# Canning Corned Beef?



## Betho

So most years I stock up on corned beef this time of year since it's my hubby's favorite meat. Our freezer is kaput though so if I want to have any kind of stockpile I need to can it instead.

Which is actually a good opportunity because one of the favorite "convenience foods" around here is canned corned beef hash. I can't find any info about canning corned beef, though. I have canned ground beef and chicken, both raw packed and they turned out great. I could use the same instructions for them (I think it was 75 minutes for pints at 15lbs pressure for 2000 feet altitude but I can't remember exactly)

So, what I'm thinking is this - take a raw corned beef (or cooked, but then I dirty more dishes which is a mortal sin for me) and chop it up, mix with dried hash browns and raw pack it, can it with the same instructions for the rest of the meat. But I would prefer to have some confirmation that it would be safe and my instruction book doesn't specify anything for corned beef. I can't imagine it would be different than regular beef but I wanted to ask first


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## blooba

http://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2008/03/01/


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## suitcase_sally

The Ball book has directions for actually corning the meat and then how to can it. This is not mixed with potatoes, it's just canned corned beef.


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## Betho

Thank you! Blooba that's exactly what I was looking for, thanks


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## judylou

Agree with Blooba - use the Ball directions and only add the potatoes at serving time. Adding them prior to canning would change the density and the pH so the processing times would be invalidated.


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## nandmsmom

I canned some a few years ago without the potatoes. When I opened a jar, I just added in some diced or shredded potatoes and cooked it up.


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## blooba

My link above had the potatoes mixed with it. I have heard many successes with that recipe. There is a post I think in the survival forum complete with pics.


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## Cindy in NY

I am canning 6 pints of hash right now. Last year I used Jackie Clay's recipe but since she didn't use any broth it was very dry and we had to use gravy to eat it. This time I used the BBB recipe. I started out with 2 briskets (frozen since last March!) and weighing about 6 pounds total. I trimmed off the large pieces of fat and probably cut away 1/3 of the total amount.

Then I covered the meat with water, brought to a boil and simmered for about 2 hours (according to BBB only needed one hour, the meat packaging said 3 hours). I cut and shredded the meat and added finely chopped uncooked potatoes (6 small to med ones). (I originally was going to do without the potatoes but needed them to help fill the jars and make it worth the time.) The jars are in the canner now for 75 minutes at 10 pounds pressure.

When I buy corned beef this year, I'll buy more since it works out to about 1 pound of meat to get one pint of hash. I'm curious to see what the "sale" price is this year. I paid $1.29 a pound last year.


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## suitcase_sally

I spent yesterday afternoon (and evening) canning corned beef. I started out with 2 packages with a total package weight of 10.5 lbs. I followed th directions given in the Ball book and ended up with 7 pints. When you realize that the package weight contains the weight of the liquid plus the brisket, you also realize that the 10.5 lbs is going to shrink quite a bit. I think by the time I subtracted the fat and corning solution, I had about 60% of the package weight left.

Pint jars are about right for 2 people. I may do more of these while they are on sale at my local Meijer's. They were $2.49/lb. this year, up from the $1.99 that they were priced last year. 

The advantage of canning the corned beef is that when you want some hash or just corned beef and cabbage, it's already cooked, reducing that 5 hour cook time (50 minutes/lb., plus the prep time and coolling in the hot broth time) to just a few minutes. I'm pleased with the results!


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## tinknocker66

yummmmm. I want corned beef now


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## Packedready

I just bought 25 lbs of corned beef brisket yesterday at a restaurant supply store for $2.24 per lb. They were 12/5 lbs each. I guess it is a good price, but I can't stop thinking about when I used to pay .25 lb. I am waiting for the weather to cool down a little before I can them as it has been 80-85 degrees. I may have to go back and get another.


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## suitcase_sally

25Â¢/lb? Well, to put it in perspective, would you be willing to work today for the wage that you made when corned beef was 25Â¢/lb? Not me!

80-85Âº? Yikes! It's snowing and blowing here. But this weekend it's going to be in the high 50's.


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## Packedready

Yeah I know what you mean, and also when you compare the price of other meats today $2.24 is a great price.

I am wondering if I can follow the US Department of Agriculture Guide to Home Canning for meats and chuck the corned beef raw and process pints for 75 minutes. The Blue Book that I have doesn't talke about raw pack and the processing time is 1 hour and 15 minutes.

What do you think?


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## Solarmom

corned beef at Sav a lot is $3.49/lb yikes!! I would love to see it come down to $2.49!!!

Kris


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## Cindy in NY

Got another 10 pounds of corned beef on Wednesday. Still at last year's price of $1.29 a pound! Yesterday, put up another 9 pints of hash.


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## suitcase_sally

WOW, Cindy! That's an excellent price! How do you make your hash?

Packedready, the Ball guide that I have says to put the brisket in a pot with cold water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 1 hour. Remove meat and cut into desired size for your jars. Skim the broth, if desired, add 2 Tablespoons for whole cloves, 3 bay leaves and 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns tied in a spice bag. Bring to a boil, remove spice bag. Place hot meat into hot jars leaving 1" headspace and top off with hot broth and then process in the jars at 10 lbs. pressure for 75 minutes for pints, 90 minutes for quarts. 

I'm not sure of the reason to simmer it, except maybe to lose some of the saltiness and heat the meat.


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## suitcase_sally

Cindy?


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## Packedready

Suitcase Sally, I will be getting started on Tuesday with the corned beef. I went back and bought another brisket that was 16 lbs. I will keep part of one for my St Patricks party on Saturday. 

I also can't figure out the reason for the simmer, maybe because they can be really fatty, it is to cook the fat out before canning.

I would also like to make the hash Cindy.


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## suitcase_sally

WOW! 16 lbs. is a LOT of brisket! I don't know of any store around here that sells in that big a piece. We do have a restaurant supply near here. I will check.


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## Cindy in NY

Sorry for the delay!! 

I trimmed as much of the fat off the meat as I could (managed to include a little finger meat as well!!). Then a put the pieces in a pot covered with water and added the extra seasoning packets that came with it (looked like mostly pepper corns). Brought to a boil then simmered for about 2 hours.

I peeled potatoes (about 1 small per pint) and finely diced them. Cut the meat into small pieces and shreds and just hand mixed the meat and potatoes until it looked right. Packed it in jars and poured the hot broth over it. Then processed for 75 minutes at 10 pounds.

(The second batch I put pot and all in the frig overnight so I could skim off the ring of fat. Then I brought it all back to a boil. Still have a small amount of fat at the tops of the jars but less than the non chilled lot.)

I can't believe the prices that some of you are seeing! $1.29 to $1.49 a pound are the prices that I'm seeing here.


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## kenworth

Cindy in NY said:


> Sorry for the delay!!
> 
> I trimmed as much of the fat off the meat as I could (managed to include a little finger meat as well!!). Then a put the pieces in a pot covered with water and added the extra seasoning packets that came with it (looked like mostly pepper corns). Brought to a boil then simmered for about 2 hours.
> 
> I peeled potatoes (about 1 small per pint) and finely diced them. Cut the meat into small pieces and shreds and just hand mixed the meat and potatoes until it looked right. Packed it in jars and poured the hot broth over it. Then processed for 75 minutes at 10 pounds.
> 
> (The second batch I put pot and all in the frig overnight so I could skim off the ring of fat. Then I brought it all back to a boil. Still have a small amount of fat at the tops of the jars but less than the non chilled lot.)
> 
> I can't believe the prices that some of you are seeing! $1.29 to $1.49 a pound are the prices that I'm seeing here.


The corned beef we get comes with the little seasoning packets, and is already corned. I didn't use the extra seasoning packets, just cut the meat up and process as usual.

WISH we could get beef priced that reasonablly!!!!!!


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## hercsmama

Brisket here is 2.48 a pound right now. I picked up 2 weighing 18 and 20 pounds each. 
Going to can them both up either today or tomorrow!


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## suitcase_sally

Are they already corned, hercsmama?


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## hercsmama

No. I'm going to add the spices to the cannng jars. It worked last year, so hopefully it'll work again! LOL!


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## suitcase_sally

So, you are just canning brisket (having not been corned) with added spices? That's not really the same as canning corned beef.


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## Cindy in NY

I don't know about anyone else but I am canning corned beef brisket that comes with extra spice packets.


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## Packedready

Well, I canned 16 pints of corned beef yesterday. They all sealed. I saved 8 lbs for my St Patricks day dinner on Saturday. My DH cut off all the fat off the briskets. There were 40 lbs of brisket before and 30 lbs after he cut the fat off. The spice packet came in the bags with the large briskets. They were from a restauant supply store. Each jar cost $4.18 including the seals. I paid $2.25 per lb for the corned beef. The house smells wonderful and I had a lot of fun canning. And we also had corned beef last night, I put 2 lbs in the crockpot so it was ready after canning.

Thanks for all of the advice on this forum.


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## suitcase_sally

OK, now I got it.

Cindy, I'm doing the same as you. I was at the Kroger store yesterday and their corned beef looked better than Meijer's. Lot less liquid in the bag and a much bigger spice packet. I think I'll get some of those this week.


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## kkweinb

I canned some corned beef last weekend but I have a question. I did the raw pack method so I just trimed the visible fat off and put the raw meat in warm jars and pressure canned for 75 minutes. It made it's own "juice" but it didn't completly cover the meat in some of the jars. I think it will be ok but I'm interested in what you think? Also, my husband thinks it's too salty. If I'd simmered it for an hour then canned it would it have been less salty?


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## hercsmama

suitcase_sally said:


> So, you are just canning brisket (having not been corned) with added spices? That's not really the same as canning corned beef.


Sure tastes like corned beef! Lol!:goodjob:


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## suitcase_sally

kkweinb said:


> I canned some corned beef last weekend but I have a question. I did the raw pack method so I just trimed the visible fat off and put the raw meat in warm jars and pressure canned for 75 minutes. It made it's own "juice" but it didn't completly cover the meat in some of the jars. I think it will be ok but I'm interested in what you think? Also, my husband thinks it's too salty. If I'd simmered it for an hour then canned it would it have been less salty?


Yes, I think so. I'm having Rhuben sandwiches for lunch today and they're not salty.


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## PlicketyCat

Resurrecting this old thread because I had to share my success 

Last summer, Costco had a sale on 3lb Groebbel corned beef briskets, so I stocked up and tried to figure out how to can them as instant hash. Anyway, I trimmed the fat from the raw brisket and then did a coarse mince because I couldn't find my course grinder plate and mixed in some garlic powder. I had a ton of dehydrated diced potatoes, so I rehydrated a bunch until I had roughly the same volume as the meat rather than using fresh potatoes. I made a canning broth by wrapping the spices that came with the brisket in muslin in boiling water for a few minutes and letting it cool down (important - let it cool down!).

I mixed the beef with the potatoes, and loosely packed my jars to about 1" headspace and added a splash of canning liquid to fill in any air pockets leaving 1" headspace. Put the jars in a cold canner and brought it up to temp, then closed it and processed regularly.

I opened a jar the other day and it was PERFECT. It had the same consistency and moisture level as storebought without all the fat or metallic taste, the potatoes weren't total mush, and it had a nice seasoning level to it.

Whenever I've made it before the meat texture was wrong, the potatoes were mushy, or it was too bland or too dry.

I think the key to the meat texture was the raw mince... not precooking it and not grinding/shredding/dicing it.

I think the potato texture was right because rehydrated dry potato dices are always just a little firmer than fresh, but the canning process softened them right up without them falling apart.

The seasoning was right partly due to preseasoning the mince with garlic powder (garlic is usually not in pickling spices) and that little splash of seasoned liquid. I know everyone says not to add liquid to raw pack, but it's such a small amount and I did put cold liquid in cold jars in a cold canner and then brought it up to temp before putting on lids and closing up the canner. I think that splash of seasoned broth was just enough to give a little flavor and keep the meat from being too dry.

Anyway, we're please with it and the only way we could tell it wasn't Mary Kitchen's is that it wasn't totally greasy 

Makes me want to check out the corned beef slices I canned with cabbage and potato chunks!


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## calliemoonbeam

That sounds great PC! I sure hope they have some good sales on them this year for St. Patrick's Day. Corned beef in a can is still outrageously priced, and I refuse to pay that price for it. If I can find a good sale, I plan to can up a lot more than I have been so hopefully I don't run out again, lol. Thanks for sharing!


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## Guest

I was wondering if home canned corned beef taste just like freshly cooked corned beef with the seasoning packet? This is obviously my first time canning it. Thanks


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## jwal10

IF we can those "kits", we sift the mix to get some of the salt out, too much salt for us. Yes, it tastes just like when you just cook them but you only need to heat it up, already cooked.
We just use lean beef roast or elk roast to can "corned beef". We buy the seasonings separate and use very little salt. VERY good and quick way to make hash or sandwiches....James


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## Guest

jwal10 said:


> IF we can those "kits", we sift the mix to get some of the salt out, too much salt for us. Yes, it tastes just like when you just cook them but you only need to heat it up, already cooked.
> We just use lean beef roast or elk roast to can "corned beef". We buy the seasonings separate and use very little salt. VERY good and quick way to make hash or sandwiches....James


It would be the ones that come with the packet..but I can make my own seasoning for each jar. Do you raw pack? Thanks for your help.


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## jwal10

Yes, raw pack....James


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## Riverdale

I'm ready for corned beef! Hash makings and with cabbage :nanner:


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## Marilyn

James, I'm really interested!
If I was to raw pack corned beef into pt jars, how much of the seasoning mixture would I add to each pt? (assuming that I can find recipe to repace the seasoning packet)


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