Canning and Preserving For Dummies (33 page)

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 (optional)

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.