Canning meat is one of the easiest ways to preserve chicken and beef for long term storage. Canning chicken and beef provides a quick base to delicious meals that are ready in minutes!
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About two years ago, I was chatting with my neighbor about canning-related topics and the subject turned to preserving meat. Most people, including myself, have always packed up meat and stuck in the freezer for future use. We discussed the process for canning chicken and beef, and I was intrigued enough to give it a try.
Why preserve chicken and beef?
How many of you purchase canned meat at the grocery store? You know, spam, potted beef, corned beef hash, canned chicken, and so on. What if you could preserve fresh chicken and beef that contains no ingredients that you can’t pronounce and lasts for two years or longer in storage?
Canning beef and chicken has been a total game changer for me. When I crave a pot of beef stroganoff but don’t have a roast thawed, I simply grab a jar of canned beef from my pantry. When I want chicken salad to top off a plate of fresh veggies, I also grab a jar of preserved chicken and have a salad ready to eat in minutes. It may not look pretty in the jar, but you are going to love having fresh preserved meats on your shelf.
The list is endless when it comes to using canned chicken and beef, but here are a few ideas:
- Chicken soup
- beef vegetable soup
- chicken salad
- beef tips and gravy
- chicken or beef stir-fry
Equipment needed for canning chicken and beef
- Pressure canner
- Quart jars
- Canning lids/bands
- Funnel
- Timer
There are a few pressure canners on the market, namely the All-American Pressure Canner and the Presto Pressure Canner. While I would love an All American, they are pricey (but well worth it!). I purchased a Presto canner when I first started canning and it works quite well for what I need.
Regardless of the type of canner used, I can’t stress enough the importance of getting familiar with how your canner works. Pressure canning is very safe as long as you follow the rules.
Ingredients for preserving chicken and beef
- Chicken or beef roasts
- Salt
- Water/broth
That’s it! The only ingredients you need to preserve fresh chicken or beef are the meat, salt, and water (if cooking meat first).
If you prefer your meat to have browning on the outside, then you will need to cook it prior to canning or you can raw pack, which is what I prefer for simplicity. The exception to this preference is preserving ground beef, you must cook it prior to canning. Raw ground beef is very dense and canning it raw does not allow for the contents to reach the required temperature to ensure bacteria is eliminated. Plus, you would end up with a large lump of meat which does not sound appetizing at all! I have posted a recipe for canning ground beef which you can find here.
Raw pack or cooked method
This is really just your preference. I have only preserved meats the raw pack method because it is so simple. For raw pack, you cut the chicken or beef into cubes or strips, removing skin and as much fat as possible, and pack your jars leaving a 1-inch headspace. Add 1/2 tsp salt per pint and1tsp of salt per quart jar, a small amount of hot water or broth to the bottom, wipe the rim and add your lid and band to fingertip tightness. You do not need to fill the jar with water/broth. The meat will make its own juice while cooking in the pressure canner. I add about an inch of water/broth.
If you prefer some browning to your meat then cut the chicken or beef into cubes or strips as above, but then brown your meat in a skillet to the desired color. Do NOT cook the meat the whole way through! You only want to add color to the outside of the meat. Add the meat to pint or quart jars as above and add salt. For cooked meat you will want to add boiling water or broth leaving a 1-inch headspace.
Processing canned meat
After you have filled your jars, cleaned the rims and added the lids and rings to fingertip tightness, place your jars into your pressure canner that has about 2-3 inches of water on the bottom. Pressure canning jars do not need to be submerged in water. Also, make sure you have the plate on the bottom of the canner for the jars to sit on. Placing jars directly on the bottom of the canner can lead to jar breakage.
Place the lid on the canner as per canner guidelines to ensure it is sealed. Place canner on medium-high to high heat until steam emerges from the valve on the lid. Heat the canner until steam is coming in a constant stream from the vent on the lid. Begin timing for 10 minutes. (Note: if steam stops or does not continue at a constant rate, wait until it is constant and start timing from that point).
Once full steam has been venting for a full 10 minutes, add the weight to the vent spout. Mine has only one weight, but some canners have optional pounds. I pressurize at 15 pounds of weight for my altitude. Carefully watch the gauge on the lid begin to rise until it reaches 10-15 pounds of pressure.
When the gauge reaches 10-15 pounds and does not waver, begin process timing: 75 minutes for pint jars and 90 minutes for quart jars. (Note: if pressure drops during any time, adjust heat level and bring the pressure back to desired level. Start timing of the process over at this point)
When process time of complete, turn the heat off and allow the pressure to come down naturally. Do NOT remove the weighted gauge. This can cause rapid pressure release and jar breakage! Once pressure is at zero, remove the weighted gauge. Allow another 10 minutes prior to opening lid.
Always open the lid away from you so that steam and hot water does not burn you. Allow jars to cool another 15 minutes before removing. With jar lifter, remove jars and allow to cool for 24 hours in a draft-free area. Remove bands and wipe jars with clean towel. Label the lid with your content goodies and date made!
And there you have it! Delicious, healthy, preserved chicken and beef ready to use! How do you use YOUR canned chicken and beef? Let me know in the comments below. Thank you for stopping by!
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