I tried canning beef last night

[chowmama]

Brisket, to be specific. This is my first attempt. I trimmed all visible fat. Used the directions for raw pack and packed it loosely, per the instructions I had. I figured that since I'm getting 1.25 to 1.5# of boneless chicken per quart jar, it would be about the same for beef,

I guess not. The 2 jars are only half full, so they're half full of air. The other half is meat juice and much-shrunken meat. They did seal, but this much airspace is supposed to be a problem for long-term seal life. I divided 3# of brisket between them and they looked full enough at the beginning. And there was no blowout; nothing in the kettle water and the jar tops were clean.

I went to my USDA book, and they say I should be able to get 3# per jar. I'm not sure how I can stuff that much into one wide mouth jar, but I'll try next time. Meanwhile, I'm opening one of the jars to see how tender it got and it's going to be Shepherd's Pie tonight. I have to start boiling the potatoes in a few minutes to mash for the top. If I don't like the beef, I'll use up the second jar soon, but I may not try again. If I do try again, I'll be canning 1.5# portions in pints. We're only 2 people and 3# of meat at a crack is just too much.

The other new try this week was the Rhubarb Cream pie from the 1943 Joy of Cooking. That's a winner. We had the second half for breakfast. (The recipe was for a 9" pie, but that was obviously too little filling for that size shell. 7" was perfect.)

[Kali999]

1. so

Did you cook it first, or pressure cook it ? You can always freeze a jar. I've only done hot water bath, tomato's, pickled beans. Curious about canning meat.

[Retrograde]

3. Meats - and meat soups - must be pressure canned

20 minutes @11 pounds for pints, 25 for quarts. I do this frequently and always check the requirements before I start. Otherwise there is a risk of botulism and possibly other problems.

When in doubt, check the Ball Blue Book (a month ago I would have added “or the USDA website) before canning anything -mistakes can be fatal

The good news is that if you do follow instructions and the jars seal properly you’ll have something that will last for a year or more

[Kali]

2. I eat almost anything, including long-expired dairy products and years long frozen meats

but home canned meat scares me. could be really dangerous. I would rather freeze or dry meat. I know it can be done, but it is one food storage method that makes me nervous.

[Cairycat]

4. My father said my aunt would can

fried chicken. I suppose in a pressure canner, it would be safe enough, but I've never seen a recipe or instructions. That would have a lot of air space in the jar. This would have been in the early thirties, with home raised chickens. My aunt lived to the age of 83, so it must have been safe enough?

[chowmama]

5. Raw pack, 10# pressure, 90 minutes for a quart

As recommended by USDA. I wouldn't risk anything else.

The shepherd's pie was excellent, the meat was tender and well-flavored. I'll probably try again, really packing it in this time (using wide-mouth pints). All I can think that I might have done wrong, is I probably rushed the exhausting of the jars (bringing the contents up to 170 degrees). I had the temp too high to begin with. But that shouldn't have caused this problem.

I can always freeze it, but the freezer is all-the-way full. I'm trying to find things that don't use the freezer. And it's nice to come home when work ran really late (not unusual in the veterinary world) and not have to figure out what to make that doesn't require thawing. A pint of homemade soup and some heated bread takes maybe 15 minutes and tastes like a planned meal instead of an emergency. Or red beans and rice, when I have leftover rice in the fridge. Heat, chop up green onions, get out the Tabasco and put it on plates.

There's never enough time, except on the weekends I don't work. I have to plan ahead.