Canning chicken and beef???

[Matt]

I am brand new to canning. I have canned fruit and jams so far. How would I can chicken or beef? Is there a way around buying a pressure canner? Please don't :sb: me if there is not!! I ask this because in the SHTF scenario and the electricity was out could I still hurry and can all of my frozen meats? or will they all spoil? Does anyone know how the Amish can their meat? They don't have electricity, do they? What do you use for the fat on top of the chicken or beef? How is it done? I have only seen pictures.
Thanks, Rachel

 

[Tadpole]

Matt, you really must have a pressure canner to safely can meats.

I have done a lot of primitive cooking over coals, and you could use your pressure canner directly on coals as long as you kept a very close eye on it and moved it to hotter or cooler coals as needed to keep the pressure right.

I use a gas stove for all my cooking, which is the same thing the Amish do.

The seals on meat seem to seal better if you cut off excess fat before you can the meat. However, prior to Y2K, when I was concerned about getting enough calories, I canned fatty meat. I lost a few jars, but most of them sealed. I ate the last of that batch in 2002 and it was still good.

I also canned beef tallow (fat). There are two ways to do that. You can just fry the fat out at a low temperature. Or you can boil the fat, put it in the refrigerator, let the fat rise to the top, then clean it up a bit. I run all my hot tallow through coffee filters to get the particles out.

What is left is pure white tallow--good for cooking or making candles or soap.

Edited to add that you do not put tallow in a canner. It is hot enough that you just pour it into jars, seal them, then invert the jars for several minutes. That is all ther sterilizing that is needed for tallow.

Hope I answered your questions, as I'm not sure I understood them all.

 

[Matt]

Tadpole....What kind of pressure cooker would you recommend? I am assuming I could buy one that does not plug in?
Thanks!

 

[goatlady2]

You absolutely MUST use pressure canning when doing meat, fish, fowl. It is a time consuming process as the jars must be under presure for 90 minutes AFTER the pressure is reached and then the canner must cool down on it's own. If you run cold water on the lid to hasten the cooling down time you will lose the seals. You can pressure can using most any source of heat - I have done it on my wookd cook stove just fine. You have to keep moving the canner around to find the proper heat spot to keep the pressure even for the required time.

 

[blueberry]

YES, YES, YES.... you must have a pressure canner to can any type of meat or chicken.

If you dont have a pressure canner, you might consider making jerky out of the meat and chicken.

 

[aviax2]

Yes, you really do need a pressure canner to can meats. Get a copy of the Blue Ball Book for preserving foods, you can find them at Wal-Marts and it will have all the info you need to can pretty much anything.

Here's a link to look at pressure canners:

http://www.pressurecooker-outlet.com/index.htm

My plan in case of a power outage is to use our propane turkey fryer burner to can up what I'm able to.

I can alot of chicken, turkey, beef and I canned a few jars of pork but haven't tried it yet. So far I've been very happy with the results.

 

[Tadpole]

Matt, I prefer the canner with the weight on the top instead of a dial. You don't have to worry about a dial becoming inaccurate, and it is just reassuring to me knowing that any pressure over the specified weight will be safely vented.

That said, I have never used a canner with the dial, so I don't have a good comparison. The weight is just what I like to use.

Excellent advice from Goatlady and Blueberry.....

 

[aviax2]

Like tadpole, I prefer the weight on top type canner's over the dial kind. I've used Mirro canners for years.

 

[Gingergirl]

FWIW, my pressure canner has a dial quage and uses weights. It also has the metal to metal seal rather than rubber gasket.

Though I've not used it for such, it can be used as a regular (though large) pressure cooker.

The new canners come with good instructions and recipes for cooking and canning.

 

[blueberry]

I like Mirro canners too. Right now, I have three, in different sizes. I like the fact that I dont have to watch the dial to make sure the pressure stays level. I can do other things (like reading my favorite forum ), and just listen to make sure weight jiggles

 

[Freeholdfarm]

You've probably already figured this out, but canners don't plug in, they utilize an external heat source. Those responding above are correct, you do need a pressure canner to can meat. And do be careful to follow directions. If properly done it will keep for years, and can still be safely eaten, though you don't want to eat it cold from the jar. It should always be boiled for a period of time before eating.

My mother and grandmother have both done a lot of canning of meat and fish over open fires while on hunting and fishing trips, so you can basically use any heat source. You will have to watch more closely if it is an unregulated heat such as a wood stove or open fire, but it will work. (Mom and Grandma also used to water bath can meat and fish, using half of a fifty-five gallon drum for the water container, and they never made anyone sick. But only do this if you absolutely have no choice.)

There are several other ways to preserve meat. You might want to do some research and practicing now before an emergency arises. Emergencies aren't really the best time to be trying to learn new skills.

Hope this helps.

Kathleen

 

[Matt]

thanks for the pics

I got that, I was thinking a canner was similar to one of those white plug in deep fryers, boy do I feel stupid!! glad I asked before I killed both of us!!!
here Honey.....try this

 

[notimetospare]

Hi Matt,
It will probably surprise a lot of people, but before pressure canners were invented, people did can meats in a water bath canner. I know this from a very OLD Ball Blue book that I have. The process was done over several days, a few hours one day, let it sit, then a few more hours the next day, and then a few hours the last. Everything that we eat today and use pressure canners for, they did it in water bath canners. Granted it is NOT the preferred way to preserve meat in jars, but it has been done. Pressure canning is preferred for safety reasons( plus that's a whole lot faster), but I only told you this to let you know you asked a very good question!!!
Also, I personally prefer the gauge canner just because I don't like the NOISE the weighted canner makes jiggling around for the amount of time needed. It's easier for me to just keep my eye on the gauge and enjoy the peace and quiet i the kitchen.

Vickie

 

[Gingergirl]

Vickie,

I'd read that meat was water bathed in the past, but this is the first I've heard of staging it. Interesting. I wonder what quaility of taste and texture results. Any details?

A pressure canner would still use less fuel, but there is a risk if gauges can no longer be calibrated. Might be back- up plan, esp. for those who don't have a pressure canner to begin with.

 

[notimetospare]

I will have to research that and get back with you all later on. I will re-read the old Blue Book and see if it gives any details as to the end result. I bet the ones who did it at the time probably thought it was "normal" or fine since they didn't have anything else to compare it too.

Vickie

 

[CGTech]

CGTech's wife coppertopmom here

Our computer went down this am and I'm on the old one sooooo......

I agree with the others about only using a pressuer canner for meats and all other low acid foods. The reason is botulism spores, they can survive in boiling water forever, that's why you need the pressure, to get above the boiling point. The spores also like a vacum, they don't do well in the presence of oxygen.

I have a presto canner that I bought second hand and other than needing to get a new seal this year it's working prefectly.

I have a book that I just love called "Putting Food By", it covers all methods of preserving food and discusses the why's and wherefore's of everything. Also online check out the Bernardin site, it has great recipes and really detailed directions for those of us who are beginners at preserving.

coppertopmom

ps. I used our wood stove last winter to pressure can my dried beans. It worked great and aside from moving the canner around a bit to regulate the heat it was no more difficult than using the electric stove.

 

[notimetospare]

I re-read my old Ball Blue Book and here is the deal with the caning meats without a pressure cooker:

Intermediate Preserving method says it was used mostly in the south. The jars were placed in an already fully boiling watrebath canner for 1 hour. After that hour, take the jars out, tighten the lids and sit them on the counter for 10 to 12 hours. Then, re-boil the water and put the jars back in for another hour. Take them out again, sit them on the counter and wait 12-14 hours this time. Re-boil the water and put the jars back in for another 1 & 1/2 hours this time. Take the jars back out and you are done.

I wouldn't do this if I had a pressure canner. Obvious reasons that have been mentioned here thoroughly. I just added this because I was asked about it.

Have fun canning!

Vickie

 

[peachfuzz]

You might like this link

Basic steps to pressure canning.

http://missvickie.com/canning/basicsteps.html

 

[Dinghy]

Cgtech, thanks for mentioning the Bernardin site. I checked it out and found recipes for several kinds of freezer jam. I had only ever seen strawberry before. Now I can make blackberry and other ones too!!!