Has anyone canned bacon?

[Lady in Ash]

I just discovered this section on canning, etc. and I love it. I found a recipe for canning bacon several years ago, but have never tried it. We normally don't eat bacon but I love to can and thought it would be fun to try some. Has anyone ever done this? Does it work? Is it safe? Any info appreciated.

 

[Tadpole]

Hi, LIA. Welcome!

No, I have never canned bacon, but I bet someone will be around soon with a better answer for you!

 

[Lady in Ash]

Thanx Tadpole,

I've canned all kinds of stuff over the years but have never tried bacon. It kind of scares me. Would really like to hear from someone who's done it and has survived. did I just insert a laughing face? If not, pretend it's here . . .

 

[Gingergirl]

Lady

Could you post the recipe?

 

[Lady in Ash]

Here's the recipe:

1 pound of bacon for each qt. jar
parchment paper
roasting pan or other pan for the oven
quart jars, lids, rings, and pressure canner

prepare jars, lids, etc. and get water in pressure canner boiling.

Trim long sheets of parchment paper so they will fit, rolled up in a quart jar. The paper should not be any wider than the jars are tall from their bottom to their necks.

Lay strips of bacon on a baking pan or roasting pan and pre-cook in a 350 oven until thay are about 2/3 their original length, but do not cook them until they are crisp. If they are crisp when they are placed in the jars, they will crumble.

After pre-cooking, place the strips of bacon, still limp, on a sheet of trimmed parchment paper. Roll the paper and bacon up and insert this roll into a hot, sterilized quart jar.

Pour the grease from the bacon into the jar, do not fill more than 2/3 full of grease.

Process at 10 pounds pressure for 1 1/2 hours. Higher elevations should use 11 pounds pressure.

To cook: Open sealed jar, unroll paper and remove bacon. Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp.

I found the recipe at http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/9684/bacon.html in 1999. Anyway, I've never tried it -- too chicken! Thought maybe someone else has already done it.

 

[Sarrah]

I've not canned it myself but I've eaten store bought canned bacon in my day if that counts.
I lived in the bush and the only way to get bacon at that time was in the 4 month shipment by boat. It was expensive but the eating was good. Your going to get good and greasy taking it out of the jar. I didn't have refrigeration so it kinda slid out of the can.

 

[Lady in Ash]

Thanx Sarrah for the reply, I didn't know there was such a thing as store bought bacon in a can. I may have to try this some day - greasy or not, just because I like to try anything I haven't done before. I mean canning it myself - not the store bought stuff.

Living in the bush? Where? Sounds fascinating - care to elaborate?

 

[Pogonip]

Haven't seen canned bacon in stores in years--believe there was a TB2K thread on the subject a few months back, but can't use "search" yet....

Would like to try canning bacon ends for my beans, but I'm still circing the pressure canner suspiciously...wonder if anyone has tried salting down bacon ends? Pioneers, trappers and such used to carry bacon around without refrigeration--maybe it was smoked longer or something...or their standards for "edible" were more flexible.....

 

[Ought Six]

P:

" Pioneers, trappers and such used to carry bacon around without refrigeration--maybe it was smoked longer or something...or their standards for "edible" were more flexible....."

The bacon you get at the supermarket is not what the pioneers used to carry. Modern bacon (and ham) has a lot of added water, and the 'smoke' is just added smoke flavoring. Real bacon is heavily smoked & salted, and has a very low water content. It would last for many weeks without spoilage. If it gets a little moldy on the outside, you just slice off those parts. It would eventually start to go rancid as any fat-filled product will. Then it is a matter of how rancid it is, and how hungry you are.