Canning Meat | How to Can Beef Cubes
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Steps to Canning Meat at Home
Learn about canning meat. It's not as hard as you think and it's a great way to save money and always have a healthy meal on ready to serve your family.
Canning meat is a convenient ways to feed your family, good healthy food and a way to save money. It's a way to be self-reliant and frugal. It's also a lost art. Our great-grandmothers knew it was a great way to make sure there was always food on the table. Her pantry and root cellar were filled of foods she put up, including meats. But canning meat is one of those "scary" practical skills that keep a lot of people from trying it. They've heard the horror stories of people getting sick from eating home canned foods or worse yet, the story about the canner tat BLEW up and put a hole in Grandma's ceiling.
Not that some of those stories weren't true, but canning today -- including canning meat -- is a lot safer. It has a lot of steps, but not one of them is hard or complicated. It's just a matter of following steps to make sure the meet keep the nasties out. Pressure canning is the key to that. It ensures your meat your canning reaches the proper temperature to kill off any harmful microorganisms.
The rest is just common sense and following the step. When you do, you end up with some yummy food. The beef cubes canned are designed for some delicious soups and stews. Although it takes some time upfront, in the end you can have a panty full of food that you can literally grab and throw on the table in twenty minutes.The one thing you do need, however, is the right canning equipment. A pressure canner
is mandatory.
Canning meat is a convenient ways to feed your family, good healthy food and a way to save money. It's a way to be self-reliant and frugal. It's also a lost art. Our great-grandmothers knew it was a great way to make sure there was always food on the table. Her pantry and root cellar were filled of foods she put up, including meats. But canning meat is one of those "scary" practical skills that keep a lot of people from trying it. They've heard the horror stories of people getting sick from eating home canned foods or worse yet, the story about the canner tat BLEW up and put a hole in Grandma's ceiling.
Not that some of those stories weren't true, but canning today -- including canning meat -- is a lot safer. It has a lot of steps, but not one of them is hard or complicated. It's just a matter of following steps to make sure the meet keep the nasties out. Pressure canning is the key to that. It ensures your meat your canning reaches the proper temperature to kill off any harmful microorganisms.
The rest is just common sense and following the step. When you do, you end up with some yummy food. The beef cubes canned are designed for some delicious soups and stews. Although it takes some time upfront, in the end you can have a panty full of food that you can literally grab and throw on the table in twenty minutes.The one thing you do need, however, is the right canning equipment. A pressure canner
is mandatory.Get the Right Pressure Canner
My Canner - the All-American 21.5-quart Pressure Canner
Step #1: Canning Meat
Find a Good Deal on Some Meat
Vallarta Market (my new favorite place to find cheap meat deals) had had beef shanks on sale for $1.49 pound. Not bad for this frugal lady, especially since they were thick and meaty. I bought about 15 pounds figuring I'd use close to 2 pounds per quart jar (it worked out to be just that, but the fifteen pounds included bones, too, so actual meat to jar was more like 1.5 pounds).
Step #2: Canning Meat
Trim and Cut the Meat
Beef shanks are not a high-end meat. It's the leg muscle of the cow and can be tough and dry if not cooked long and slow. It is a favorable meat, though, that's great for soups and stews. Since it's being canned, it'll be cooking under pressure and that will tenderize it. It does, however, need to be trimmed. You're not going to get all the fat and gristle off, but do your best to take off as much as you can. Then cube the remaining meat into 1.5-inch to 2-inch cubes.
Save the Scraps
Don't throw away the fat, gristle and bone. All those trimmings make good stock. There's usually some meat left on the bone, too. I ended using all the trimming for stock that became beef noodle soup.
Step #3: Canning Meat
Brown the Meat
You can raw pack meat, but there are benefits to browning it first. It's seals in the juices and adds a richer taste. If you going to the trouble of canning meat, then you want as much flavor as you can get. Don't cook the meat, just brown it all on sides. Then move it to a large roasting pan while you finish browning the rest of the meat.
Step #4: Canning Meat
Roast the Meat
Once you have all the pieces browned, put it in a 350 degree oven and roast it to the medium raw stage. That's about 140 degrees. Don't stress if it's goes over a little. The pieces of meat are all different sizes, so it's unavoidable that some will be rare, while others are on the medium rare side. You just don't want to roast the meat until it's well done.
Step #5: Canning Meat
Prepare the Jars
Pour boiling water over the jars (of course, they're clean already because you've either hand-washed them or ran them through the dishwasher.). Some folks say you don't have to do this step, but I'm a little old-school and a little extra boiling water is always a good thing with potential nasties.
Step #6: Canning Meats
Soften the Lids
While you've got boiling water, pour some over the lids. The rubber on the lids is what seals the jars, so this is an important step. The lids should soak in hot water for about 20 minutes before you put them on the jars. Some people like to simmer them in a saucepan. Be careful, because you don't want to boil them to the point the rubber is so it strips off the lid when you tighten down the ring. I refresh with more boiling water to keep the water hot.
Step #7: Canning Meat
Pack the Cans
Add the meat to the jars. Shake every so often to get the met to pack well (but don't pack too tightly). Fill the jar up with the meat until it's about 1-inch from the top of the can. This is what's called the head space.
Goldilocks Syndrome
There's a lot of getting things "just right" with canning meats (or anything else, really) -- you'll hear the "don't pack to much," "don't tighten down, much," and "get the right pressure." But don't worry, you'll get the "just right" feel for this after a time or two.
Promise.
Step #8: Canning Meat
Make the Broth
Remember the roasting pan? It's should have some good roast drippings. Scrape the pan and then pour the dripping and broth into a pan with more canned broth or water and bouillon. You'll need enough to fill up the jars.
Step #9: Canning Meat
Fill the Jars with Broth
Fill up the jars with broth, leaving 1-inch of head space.
Step #10: Canning Meat
Remove the Air Bubbles
You want to make sure there's no pockets of air bubbles in the center of your jar (that could happen if the food is packed too tightly). Run a spatula around the inside edge of the jar in a sawing motion.
Step #11: Canning Meat
Wipe the Jar Rims
Use a damp cloth to wipe around the rim of the jar. And food or grease on the rim might cause the seal to fail.
Step #12: Canning Meat
Place the Lid and Ring
Use a lid lifter (great little invention) to lift a lid out of the hot water and place on the jar. Add a ring and screw done. It needs to be tight, but not so tight hat you strip the rubber off the lid.
Or Head to Amazon and Buy My Favorite Pressure Canner
It's All About the Right Pressure Canner
Makes Canning Meat Doable
Pressure canners are essential for canning meat, there's just no way around it. A good canner will last you lifetime and can usually be used for more than just canning meat or vegetables. It can be used as a pressure cooker (a big one, yes, but still a pressure cooker). After a lot of research, I choose the All-American brand. It really has a quality feel about it. That's doesn't mean the other brands, aren't good, too.
Here are the top three brands based on my research (All-American first, of course).
Here are the top three brands based on my research (All-American first, of course).
Step #13: Canning Meat
Water Water to the Pressure Canner
Add two inches of hot water into the canner. Then add the rack that comes with model. Unlike steamer canners, there isn't a lifting rack used with pressure canners.
Step #14: Canning Meat
Load the Jars
Load the jars into the canner making sure that they don't touch. If you were doing a second layer of jars, then add the second rack and load the next layer of jars.
Every canner type is different, so always check our owners manual for the right configuration. My pressure canner does one layer of seven quart jars or two layers of pint jars. BTW, you'd never mix quart and pint jars in the same canner because each size needs processing at a different time.
Every canner type is different, so always check our owners manual for the right configuration. My pressure canner does one layer of seven quart jars or two layers of pint jars. BTW, you'd never mix quart and pint jars in the same canner because each size needs processing at a different time.
Step #15: Canning Meat
Add the Presser Canner Lid
There are three of four popular models of pressure canners, with each configured slightly different. Some come with gaskets, while others don't. And each may have different lock down methods. I use an All-American pressure canner, which uses knobs to lock down a gasketless lid. The knobs opposite one another are tightened down at the same time so there's an even seal is created all around the top.
Read and understand your manufacturer's instruction on this before you start your canning session.
Read and understand your manufacturer's instruction on this before you start your canning session.
Step #16: Canning Meat
Exhausting the Vent
Turn the heat on so you're pressure canner can start building up. Start at high. As the boils, pressure begins to build up. It needs to reach a good head of steam (pun intended) for at least seven to 10 minutes. You start timing once the steam is exhausted (released) through the vent pipe. What this means is that when you finally cap up the canner for the final timing, you'll have built up the right amount of steam.
You won't see any steam rolling out of the vent, but you will hear it.. Start timing as soon as you hear the "hiss." Read you owner manual for the right timing. I use seven minutes, but as I said, some people say it should exhaust for at least 10 minutes.
You won't see any steam rolling out of the vent, but you will hear it.. Start timing as soon as you hear the "hiss." Read you owner manual for the right timing. I use seven minutes, but as I said, some people say it should exhaust for at least 10 minutes.
Step #17: Canning Meat
Controlling the Pressure
Depending on the type of pressure canner you're using -- dial gauge or weighted -- you will be working toward holding a constant cooking pressure based on your altitude. That's accomplished by shutting the petcock or attaching the weight (using the side that corresponds to the right pressure). Once the gauge reads the correct pressure (dial gauge) or the weight jiggles for a few times per minute (weighted gauge), start timing. For my beef cubes at my altitude (3,600 ft. high), I set my timer for 90-minutes.
If the gauge reads too high or the jiggling is too much, turn the heat down. Adjust as necessary to maintain the correct pressure.
If the gauge reads too high or the jiggling is too much, turn the heat down. Adjust as necessary to maintain the correct pressure.
Important!
240 Degrees
The USDA says all canned meats and vegetables must reach 240 degrees to be safe.
Waiting
It's not a step, but it is a part of the process. Use the waiting time to clean up, read a book or search the Internet. Just stay close to the stove, because you'll have to monitor the pressure.
Step #18: Canning Meat
Finishing
Turn off the heart when the timing is complete and allow the pressure to cool down naturally. Don't move the cooker or attempt to open it until the gauge has reached zero. Remove the weighted gauge slowly and away from you.Don't try removing the weighted gauge early in an attempt to cool the canner presser down. Releasing the steam too fast could crack all your jars.
Remove the lid from the cooker, but always away from you. The steam is HOT and can burn.
Caution: don't wait too long before removing the cover. The down side is as the cooker cools, it creates a vacuum and getting the lid off will be very difficult.
Remove the jar to a towel-line counter to cool. You should hear a "click" as the jars seal. Let the jars cool overnight before removing the rings and storing.
Remove the lid from the cooker, but always away from you. The steam is HOT and can burn.
Caution: don't wait too long before removing the cover. The down side is as the cooker cools, it creates a vacuum and getting the lid off will be very difficult.
Remove the jar to a towel-line counter to cool. You should hear a "click" as the jars seal. Let the jars cool overnight before removing the rings and storing.
HOT!
Be careful when removing the canner lid and jars. It's hot!! And you can burn yourself. Always open the lid away from you and use canner tongs to remove the jars from the canner.
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Leave a Comment
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carolyn in washington
Mar 18, 2012 @ 5:18 pm | delete
- what is the time when i do salmon i can it foe a 100 mkinutes how many minutes do you do beef for
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Netlexis
Mar 18, 2012 @ 5:57 pm | delete
- It really depends on what altitude you live. I'm at 3400 feet so for me the process time for beef is 90 minutes for quarts at 15 psi (and for salmon it's 115. That's why it's important to get yourself a good recipe/canning guide like the one put out by the USDA.
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lbrummer
Dec 26, 2011 @ 8:31 am | delete
- My family also loves canned meat. Nice lens.
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hysongdesigns
Dec 23, 2011 @ 7:42 pm | delete
- You did an excellent job showing us how to can beef cubes! I have a Presto pressure canner I bought about 1980; still works great, tho my rack has mysteriously disappeared so I use old jar rings in the bottom to keep the jars up. I love to can soup, stew, chili and such for quick meals, It was scary the first few times I used it (I heard those horror stories too) but now I think nothing of it. I just make sure I hang out in the kitchen where I can keep an eye on the gauge. Also I often don't get a batch into the canner until after dinner, so when it's done I just turn off the heat and go to bed. Then empty it in the morning when it's completely cold.
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jimmyworldstar
Dec 16, 2011 @ 2:42 pm | delete
- Thanks for the step by step instructions. I'm a little wary when it comes to canning meat. How long will it last?
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Terri
Dec 13, 2011 @ 3:43 pm | delete
- My ex-husband's grandmother years ago gave us several jars of canned meat. Even though we canned our tomatoes from the garden, the canned meat didn't appeal to me (heard horror stories). After about a year or so, I got curious. So, I grabbed one of the jars from our pantry. It looked like Corn Beef (red in color). OH MY GOSH! IT WAS TO DIE FOR! I love corned beef and kick myself in the rear for not opening them sooner. She as sinced passed many years ago. I wish I had gotten the recipe from her.
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JoshK47
Nov 8, 2011 @ 9:34 am | delete
- Haven't done any canning myself - very interesting read!
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Staceysk
Sep 30, 2011 @ 11:52 pm | delete
- I have always frozen anything with meat instead of canning it. I may have to give this idea a try.
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NancyOram
Sep 30, 2011 @ 11:41 pm | delete
- Years ago I did canning and loved it, but I never ventured to do meat. Very interesting and instructive lens.
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agalova
Aug 20, 2011 @ 10:42 pm | delete
- Great how to! I have only canned fruits, but am considering purchasing a pressure canner.
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Do you think canning meat at home is hard? With the right tools and techniques it's easy. It also a great way to make sure you have good, healthy food... more »
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