/Kellene Bishop
Open the jars and lay the lids off to the side while you work with your meat. Cut your meat to the desired size and place it in the jars. I prefer to only handle the inside of the jars once I’ve started packing them so that I don’t get any fat or oil on the rims as that can compromise the seal. Fill the jars up only to the bottom of the screw rim area on the jar—no further. This is known as “head space/head room.”
Use a butter knife to remove any air bubbles
All Rights Reserved 2012 Preparedness Pro/Kellene Bishop
Once you’ve filled all of the jars with meat, pour in enough warm water to fill in the gaps of the meat packing. Remember, you don’t want to fill the jars any higher than the lowest point of the screw portion of the jar. (If the jar is not a wide mouth jar, then I actually stop right at the bend on the top of the jar, which is just below where the screw joint begins.)
Once you’re done filling in all of you jars with water, then go back with a butter knife and slide it down the inside of the jar. Doing so will allow more of the water to fill in the air gaps of the meat in the jar. I press the meat in a bit towards the center of the jar while I’m doing this to encourage better filling. Inevitably when you’re finished with this process, your jars will need a tad bit more water. Fill accordingly.
Use a paper towel and white vinegar to wipe off any excess fluid
All Rights Reserved 2012 Preparedness Pro/Kellene Bishop
Once you’re finished filling the jars, take a clean paper towel, moisten it with vinegar, and then wipe the outside screw rim of the jar as well as the top rim. You want to make sure that there are no meat pieces, oils, debris, or fat on that section as it will compromise the jar sealing properly. Place the lid firmly on each jar and screw on “finger tip tight.” You don’t want to man-handle these tightly closed at this point.
Add water up to the bottom rim
All Rights Reserved 2012 Preparedness Pro/Kellene Bishop
Place one of the racks that should be a part of your pressure canner set at the bottom of your pan. This is a must as the jars should not come in contact with the bottom of the pot. Fill your pressure canner 2 to 3 inches with water. (see your instruction manual for your particular canner) (Using warm or hot water will result in it taking less time for your canner to come up to full pressure. ) Add 1/4 cup of white vinegar. This will prevent the calcium/hard water stains on the jars and in your canner. Place the filled jars on the bottom rack inside your pressure canner, giving each jar just a bit of wiggle room. (NEVER put your jars directly on the bottom of the canner; always use the rack.) Then place your second rack on top of that layer of jars and top it with filled jars as well.
Bottom layer of jars in the pressure canner
All Rights Reserved 2012 Preparedness Pro/Kellene Bishop
Place the lid on the canner according to manufacturer’s directions WITHOUT the pressure weight. Turn the burner on High. Allow steam to exit pressure valve for 5 minutes, then place the pressure weight on your pan, according to manufacturer’s directions and in consideration of your altitude.
Uncovered pressure valve
All Rights Reserved 2012 Preparedness Pro/Kellene Bishop
Bring your pressure canner up to the appropriate pressure measurement (based on the kind of meat you’re cooking and your altitude) and then adjust/lower the heat to hold that pressure without needing to extract much heat or steam from the pressure weight valve. (This should take anywhere from 60-90 minutes.).
Make sure you adjust your pressure weight to your altitude requirements. All Rights Reserved 2012 Preparedness Pro/Kellene Bishop
Upon finishing the pressure canning, remove the pressure canner lid according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Yummy canned chicken All Rights Reserved 2012 Preparedness Pro/Kellene Bishop
Wipe off all of the jars with a clean, dry cloth and tighten the lids (as they will loosen in their grip during the canning process). Label the contents of the jar simply by writing on the flat part of the lid. I label it with the kind of meat in the jar as well as the month and day it was canned i.e. “Chx Brst 1/10” (translation: chicken breast, January 2010—thanks to all of my years waiting tables) Store in a cool, dry, place. Your canned meat will now store easily and safely for 3 to 5 years and you will love the taste!
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For any questions or comments on this article, please leave a comment on the blog site so that everyone can benefit! © 2013 Of COURSE this post is Copyright Protected by Preparedness Pro/Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. NO portion of this article may be reposted, printed, copied, disbursed, etc. without first receiving written permission by the author. (Then again, laws are only as good as the people who keep them.) Preparedness Pro/Kellene Bishop will pursue all violations of these rights just as vigorously as she does any of her other freedoms, liberties, and protections.
I had never heard of canned meat until I started watching Doomsday Preppers. Does it taste any different? Can it still be used for any recipe? I’m so new to all of this and it freaks me out a little!
@WeileMom Everyone who’s tried the canned meat done properly keeps writing me that it’s so good and tender. It doesn’t look pretty from the outside of the jar, but it is scrumptious, tender, and stronger in flavor ’cause it’s essentially marinated for years!
raw meat actually cooks in the jars, almost as if they are cooking in their very own pressure cooker. You can can cooked me, but it won’t give it a longer shelf-life than the raw meat.
Kellene, am I to assume you remove the skin first or do you can them with skin and all?
I canned some chicken breast and it looks like most of the moisture has boiled out of the jars. Is this a problem.? Two of the jars look like they might not have sealed, how do you tell? Does the meat need to be covered with liquid? Thanks for your help.
There isn’t a need for the meat to be covered with liquid. Liquid in the jars will always vent out. That’s part of the reason why I put the water in as per my details in this article.
To verify that the jars are sealed, you’ll simply check the flat lid portion. If it’s sealed the lid will be concave; press your finger firmly down on the center of the lid; it should not pop up if it’s sealed. You can also try tapping a spoon on the center of it and you should hear a clear ping. If it’s a low pitched thud, the lid isn’t sealed. (don’t test the jars while they are still hot/warm)
The first batch I tried lost most of it’s liquid. The jars sealed and when I opened one to try it the meat was fine but Very dry and i missed out on some great broth!! Discovered it was because I kept the heat too high , didn’t reduce heat enough. Done several batches since then and once it reaches the right pressure I reduce heat to where it just barely holds that pressure and now I have great broth all the way up to the top!! I did not add water.
Sounds GREAT. You can use the drier meat in soups instead of wasting it. it will be fine once you get some more hot liquid into it.
This may seem like a stupid question since I have never canned before, but is the meat still raw when you’re finished canning it? I’m guessing that it is at least least partially cooked or does it end up fully cooked? And where can I find the instructions for specific altitudes and type of meat? If the meat is fully cooked in the can, then how do you adjust your recipe when it calls for full cooking again?
It’s completely cooked after you’ve canned it. Each jar is like its very own pressure cooker so it’s cooked but tender and juicy still. So I just modify my recipes using cooked meat. You could eat it right out of the jar fully cooked. (but it would need refrigeration is it was to be open for an extended period of time without consuming all of the ingredients.
Why is it that you are unable to can processed meats??? ie. hot dogs
Also, my husband ‘LOVES’ Tounge tacos from the taco carts… how would tounge be done canned??
Actually, I need to change that because I’ve learned a LOT more on that topic since writing it originally. I just canned 60 pounds of bacon todayl So thanks for reminding me.
Can you can corned beef and would you need to cook it first?
it will get PLENTY cooked during the canning process.
Can you add salt prior to putting it in the pressure cooker to give it more flavor?
Sure.
What size is your All-American pressure canner? Yours looks like the 21 1/2 quart, but you posted a direct link on another page to the 10 1/2 quart on Amazon.
Do you have to use the pressure cooker for canned meats or can I use my new steam bath or the old fashioned boiling canner?
you definitely must use a pressure canner, not cooker, for canning meats.
Kellene – do you have to use water in the cans? Could you possibly use chicken/meat broth or stock as a substitution?
Why would you use anything but water? You’ll be making incredible broths as a result of the canning process and the meat marinating in the jars for all that time.
This is a very informative article and I appreciate that you included the photos.
I am fairly new to the canning world. Just one question: Should the jars (and lids) be sterilized before putting the meat into them and processing, like is done in the water bath process for jams and jellies?
Thanks!
Everything needs to be clean, yes indeed.
Thank you so much for the information! I had checked with our local Auburn Extension office for canning info on meats, but the pictures were a great help. Haven’t tried to do the bacon yet, but the other meats have all turned out great. Really appreciate all the info on your site, can’t seem to stop reading it and making notes!
Just thought you would like to know I have canned bacon, pork stir-fry strips & chicken breasts – all HUGE successes!
So Excited that I have more “Stuff” to put in jars!:)
this will be my first time canning meat. I am starting with chicken thghs that are on this weekend. Approx. how long will meat preserve if canned properly?
That all depends on your storage conditions. 5 years on the low end, 10 years on the high end.
Kellene — I am trying to get my act together to start canning, but there is one thing that I a little confused about. You always mention keeping the food in a cool, dark place to allow it to last the maximum time, between 68-72 degrees. I live in Houston and the coolest place (without refrigeration) in my house is probably 73-74 degrees, with high humidity — I keep the air somewhat higher because I am always freezing and to keep the electric bills down. What is the max time that my canned food would last in those conditions, and would I be better off to use my extra refrigerator to keep as much as my canned food for maximum freshness? Will that affect the canning to have the meat at a refrigerator-level temperature for long periods of time? Houston is definitely not the easiest place to live for food storage!
Thanks!
There’s a point where you might need to work on manipulating the environment such as with a dehumidifier. If you use a dehumidifier, I know it makes the effective temp much cooler. There are several parts of our nation that have this problem, I know. But that’s the best answer I’ve got for you. You’re food will last as little as 50% as the standard time frame with the heat and humidity factor. You’ll just have to get better about rotating it.
Can you dig a cellar in the warm parts of the country to get a cooler temp? Or perhaps use a storm shelter?
Root cellars have been used all over the country for decades and decades for coll food storage.
LOVED this canning tutorial!! Thank you for taking the time to make it.
Why would humidity matter? The food is in a sealed jar.
The answer to your question is located in the most recent article that is posted on the home page.
I bought a smaller portable air conditioner for my food storage. I keep it at 65. I got it on amazon and it wasn’t very expensive. I personally don’t like the cold and didn’t want to pay to cool down the entire house.
Sounds like a GREAT idea. I’m tickled that you “get it” in terms of protecting your investment of food!
I have a possible solution for all my southern friends. I live in Florida where it is HOT and HUMID. This solution will only work if electricity is still available. I was given an old chest freezer; then I bought a Freezer temperature controller from Amazon ($50). You plug the controller into the power source; set the temperature on the controller; plug your freezer into the controller. I have mine set for 64 and it stays within a couple degrees of that. I found the information on various beer making sites. I am thinking about putting my canned goods in shallow crates and stacking them up inside. Chest freezers are very efficient and so I think it will be cheaper than an a/c. Hope this sparks some ideas.
I was just wondering if you can can meat you have in freezer that is frozen? I want to thaw it in ref and then try canning, would that work? Our freezer is full and we constantly lose power here and IF the grid should go down we’re in trouble with the frozen items.
Yes you CAN.
Kellene, you gave me the courage to can meat and I thank you. But I fear I did something wrong. I used wide mouth pint jars, sterilized and heated, filled with meat, added just enough hot water to fill and processed for the required 90 min at 15# pressure. My canner only holds 5 wide mouth jars and one of them was lying on its side when I opened the canner and the water and other jars were all greasy on the sides. I let them kool and all the lids seem to have sealed (though I didn’t hear the “pop”) since I cannot push them down in the middle, but I did have to wash them off with a wet rag. Is it possible I might have filled them too full? Right now, one jar is only about half full of liquid, Do you think they’re okay? I don’t know what I did wrong. My first time canning meat. Can I add an empty jar, so none fall over?
You will always need to wash off the jars after processing meat. I just use a rag with hot soapy (DAWN) water. And yes, you can put another jar (I’d fill it with water) in there so that the others don’t fall over.
If you can’t push them down in the middle they are SEALED. Ya done good, gurl!
Just curious….if there is room for an empty jar, why fill it with water? Why not fill it with what you are canning, put a lid on it, and have another jar of canned meat?
that’s presuming you don’t have anymore meat to can, Bob.
Thank you so very much for sharing this with us Kellene. Do you can all meats the same way?
p.s. I’ve always wanted a daughter. Can I adopt you? lol
Everything except for processed meats (which I only do in chunks) and ground beef/sausage/turkey/chicken all get cooked before they get put into the can as there’s just way too much surface space potential for bacteria growth.
Adopt me? Well, you should know I’m a Buckeye Fan, feisty, and I”m not voting for Romney or Obama. My dad hung up on me when he learned of the last issue.
I may just be too much for anyone to handle–except my Prince Charming. *hugs*
You are amazing! Never knew anything about “Being Prepared” until I watched you on NatGeo!! I also had never canned anything before!
Buuuutttttt now you have done it!! I first canned bacon wrapped in the parchment paper. Then I canned chicken breast. Then canned ground beef. ALL from Zaycon of course! Their meat is the best I have ever seen in my lifetime!!! Now I have canned beef roast, pork butt and venison we had in the freezer. We precooked only the ground beef. We process all our meat in pints at 10 lbs. pressure for 75 minutes. MY TIP for the day—anytime there is space left in our canner (not enough product to fill a jar), we always process BUTTER in jars as our fillers!!! Thanks Kellene for being so inspirational!
Woohoo!! *Happy Dance*
Kellene,
Thank you for taking the time for giving us this information. I’ve read thru the posts on your “canning meat” article and see that other people have asked about canning hot dogs. This is my first year on canning; I’ve tried bacon, stew beef, hot dogs, sausage (brats and ground) and hamburger. The stew beef turned out perfect. 10 pounds @ 90 minutes, the beef is fork tender and ready for any “heat and eat” dish we want.
The other meats have not done as well as I hoped. The long processing time is breaking down the fibers of the meats. The hot dogs come out like Vienna sausages and the bacon is “bacon bits” and tastes more like country ham when fried up. I know that I should “ALWAYS” follow the Ball Blue book for process times to insure all critters and botchy bugs are killed during canning so our meat is sterile and safe. But this is overkill in my opinion.
I tried an experiment with a batch of hot dogs where I processed them for 10 minutes @ 10 pounds. I waited 2 weeks and opened a jar up; they smelled like hot dogs and grilled up perfect, just like fresh hot dogs. How do you keep your meats coming out as close to fresh tasting as possible with out it turning into baby food? (Soft mush) from the long processing times.
I will be trying the Johnsonville brats again this weekend. I figure I start with 10 pounds @ 20 minutes because they are raw pork. One pack will fit into a quart jar perfect. I believe in the saying “store what you eat, and eat what you store.” But, my family wants nothing to do with the hotdogs and bacon because of how soft they become.
I know hot dogs are not the perfect survival food but I want to add variety into the rice and beans. I’m interested in what you have tried for yourself to improve the final product.
Thanks again for all you do and God bless.
Hillbilly
Your processing times, frankly, scare me. I’ve NEVER had my hamburger, bacon, steak, beef roast, pork roast come out tasting like baby food or mushy. It’s so tender and juicy and the meat tastes even beefier as it sits in its broth all that time on the shelves.
Processing hot dogs and such isn’t a good idea because it’s so dense, which is why I don’t risk it. The only exception to that is if you cut them up into bite-sized pieces. You CAN do a water bath on COOKED meat that you have at 150 degrees. The All American instruction manual that you can find online will tell you more on that. Maybe you’d enjoy that more?
I wanted to get your thoughts about canning Smoked Boston Butts. When I smoke them I normally do 2 of them at a time (it takes about 9 to 12 hours on the smoker) and we have plenty of meat left over. We normally eat the rest of it as left overs. I was wondering… how would I go about canning this food that has already extensively cooked? Or should I even try?
You’re going to get a texture that you may not be a fan of. I’d suggest that you try canning just one pint/quart of them first. You’ll can according to hot water bath instructions. It will tell you how hot the meat has to be and what you do from there. Okey dokey? I’m not a pro at water bath canning (even though it’s much easier to do than pressure cooking.) You will like Canning Granny’s blogspot though. She’s also got a page on Facebook. She’s a total pro at canning.
Thanks for the very helpful directions with pictures.
As my sister, a friend and I canned last weekend, we had a question: Why handle the jars only by the inside? We were thinking it should be the opposite. Any enlightenment you can give would be great! Thanks again.
I’ve modified the sentence to clarify for you.
Absolutely loving your blog! One question, my plan was to prepare meals and can them, such as slow-cooked pork roast with beans and seasonings (Chalupa), Beef Stroganoff meat in gravy, turkey soup, etc. What I am understanding from this is that I should not can already cooked/prepared and seasoned meats. Is that correct? Your help is sooo appreciated!
Nope, that’s just USDA/Extension services gobblety gook. However, I don’t believe you’ll like the texture of any pastas cooked and then canned. They get so soggy. But veggies, meat, legumes, and vegetables are typically all right to can.
Thanks, Kellene. That is So Exciting! I appreciate that you’re willing to take flack from some to help Many! Blessings!
okay Kellene on canning meats I have always been told by my grandmother and I looked it up online, that you need to boil it for 10 to 15 minutes after you open it to kill any botulism that might be in it. What a pain but I wanted to use my canned chicken for chicken salad so I boiled it to be safe. If I baked it in oven casserole I probably wouldn’t need to . Same for veggies. I see no mention of that anywhere on you blog . Whats your take on this ?
Karen, We eat it right out of the jar on crackers and make chicken salad sandwiches. No heating or boiling needed. After 7 years of this I am still upright.
That wouldn’t be accurate information, Karen. You don’t have to boil the canned chicken or tuna that you can buy at the stores. You’ll lose all of the tenderness and flavor if you do that too. You can eat it right out of the jar just as the other reader mentioned. The same is true for veggies. Someone’s just being a bit paranoid by suggesting the need to cook them after being canned.
good to know , thanks for the tips
Have 2 questions: I tried canning the Zaycon bacon and opened one jar several weeks later. To me, the bacon looked raw so I fried it in the frying pan. Is this what it is supposed to look like when unwrapped from the jars? Just wanted to make sure I did it right.
#2. I also purchased the Zaycon ham. How do you preserve it–canned or frozen? Your help is much appreciated!
Yes, it will look “raw” as you put it, in other words, void of the browning and such because you haven’t cooked it in any way to be “brown” up to that point.
I don’t preserve the ham, it’s smoked and thus doesn’t have a great texture after being smoked and then pressure canned. I just freeze it and eat it up soon cause it’s so dang good.
Kellene, we love pork loin roasts that have been marinated with garlic and teriyaki sauce. Have you ever pressure canned this and how was it? I hate to make a mess of such a nice piece of pork. Thanks for any advice!
Darlene
I’ve not done that recipe specifically but here’s what I know will result if you do…you’ll love it because the pork will be marinating in those fabulous flavors for the years that you keep it on the shelf. Heaven!!! I don’t believe you’ll be making a mess AT ALL! Just let me know what time to show up for dinner.
All most every time I can, a couple of jars don’t seal. I thought you said to lightly tighten the lids but in this article it says to screw on tightly. Do you think this is my mistake?
Finger tight is the standard way to put the lids on. I must have written a rookie type of line. I’ll fix that. As for why your jars aren’t sealing, it could be something as simple as particles or fat along the ridge of jar. Also, be sure you’re not covering the jars with water, rather you’re just putting two to three inches of water in the canner. I’ve got to tell you, I’ve never heard of someone consistently having problems with a couple of jars not sealing; that’s an odd one indeed. However, it’s great that you check and double check your seals before putting them away–for situations just like this. Way to go.
I almost always get one jar that doesn’t seal.
So glad that doesn’t happen to me! That would drive me bonkers.
Two questions: Our local grocery stores often have frozen meatballs as a BOGO special. Is it possible to let them thaw, then can them? Or might they turn to mush? Second, I’ve canned chicken and its great for making shredded chicken BBQ sandwiches, but I don’t always want my meat to be that soft. I’d like more “solid” pieces for various recipes. Is this possible? Thanks!
Sure you can do that. I suspect though that they are already cooked and just need to be warmed up, but that’s how folks typically can meatballs–cooking first so that they hold their shape and then can them.
I can my chicken in the largest possible pieces that I can so that I don’t get pigeon-holed into just one kind of chicken. When I get my Zaycon order of chicken breast, I stuff the entire half of a breast in the jar and then a second piece typically, for this very reason. You can try that or you could partially cook the chicken, much like you would the meatballs from scratch, and then can them.
You have answered so many questions about food processing for me in this section! I feel confident enough from your knowledge and experience to go beyond what I am presently doing with my meat canning. I do appreciate your telling about the pressure canner that you use. I am looking for one that will can the size above quart jars. I am trying to formulate an Italian marinara sauce and some Italian sausage for canning. Any help would be appreciated.
Anything larger than a quart size is NOT suitable or recommended for canning–neither water bath nor pressure canning. However I do use the half-gallon size all the time for my dry canning in which I use the FoodSaver to extract all of the oxygen from the jar. (See “FoodSaver Saves the Day” article on here or go to our YouTube page–youtube.com/preparednesspro and see the video I have posted for using the FoodSaver.)
I think the larger jars are actually meant for pickling.
Not from what I’ve learned; They’ve been used primarily for “Open-kettle” canning which is not considered true canning.
I’ve never heard of open kettle canning but I know my grandmother used gallon jars for fermenting pickles and also cabbage into sauerkraut.
in years past “open kettle” was consideres canning, at least for the use of glass jars, technology has caught up and science proved it was not safe so it was discarded
half-gallon and gallon jars were first used many years ago when families were much larger and you needed more food to make a meal. you had to add processing time to what was allowed for a quart but I don’t know how much. I have a very old Kerr canning book that I can look at and see if there is a time given for halves don’t know about gallons. As for open kettle canning it is where foods especially fruits, peaches, apples maybe pears, were cooked in a pan on the stove top and the boiling cooked fruits were put directly in the clean jars and the tops and rings screwed down and allowed to cool. the cooling product caused a vacume and the jar would seal. it is not recommended today. Tomatoes were canned in this manner but they didnot keep well and were not safe for use. I have canned some open kettle long ago but now I have gone to water bath for fruits. will cook until just tender and then put in the jars and into the water bath and let boil 25 min once it has reached a rolling boil. 20. min is considered steirile and this is giving a little time in case it wasn’t boiling good when you started timing. Have had no problems by doing this and few jars that didn’t seal. Guess I’m getting old because I remember some of the older things or maybe it was the fact my mama was an older woman and she knew them and passed them on to me.
I never realized canning meat was so easy. My eyes have been opened. I realize there may come a day when grocery store shelves could be empty and I how important it is going to be to enhance my food resources other than emergency food buckets. I’m thankful that there are those so willing to share.
Hi, nice reading here. I havnt canned meat since I was about 10. Then I helped my mom put up a whole beef. She is long gone so I cant ask her. My wife and I canned chicken breasts yesterday they came out perfect. We bought several round roasts cut them in chunks added them to quart jars leaving a inch head space (raw pack) with a tsp of salt oh and ran a thin plastic around the meat to went air, processed @ 15 pounds for 90 minutes. The finished product shows meat a little over half full on jars with liquid about 3/4. Did I need to pack tighter?
thanks for the help
I don’t worry about the meat shrinking as it’s cooked. That’s just how meat is; it’s what it’s supposed to do. Just don’t expect Martha Stewart perfect. All is well. Enjoy!!!
Yesterday I canned some chicken soup. I had made the broth the day before, then put some of the chicken meat and veggies in each jar with the broth. I followed the directions for my canner from the manual (3 qts water in canner, 90 minutes at 10 lbs pressure for my altitude) but when it was all cooled and I opened it up there was only about a couple of ounces of water left. So it got me to wondering about what might happen if the pressure canner runs dry and what effect that might have on the safety of the food.
If the canner does run dry, it will continue to cook the ingredients inside your jars but more so as if each of the jars on the bottom are directly on a burner. This will obviously risk the jars to break. This is just one of many reasons why a person needs to never put the jars directly on the bottom of the pan; the trivets should always be used. If you had two levels of food, then a dry canner will also result in your top level of food not receiving the appropriate heat and pressure which will result in spoilage.
I always fill my pressure canners as full as full of water as I can without covering the bottom row of jars. However, when I’m canning pints or have or even quarter pints (when I’m doing my own dog food) then I purposefully put the pints on the bottom so that I can get my water level as high as possible and them I can confidently fill the rest of the canner with the half or quarter pints.
I did have the jars on the trivet – 3 quarts and 2 pints to be exact. It came to about 1 1/2 inches up the jars. I thought it should have more water and I checked the instructions again and it distinctly said “3 qts is all you need”. After depressurizing there was water under the trivet but the top of the trivet and the inside walls of the canner were dry. I had always read that if there isn’t enough water then you don’t get enough steam and it doesn’t reach the proper temperature to be safe. This was my first shot at chicken soup – I had made 6 qts for dinner and there were 4 qts left (not a huge loss if I screwed up) so I decided I would try canning it instead of freezing it. Since I’m new to this I am having a difficult time figuring out if the soup is safe to eat or not.
Hello Kellene!
I am brand new to the canning world, although my grandparents we pros at I was too young to learn at the time, i just canned my first batch of blueberry and strawberry jam and they came out DELISH, i wanted to know since i am Italian and love making meatballs, sausage and gravy(spag. sauce) i was wondering can i cook my meats as i usually do and then can the meat with the gravy when im finished cooking it ?
love your blog! thanks for the valuable info!! LISA
I have several readers who’ve canned meatballs, meatloaf, hamburger patties, etc. I’d suggest canning then without the gravy and stock up on the items you need that are shelf-stable to MAKE the gravy easily OR you can bottle just the gravy if you’d like. It’s been my experience though that I’m not too crazy of dairy based canned items though.
Thank you!
how about canning a meat sauce?
reason i ask is because the juices from the meat are what make the gravy so tasty…..
There’s a great canning blog called “canning grandma” Do a search on it and I think you’ll find what you need in that regard. She’s focused on that exclusively, whereas I’m focused on preparing in a broader manner. I’ve enjoyed and have had others enjoy her site a lot. I only know canning based on what I do and thus my repertoire is limited.
Hi Kellene,
I bought an All American pressure canner, 30 quart, which means i can double stack my jars. I want to can chicken, but you state the water should not cover the bottom jars. . . How does this work? Do i still just fill the water to the level on the bottom layer of jars where the glass curves in? Does the top layer of chicken get canned okay if i do this? What to do?!
I am a NOVICE and think i got a tad over-eager when i bought this. I will have to can A LOT to have it pay for itself. . .
Yes, filling it up to that point is sufficient. However, you should know, it’s not a life or death scenario if the jars do get covered–it’s just that when you’re pressure canning with fat, you’re likely to have some jars not seal afterwards occasionally, that’s all. You’ll be a canning fool before you know it! *Happy Dance*
Dear Kellene, I love canning meats. Have done Zaycon and am getting others to do it. My hubby likes chicken thighs more than breast so I pack about three thighs (raw) and (with thigh bone still in) into a wide-mouth pint. Pressure at 12# pressure for 90 minutes. Comes out great and my dog loves the bones as they are chewy tender. (He NEVER gets raw bones) so these pressure cooked bones are a real treat. Hubby happy, dog happy! What more can you ask? I do white meat, too. I’m grateful for your shared knowledge and ‘spirit’.
so this is my first time canning so I don’t much. On the Ball Mason jar I found it say’s they will Preserves food for up to 1 year, but you said the canned meet will keep for 3 to 5 years. so which one is right? also dose the bigger the jar have a short shelf life then smaller jars? or dose the size of the jar matter in shelf life?
That’s correct, Cathy. Just as food expiration dates aren’t based on any science, merely the opinion of lawyers, so too is the information that you’re referencing. It has nothing to do with actual capabilities or generations of actual experience. It’s just attorney’s covering their hind ends.
Kellene, what adjustments would you make to can different sizes of jars. I am canning chicken and a ran out of pint jars so I used a quart jar. so in my canner I have 4 pints and 1 quart, the pints are covered with water but I can’t add enough water to cover the quart jar. Any suggestions?
the typical rule of thumb is 70 minutes for pints and 90 for quarts. If there’s a mix of sizes, I always go with the one that requires the longest time. You don’t need to cover the jars. In fact, my rule of thumb now is to put enough water to go up 2/3rds of the way up the bottom layer of jars.
i canned some homemade chicken soup and i used the old fashioned boiling canner to process it so that it would be sealed. Is that ok? will my soup be spoiled because i didnt use a pressure canner?
I wouldn’t rely on a water bath for the canning of meat. Old Timers did what’s known as “open kettle canning” which is essentially what you’re describing; and they did so for years, but I personally wouldn’t rely on that method for safety. Sorry…