How To Can Meat (Beef, Chicken, and Fish)

Just when you thought it was safe to put those canners away…no, indeed! Canning is not a “season”. Look for sales on your favorite meats, and don’t worry about freezer space or power out situations.

Let’s get canning!

Remember: ANY FOOD THAT CONTAINS ANY AMOUNT OF MEAT MUST BE PROCESSED AS MEAT, REGARDLESS HOW MUCH OF ANYTHING ELSE IT CONTAINS.

It is possible, of course, to cold pack meats, but I do not recommend it and do not practice such. It is important, IMHO, that meat be at least partially cooked because you don’t want some of that “gunk” that will cook out of meat in your canned food products; you want them ready to eat. This “gunk” also frequently gets under the cap while processing and prevents a seal. It’s also safer practice to hot pack meat than it is to raw pack meat, so, let’s practice “safe canning”!

I use a dial gauge pressure canner. The other type is a weighted gauge. All canning instructions are given using metal caps and rings, not Tattlers.

Even pre-cooked meat will expand while processing. Keep that in mind when packing jars.

When using commercial products, watch for MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) in these mixes and broths folks – they’ve love to put ‘em there! I use only brands that do not add MSG. You do not want neurotoxic food, not now and certainly not post-IHTF!

How about some ready to eat chicken or chicken soup? My idea of fast food!

There are two or three ways I like to can chicken. You will do it your way, as you should, based on what you like, but here’s how I do it.

Chicken Soup

For soup, allow one large or two small chicken breasts (about one pound meat) per quart, half of that per pint.

You can never have too much home-made chicken soup on hand. Sometimes, it just tastes good; but when you or someone you love is sick, this is just what you need to give the healing process a helping hand.

We like mostly just white meat, so I usually buy breasts on sale and remove the skins and excess fat.

Here’s how I can it:

While you’re prepping meat, CHECK YOUR JARS – run a finger lightly around the lip, making sure there are no “fleabites” or damage.
Then, put jars in dishwasher (if you have one) and wash; keep in dishwasher to keep hot. Or, wash by hand in hot, soapy water, rinse in hot water, and keep on cookie trays in 250 deg. F (121 deg. C) oven to keep jars hot and clean until ready to pack. Always prepare at least two extra jars – “stuff happens”!
OK, so, I’ve removed all the skin from my chicken, trimmed any excess fat, and placed it all in a big, deep pot.
Now I add my “Cajun Trinity” – chopped celery, onion, and garlic galore! Never too much garlic! It’s very healing – a super food, “anti-inflammatory”. Also chopped carrots (2 large will do – or several small ones) and 3 large bay leaves. Iodized sea salt (iodine is an important nutrient to the human body, and we are losing it) and cracked pepper to taste. Cover with good clean, water, and bring to a boil.
When chicken starts boiling, turn heat down to medium and cook, covered, until chicken is tender – at least an hour for a pot this large.
Remove lid; allow chicken to cool a bit. Remove bay leaves before packing jars.
Remove meat from broth; allow meat to cool and hand-pick bones.
If you have pets, cook (you can pressure cook them) those picked out chicken bones until they are super soft; allow to cool; grind up or mash (they’ve very soft by now) and feed to pets. It is an excellent source of calcium to strengthen their bones, but, never, ever give just the chicken bones to a pet – they will splinter in their intestines and cause serious health problems, leading to surgery or death. People can eat this, too, BTW, as a ground form, only (for the same reasons).
Strain liquid to remove “gunky stuff”. Use this liquid for hot packing after filling jars with meat but always have extra broth standing by, just in case.
Break, tear or cut meat into bite-size pieces and drop back in hot liquid.
Have a medium pot of water boiling at this point for caps and rings.
Start heating water in pressure canner, but keep heat on low for now.
Hot pack in pint or quart jars. Wipe lids twice: the first time with a piece of fresh, clean paper towel dipped in hot water (kitchen gloves recommended!); the second time with clean paper towel and white vinegar (to remove any lurking fat residue).
Boil caps 30 seconds and place; boil rings 30 seconds and place. Boiling much longer may result in loosening or boiling off of rubber liner to caps, no matter what you see on blog sites, and now they will not seal.
Tighten lids, then check to make sure they aren’t too tight (a common cause of losing liquid in processing jars).
Place hot jars down inside hot water of pressure canner, but remember, temps can’t vary too much (temp of jars and water in canner), else you’ll get thermal shock breakage.
Put lid on canner; on medium heat, cook until the steam spews out of vent pipe; as soon as it starts to spew out at a noticeable rate, time for ten (10) minutes; this is the important “10 minute tornado”. This will remove excess air from pressure canner, allowing it to reach and maintain proper internal temp for safe food canning. If you are using a weighted gauge (such as a Mirro with only 5/10/15 lb. increments), this is not necessary, as it will vent out while cooking. It is ALWAYS necessary with a dial gauge.
After 10 minutes, place your weight on vent pipe. Bring to temp over medium to medium-high heat (I don’t know your stove or how hot it cooks) and hold it there; start timing as soon as it reaches proper pressure. If at any time it drops below the required pressure, bring it back by turning up heat just slightly, and start timing again. Just watch it so it doesn’t have opportunity to drop below temp for very long. You don’t want food cooked to mush. If you get too much pressure, GENTLY release a little using the weight (move it slightly to release pressure) until it reads correctly. Do not get in a hurry in releasing pressure – this can result in extreme temp fluctuations, which forces liquids out of jars.
Process jars 10 lbs. pressure 75 minutes for pints, 90 minutes for quarts, if under 1000 ft. altitude; over, add 2 lbs. pressure to 2000 ft; over that, add 2 more lbs. pressure (14 lbs.) and use same processing times for pints/quarts.
Allow canner to cool on its own (pressure drops to zero on gauge). Remove lid. Wait 5 minutes. Using jar lift tool, remove jars and place on baking racks with towels underneath to cool. When completely cooled (at least 2 hours) test lids for seal (tap outer edges of metal for sound). If any do not seal, refrigerate and use within 7-10 days, or reprocess, cleaning mouth of jar thoroughly and using a NEW boiled metal cap.
When jars are cooled, remove rings, wash in hot, soapy water and rinse in hot water. Return to racks to air dry, but I like to dry top of caps off with paper toweling to prevent water rings on cap. When dry, mark contents and date, replace rings (optional, but I do it) and store away.

Give yourself a “Well done!”

DO NOT add any kind of starch (noodles, rice, etc.) until you are ready to serve. Cook starches – noodles, rice etc. separately, while you are heating up soup; add pre-cooked starch food (while still hot) to heated soup and simmer together on low heat 10 minutes; then serve. Starch (noodles, rice, etc.) will turn to paste in processing!

Roasted Chicken

Canned, roasted chicken has a better flavor than merely “boiled” and is more versatile or recipes.

Allow about three (3) large chicken breasts per quart jar; half of that for pints.

I have an 18 quart Nesco Roaster/Oven. I like to use it because you can cook a large amount of food in it at one time and it does not use as much “fossil fuel” as some other methods of cooking.

I have discovered that I can roast up to 40 lbs. of chicken breast at one time, stacked in two layers, in this roaster; I just have to remember to put a wire rack between the layers; the rack actually lays directly on the bottom layer, but it still does the job.

Set roaster to 350 deg. F (moderate temp). If I did the math correctly, that should equal 177 deg. Celsius (350 – 32 = 318 x 5 = 1590 divided by 9 = 176.66 (177) C – for our international readers.

If you don’t have one of these Nesco roasters, just use your oven.

Put a small amount of water in bottom of roaster. Put bottom rack in place (must use the rack to prevent meat from cooking to bottom of roaster); remove all skins and place first layer of chicken.
Season meat to taste. I like to combine granulated roasted garlic with iodized sea salt and a bit of fresh cracked peppercorn mélange (combined colors of peppercorns), and just a bit of paprika.
Place middle rack on top of this layer of chicken, and place second layer of chicken breasts, skins removed, of course. Season this layer of meat, also.
Place lid. If you have two holes on top (I do), I like to plug them. I use two aluminum baking potato stakes, one dropped into each; they don’t seal completely, but, close enough; I do not want liquids evaporating from cooker.
I will cook these breasts until tender, about 2 hours, depending on size of chicken pieces, how packed the cooker is, etc.
While you’re prepping meat, put jars in dishwasher (if you have one) and wash; keep in dishwasher to keep hot. Or, wash by hand in hot, soapy water, rinse in hot water, and keep on cookie trays in 250 deg. F (121 deg. C) oven to keep jars hot and clean until ready to pack.
Allow meat to cool; strain liquid; add more water, as needed, and use this wonderful, seasoned broth to pack your chicken. Also have prepared chicken broth standing by, in case you don’t have enough from roaster.
Heat water in medium saucepan for boiling caps and rings; start heat under pressure canner, but keep heat low for now.
Pack meat into hot jars, leaving 1 plus 1/2 inch (1 1/2 inch) MINIMUM head space. I know – most books and sites tell you one inch. Even pre-cooked meat will expand while processing. Trust me. Allow 1 plus 1/2 inch or better for ALL meats.
Now add broth to just over top of meat (one-half inch). You should NOW have one inch headspace from the top of the broth to the top rim of the canning jar.
Clean the rims of your jars twice: first with hot water, then with white vinegar and a piece of clean paper towel for each swipe – you do not want to transfer fat or meat bits, and, using the same towel for all jars could do this.
Place your boiled caps (30 second boil). Place your boiled rings. Tighten rings and then loosen a bit, if too tight. Remember: lids screwed too tightly are a common cause of loss of liquid in canning. But you don’t want them too loose, either.
Place hot jars in hot water, but watch that temps are not too far apart: thermal shock breakage issue.
Put lid on canner; on medium heat, cook until the steam spews out of vent pipe; as soon as it starts to spew out at a noticeable rate, time for ten (10) minutes; this is the important “10 minute tornado”. This will remove excess air from pressure canner, allowing it to reach and maintain proper internal temp for safe food canning. FAILURE TO TAKE THIS STEP CAN LEAD TO IMPROPERLY CANNED FOOD. If you are using a weighted gauge (such as a Mirro with 5/10/15 lb. increments), this is not necessary, as it will vent out while cooking. It is ALWAYS necessary with a dial gauge, no matter what you are canning.
After 10 minutes, place your weight on vent pipe. Bring to temp over medium to medium-high heat (I don’t know your stove or how hot it cooks) and hold it there; start timing as soon as it reaches proper pressure. If at any time it drops below the required pressure, bring it back by turning up heat just slightly, and start timing again. Just watch it so it doesn’t have opportunity to drop below temp for very long. You don’t want food cooked to mush. If you get too much pressure, GENTLY release a little using the weight (move it slightly to release pressure) until it reads correctly. Do not get in a hurry in releasing pressure – this can result in extreme temp fluctuations, which forces liquids out of jars.
If pints, process at 10 lbs. pressure 75 minutes if under 1000 ft. altitude. If over 1000 ft. altitude, process @ 12 lbs. pressure for 75 minutes for PINTS. If QUARTS, process at 10 lbs. for 90 minutes below 1000 ft; 12 lbs. for 90 minutes above. Over 2000, add 2 more lbs. pressure, same timing.
ALWAYS allow your pressure canner to drop back to “zero” on its own. Don’t try to force it. When completely cooled (gauge reads zero), open canner; wait 5 minutes before removing jars (that water is still very, very hot and you don’t want to disturb jars just yet).
After 5 minutes, remove jars from canner, allow jars to cool thoroughly.
Check for seal when cooled (at least 2 hours in most environments).
Remove metal rings when cool; wash jars and rings in hot, soapy water and rinse thoroughly in hot water. Return to racks and let air dry completely – several hours or even overnight. Replace metal rings. I like to wipe lids dry with paper towel after washing, rinsing, and returning to cooling racks – this prevents water rings from forming on caps, which makes it harder to write on them.
Write contents and date on top of metal lids. Pack and store. Give yourself a “Well done!”.

Roasted chicken is highly versatile and you can do many things with it! My boys love “Chicken Enchilada Casserole”, which I have posted under recipes, over at the Forum.

Beef

There’s just not much better than popping open a jar of sliced, seasoned sirloin tip and turning it into a quick Po’Boy, or Manhattan, or whatever you like…and chuck roast, ground beef, or roast beef have so many uses, where to start?!

Do have extra beef broth standing by, in case you don’t make enough for all jars in the cooking process.

Sirloin Tip Roast

For sirloin tip roast, I simply roast it as always, so it is “ready to eat”. I prefer to slow roast, and very often use my big Nesco roaster, as it uses a lot less energy and doesn’t heat up the kitchen as much as my big oven.

Once it is roasted to suit me, I simply slice it, pack it to 1and 1/2 (1 1/2) inches headspace, add liquid/gravy to cover, leaving one inch headspace, clean jar lips thoroughly, cap and process.

I use the liquid created in cooking, which I filter, then add my favorite ready-to-use gravy mix and water. You don’t even need to cook the gravy mix addition – just add it to jars; it will cook and thicken during processing, after which it’s just “heat and eat”!!

I usually buy a 10-12 roast, serve a meal with it, and can the leftovers; I usually get about 5 quarts leftover.

Watch for MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) in these mixes and broths folks – they’ve love to put ‘em there! I use only brands that do not add MSG.

Ground Beef

Allow about 2 pounds raw ground beef per quart; 1 pound per pint (m/l). I always pre-cook ground beef; if you tried to pack this raw and then process it, you would have one big clump and would have trouble getting it out of the jar, I do believe.
Brown your ground chuck in a skillet and drain fat off. Some people can ground beef with no liquid; I prefer to pack mine in beef broth; this broth can be used later as a gravy base or saved for another project, or just cooked down, as in taco meat. I personally do not like dry meat, so, I use the wet-pack method.
Process like any other beef.

Chuck roast

Allow about 2.5 pounds raw chuck per quart, about half that per pint. I like to cut it up into bite-size pieces, cover with water, bring to boil. Cook JUST until it is just browned throughout – no pink left in the meat. It will finish cooking during processing.
While you’re prepping meat, put jars in dishwasher (if you have one) and wash; keep in dishwasher to keep hot. Or, wash by hand in hot, soapy water, rinse in hot water, and keep on cookie trays in 250 deg. F (121 deg. C) oven to keep jars hot and clean until ready to pack.
Skim that gunky mess of the top – DO NOT can without removing this first. This stuff will get in between the rim and the cap and prevent seal on many of your jars – trust me when I tell you this. Strain broth before packing. Besides, you’ll never win a blue ribbon at the fair with that mess in your jars! ; )
After straining the liquid – assuming you have not yet seasoned it (which you could, if you want), season to taste (or, add seasonings to jars, if you prefer) and pack your meats. Meat packs to within 1 and 1/2 (1 1/2) inches of jar top (headspace); now add your strained liquids that you made when boiling to cover meat by one-half (1/2) inch, which should give you the prerequisite one inch (1 inch) headspace.
Clean your jars twice: once with a piece of clean paper towel dipped in hot water; and the second time with a piece of clean paper towel with white vinegar. If there is any fat residue on the lid, the white vinegar will get it.
Place your boiled caps and boiled rings (30 second boil is sufficient) on jars – remember: this boil is not to sterilize – that will happen in the pressure canner – this boil is to make sure your caps and rings are clean and have no residue that might prevent a seal; place your jars (which are hot) down in water of pressure canner that should also be about the same temperature hot (remember what I taught you about thermal shock breakage? There cannot be a great difference between temp of jars and temp of water you set them down in).
Put lid on canner; on medium heat, cook until the steam spews out of vent pipe; as soon as it starts to spew out at a noticeable rate, time for ten (10) minutes; this is the important “10 minute tornado”. This will remove excess air from pressure canner, allowing it to reach and maintain proper internal temp for safe food canning. FAILURE TO TAKE THIS STEP CAN LEAD TO IMPROPERLY CANNED FOOD. If you are using a weighted gauge (such as a Mirro with only 5/10/15 lb. increments), this is not necessary, as it will vent out while cooking. It is ALWAYS necessary with a dial gauge, no matter what you are canning.
After 10 minutes, place your weight on vent pipe. Bring to temp over medium to medium-high heat (I don’t know your stove or how hot it cooks) and hold it there; start timing as soon as it reaches proper pressure. If at any time it drops below the required pressure, bring it back by turning up heat just slightly, and start timing again. Just watch it so it doesn’t have opportunity to drop below temp for very long. You don’t want food cooked to mush. If you get too much pressure, GENTLY release a little using the weight (move it slightly to release pressure) until it reads correctly. Do not get in a hurry in releasing pressure – this can result in extreme temp fluctuations, which forces liquids out of jars.
Process like any other meat: pints 75 minutes if 1000 ft. altitude or below @ 10 lbs. pressure; 12 lbs. if over 1000 and less than 2000; over 2000, 14 lbs. pressure for 75 minutes. Quarts: 90 minutes using same pressure guidelines.
Allow canner to cool on its own. Remove lid. Wait 5 minutes. Transfer jars to cooling racks on towels (to catch mess). When completely cool (at least 2 hours) test lids: remember – tap metal lids around outside edges – NOT in centers as many web sites tell you. Remember why? I mentioned that in earlier teachings.
If some did not seal, refrigerate and use within a few days (7-10). Or, reprocess them, cleaning jar lids thoroughly and a NEW metal cap. Never reuse a metal cap, other than for storing dry goods.
Wash your jars; allow to dry. Mark lids with contents and date and store away!

Give yourself another “Well done!”. You’ve earned it!

Fish

It is possible to can just about any meat. Some will, however, give better results than others.

For our fishermen and fisherwomen, here are instructions for canning fish:

Canning Fish (Unsmoked):

Cut fish into jar length pieces, LEAVING SKINS ON.
Soak your fish in a salty brine for 1 hour. 1 cup of salt to 1 gallon of water.
While fish is soaking gather all materials needed. Start your water heating in your canner.
Drain fish for 10 minutes. You want to be sure it is well drained.
Pack fish into hot jars,(pints or half pints) skin sides out next to the glass.
Leave a 1 inch head space. Do not add liquid.
Process using same directions as any other meat, for the altitude where you are canning. Not less than 10 lbs. pressures for 90 minutes quarts, 75 minutes pints. Adjust for higher altitudes.

Canning Smoked Fish

The only difference between canning regular fish and smoked fish is that you will need to add more water to your canner – make sure it has at least four (4) quarts water before beginning the canning process (in other words, smoked fish needs to be nearly submerged for canning). I suppose this is because it is smoked, and, therefore, already a bit dried out.

A FINAL NOTE: Even if you are not going to do a lot of canning NOW, get everything you need: knowledge (“how to”), at least one good book (Ball Blue Book of Canning); pressure canner; water bath canner; jar lifter (more than one!); jars, caps, rings, etc. Be ready for the day when you MUST preserve your own food without electricity.