# Canning Meat Advice



## markcrain (Oct 21, 2010)

I'm getting ready to can meat for the first time. I'm debating between hot and cold pack. My understanding the only advantage to hot pack is visual appeal. Also have read when cold packing can add broth to fill voids or just pack the meat in and can without liquid added. Whats the difference in the final product when adding liquid vs. no liquid? What is everyone's opinions on these options?


----------



## unregistered358895 (Jul 15, 2013)

I don't know how its done, but my father in law cans his tuna without extra liquid in the jar. The meat clings to itself in a clump of delicious terror as it waits to be devoured.

I love it.


----------



## TerriLynn (Oct 10, 2009)

What kind of meat are you canning?

I can lots of meat. 

For beef, venison, pork, chicken breast, turkey breast, I just cube the meat, raw pack it in the jar, (don't be afraid to pack it in there pretty tight, it will cook down quite a bit) and add about a tsp of salt per quart jar. I don't add any extra liquid the meat will make its own.

I figure the processing time is 90 min for a quart, the meat will be cooked and tender, so for those meats I figure raw pack is the best use of my time.

For poultry the dark meat I don't even try to get the meat off the bone raw, its a pain and I have never found a quick and easy way with no waste.
So this meat I bake in lots of liquid, (and I add onions, garlic, and celery for tasty broth) until the meat is falling off the bones. I then separate the meat from the bones, skin, and fat. Pack the meat into the jar and cover with broth. Then process. You can also can any extra broth.

Hamburger I have done both ways raw, and cooked. I like the texture of the meat better cooking and draining first. When raw packed it in the jar, it was just this big clump that I had to spend too much time breaking up so I could make something out of it. If you cook and drain the meat comes out of the jar loose and tender.

I do hamburger two ways, one is cooked and drained with no added liquid, and the second way I do it is cooked and drained, canned in tomato sauce, then its pretty much ready to go for chili, sloppy joes, spaghetti, goulash or hamburger soup.

Fish I raw pack but I do add liquid to fill the jar. I have only canned salmon, and have used just water, tomato juice, or water and ketchup mixed (did this in a pinch and it was pretty good!) as the added liquid.

The only thing to be careful of is canning sausage, if theres sage in it, sage gets bitter after canning. Also I add salt to all my meat before canning, I don't think I specified that in every description.


----------



## markcrain (Oct 21, 2010)

TerriLynn said:


> What kind of meat are you canning?
> 
> I can lots of meat.
> 
> ...



That's exactly the type of info I was looking for. Thank you. I'm canning beef and venison at the moment but more to come.
Mark


----------



## BlackFeather (Jun 17, 2014)

The only time I might add liquid is if the meat was first frozen as the act of freezing does tend to force some water out of the meat. (that is why "freeze dried" works)


----------



## TerriLynn (Oct 10, 2009)

BlackFeather said:


> The only time I might add liquid is if the meat was first frozen as the act of freezing does tend to force some water out of the meat. (that is why "freeze dried" works)


I never canned frozen meat, except for burger, which I cook and drain first. Thanks for posting this, good to know!


----------



## margoC (Jul 26, 2007)

When I can meat I put a little water in the jar first, then jiggle it as I add the meat chunks, so there are no air pockets. I heard air pockets are bad. 

So I can stop doing this? I use the extra liquid to adjust for lid space.


----------



## Guest (Aug 3, 2014)

I would like to know how the turkey taste after its canned?


----------



## Guest (Aug 3, 2014)

I've raw pack:
Boneless skinless chicken breast
London broil strips and cubes
Pork cubes

Cooked:
Taco Meat
Chili
Hamburger
Beef in a wine sauce
Meatloaf
Tomato sauce with cooked hamburger

I don't add any broth to my raw packed meat..I make sure I pack it in tightly though..Out of over 200 jars that I've canned only 1-jar broke and 1-jar didn't seal..


----------



## Bologna Budget (Feb 13, 2014)

How are you cooking and sealing your jars of meat?


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I don't add salt if canning store bought chicken. It's already got enough in it.


----------



## TerriLynn (Oct 10, 2009)

margoC said:


> When I can meat I put a little water in the jar first, then jiggle it as I add the meat chunks, so there are no air pockets. I heard air pockets are bad.
> 
> So I can stop doing this? I use the extra liquid to adjust for lid space.


I never add extra liquid when I raw pack meat. I do pack it in the jars as tightly as I can, but as the meat cooks down, it makes it own juice, and that juice boils...forcing any air bubbles to the top of the jar. Once the lid seals it creates a vaccume in the jar.

I wouldn't worry about "air pockets" as long as your jars seal.


----------



## TerriLynn (Oct 10, 2009)

mythreesons said:


> I would like to know how the turkey taste after its canned?


The turkey breast I raw pack is firmer than the dark meat than I pre-cook. I like it for casseroles and turkey salad (like chicken salad, except you use turkey )

The dark meat that I precook and can in the broth I like for soups and casseroles, or in gravy over mashed potatoes.

I think it tastes good, and is very tender.


----------



## TerriLynn (Oct 10, 2009)

Bologna Budget said:


> How are you cooking and sealing your jars of meat?


I always can my meat using a pressure canner.


----------



## markcrain (Oct 21, 2010)

OK, I just canned meat, raw pack, no water or broth added. The meat made its own juice but the jar is only about half to 3\4 full and the juice is not covering all the meat. Is this normal?


----------



## TerriLynn (Oct 10, 2009)

markcrain said:


> OK, I just canned meat, raw pack, no water or broth added. The meat made its own juice but the jar is only about half to 3\4 full and the juice is not covering all the meat. Is this normal?


Yes, that is normal. As long as your jar sealed its ok that the jar isn't completely full.


----------



## markcrain (Oct 21, 2010)

TerriLynn said:


> Yes, that is normal. As long as your jar sealed its ok that the jar isn't completely full.



Thank you much. Can't wait to taste it.
Mark


----------



## tngal71 (Aug 10, 2014)

When you can your ground beef with tomato sauce how long to process and what pressure? I am above 2000 feet.


----------



## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

tngal71 said:


> When you can your ground beef with tomato sauce how long to process and what pressure? I am above 2000 feet.


pints 75 min, quarts 90 min

Depends on if you have a weight or a gauge. Weight is 15# above 1,000 ft, but a gauge depends. There are charts at:

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can5_meat.html


----------



## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

So I just read that browning the meat and covering with beef broth will give you a better tasting meat that will last longer canned. I've always raw packed since it's faster, but have 5 quarts in the canner of large chunks of beef, browned in broth. We'll see if it makes a difference. I didn't use my usual cut of meat, so was also a little concerned it might come out tough, I figured all that liquid would help.


----------



## TerriLynn (Oct 10, 2009)

tngal71 said:


> When you can your ground beef with tomato sauce how long to process and what pressure? I am above 2000 feet.


For your elevation I don't know, I just went by the ball blue book, and for me meat takes 90min at 10lbs pressure. I would can it for what the ball blue book tells you to do meat for your elevation.


----------



## BlackFeather (Jun 17, 2014)

I'm not sure the pressure but the time should be the same. Since water boils at a lower temperature the higher your altitude to get the same temperature you have to increase the pressure, once the temperature is reached the time should be the same at any altitude.


----------

