Canning Meats.. anyone do it?

Discussion in 'Food Preservation and Storage' started by toni, Jul 30, 2012.

  1. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Anyone can meat?

    Randy has a magazine called The Backwoodsman and this issue has an article on canning meat. I have a 48 yr old Canning and Freezing Cookbook that also has directions for canning meat. They are both referring to game or growing your own but it could work for store bought meat.

    Pressure cookers and canners scare the bejeebers out of me. Many years ago I worked in the homeowners claims department of State Farm Insurance and every fall there were many claims for kitchen and rafter repairs as the result of improper usage or malfunctioning of pressure cookers so I have never tried one.
    My Mom used to have one that she only used for cooking pinto beans so I have no experience with them. But canning meat sounds interesting.
     
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  3. marlingardener

    marlingardener Happy

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    Toni, I have a Ball book from the 1930's (it was my mother's) that has recipes for canning meats, and fish. Canned fish?
    I've never tried canning meat. However, I do love my pressure canner for green beans and other low-acid vegetables. By being ultra-careful I've avoided explosions for over 30 years!
     
  4. CrisGzr

    CrisGzr In Flower

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    toni, I watched several really good youTube movies on this. I want to try it. I like the idea of having some of these. The pork is supposed to be like pulled pork BBQ and chicken is perfect for chicken salads. Personally, I would love to have my spicy meatballs available whenever I need them!

    Let me go look for links! brb



    Some of these motivated me only because, if they could can, then I could can! LOL

    meat guy:
    http://youtu.be/UoTvjMT-Zwk

    canning chicken:
    http://youtu.be/2aUcSjjI2Bw

    I mostly chose these because they were using the canner I bought, which was a very intimidating contraption!

    and if this child can can than I definitely can can!
    http://youtu.be/A-fFAlldDKM

    just search youtube, there are tons of videos!

    okay, I am going to stop this soon...

    ground beef...
    http://youtu.be/cD6d0HTsnYA

    boneless chicken breasts:
    http://youtu.be/fINnsFJGyKU

    even meatloaf! (which I guess means I can do meatballs!)
    http://youtu.be/0SvCdJ-t3tc


    moderator's note: removed double posting see point 3.6 of usage rules
     
  5. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    The cookbook I have includes a recipe for what the cook calls Hamburger sauce, it's ground beef, tomatoe puree and spices that she can use for spaghetti, sloppy joes, pizza and assorted other casseroles. I think that's what got my attention, it sounds like it would be so convenient to have several jars for quick meals, especially in summer when heating up the kitchen means the central AC unit will run for about 4 hours straight trying to keep the house cool.
     



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  6. CrisGzr

    CrisGzr In Flower

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    Toni, I completely agree!
    DH really got into the idea of canning, he likes to help me screw down the top. I think he thinks it's a manly pursuit!

    What sold me was one day last week I was still working when he got home and he took some food from the freezer and some canned stuff and made supper! He has never done that before without driving me crazy with questions!

    Toni, I felt the same way about canners, in fact it was that fear that prompted me to get the All American canner, it is built like a submarine... but Barb swears by the less expensive ones.

    Also, you can take your pressure gauge to the farm extension office and they will test it -it is suggested you do that yearly. I was terrified of it but it only took one or two uses to get over that!

    Over the border, the Southwest Virginia Farmer's Market has a state kitchen where you can bring your canned goods in and use their equipment, they help too. That might be an option if your state farm office has a canning kitchen.

    But I think you have to be really careless or to have these accidents. In one of these videos the woman keeps running it dry and AllAmerican says you can't use the canner if you've done this, you need to throw it away. But, she seems to get away with it but she might be in for an insurance claim in the future.
     
  7. carolyn

    carolyn Strong Ash

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    Toni, I have canned beef and chicken, turkey and even squirrel once. I use a National brand canner with a giggler top and a dial gage, too. I love it. I can walk across the kitchen and be doing something else at the same time. I am not watching the dial every minute fiddling with the stove trying to keep it the "right" temperature. I think you just need a healthy (common sense) "fear" of the canner, not a "scared to death" fear of it. I so appreciate the convenience of having the meat ready to use. The meat is tender and delicious.
     
  8. waretrop

    waretrop Strong Ash Plants Contributor

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    carolyn keiper, And even squirrel, that's cool. Yum. I like the giggler also. I can prep the next batch of whatever while the first is in the canner. My eyes don't have to be on that dial gauge.

    I have done hamburger, meatballs, chile with meat, chicken, ham, ham with beans, corned beef. I like to have some of these things in the freezer and some canned.

    Not only can you go to your extension and get the gauge tested but we all should replace the rubber seal every year.(or two) ;)

    The other thing is to keep that wonderful pot looking clean and silvery inside use Cream of Tarter in the canning water, every time. Just a teaspoon. It will keep film off the jars also.

    Barb in Pa.
     
  9. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    I had been considering buying a pressure cooker a while back then life got in the and those plans were put on hold.
    What is the different between a pressure cooker and a pressure canner? The names make it appear that they each have a distinct purpose and one can not be used for both purposes. Or are they like slow cooker/crockpots...same purpose just one is a trademarked name so no one else can use it for their product that does the same thing?
     
  10. marlingardener

    marlingardener Happy

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    Toni, as I understand it a pressure canner is a larger capacity and comes with a wire basket that the jars sit in. Otherwise, you can cook in it, also. I may be wrong, since I only can with mine, not cook.
    Barb, that is absolutely brilliant, the use of cream of tartar to keep the canner bright and the jars film-free. I love the things one learns here!
     
  11. waretrop

    waretrop Strong Ash Plants Contributor

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    A crock pot is a long slow cooker. A pressure canner or cooker cooks things faster and under a hotter temperature. Makes meats that you would have to cook a long time to be tender will cook that same meat faster and still just as tender.

    I think, in the olden days, they used a canner and a cooker for everything but now a days, they say to use each for the specific job they were designed for. I don't know why but I was taught that you should follow all rules until you know why they are in place, then you can break them or cheat.

    I have my old pressure canners that I will be using for cooking with because you don't have to worry about accuracy but my 2 new, wonderful, canners will only be used for canning, and they are cleaned throughly. The little hole that the weight sits on and the place where the rubber ring goes and all.

    Barb in Pa.
     
  12. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Jane, thanks I am going to investigate it a little deeper really don't have the money to buy two of something if they will both do the same job.

    Barb, I only used the slow cooker referrence as an example of two products doing the same thing but having to be named differently because of trademark issues. Rival has the trademark on the word CrockPot so Westbend had to name their product a slow cooker but both products do the same type of cooking. ;)
     
  13. waretrop

    waretrop Strong Ash Plants Contributor

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    Well, there I go again... being silly Barb.... :D :D

    Barb in Pa.
     
  14. mart

    mart Strong Ash

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    A pressure cooker does not have a gauge,, just the jiggler because when cooking meats temp is not as critical as canning meats. When canning it has to be at a specific pressure for a specific time for the food to be safe to eat and not ruin. Kind of hard to know what 10 lbs pressure is without a gauge. Why not buy a smaller canner that can be used for more than one thing. They come in various sizes. Not everyone needs those huge ones.
     
  15. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Not a fan of ginormous kitchen gadgets that are larger than I really need, so I have been checking out the 16 qt Presto. In my price range and would hold up to 7 quarts/10 pints so that would be plenty for us and that seems to be the smallest with a gauge and the jiggler.

    Also found a lot of information from the National Center for Home Food Preservation... http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/u ... nners.html
     
  16. carolyn

    carolyn Strong Ash

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    Toni, I have pressure canners and pressure cookers, both. I can can in both, but in the pressure canner I would NOT cook a roast or other meat directly in it only put jars in it and use it for canning. In a pressure cooker if it is tall enough you can put jars in it and can them in there or cook a meal directly in this one.
    I also have canners that have ONLY a weight on top for the gauge, no dial to "read". The weight has three different holes on the side and each hole is milled to a different size to restrict/ the amount of steam/pressure being let off. My Nat'l canner is this way and I have another brand that uses the same type of gauge.

    Edited to say: I wouldn't cook in the canner due to the shear size of the space you are heating up...and a lot of the big canners are made from aluminum, therefore I try to avoid using them for direct cooking. An acid base will leach the aluminum into your food :( Not that you can't use a canner for cooking in, just that you are heating a lot of pan to cook in and wasting a lot of energy to do so.
     

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