Canning Ground Beef

A few years back I came home to find the freezer door had been left open for several hours after my children had helped themselves to ice cream sandwiches. It forced me to can meat, just in case my children ever left the door open again! I learned that I could always be just a little more prepared. So every General Conference Saturday, Kent's Market has a big sale. They mark down their 93/7 ground beef and chicken breasts to unreasonable prices.

When I had first heard of it years ago, you could get the burger $.99/lb!

SO, now on the Fall General Conference, I buy 50 lbs to freeze.

At Spring General Conference, I can a few pounds for the shelf!

I've read various Do's and Don'ts of home canning meats, there are varying opinions that I respect.

This is just how I do it based on my own research.

You may have other techniques that work for you. To can meat, it really should be the best quality meat, with low fat content.

When I can chicken and pork, I raw pack.

For ground beef, I cook it until the pink is gone.

Pack it into jars. Fill it full, then press it down. Fill it to the top and pack it in as firm as you can. Each jar holds barely under 1 lb of browned ground beef. Some jars end up with more "juices"

Just top off with broth OR I just use water. Leave your head room.

Load the pressure canner!

Meat HAS TO be pressure canned!

Process according to your altitude.

Pressure canning takes a bit of time

(60 minutes to heat up, 90 minutes to process, 60 minutes to depressurize)

so It's a great thing to do while I listen to General Conference on Saturday.

As you can see, in the end, some end up with more fat than others. What I like about canning meat is that you can have nearly fat-less meat. Much of the fat seeps out of the jars and is left in the processing pan, and what is left in the jar coagulates enough so that if I want to, I can scoop off the fat before using it!

Recipes for canned meat to come!