Canning meat/what Equipment is needed, how much canning is necessary
- Thread starter Cosmos
- Start date
furryfrog
Jedi
Turgon said:My second go at it yielded some better results but with a new concern. the gauge went up to 10 PSI, and stayed there without ever going over or causing the pressure control to jiggle, so when I turned it off and tried to open it up afterward the metal-to-metal seal stayed stuck together and I can't get the lid off...
The instructions said to use a screwdriver to slowly pry it open, but instead I signed up for the canning forum Aragorn suggested earlier in the thread and it was suggested heating up the canner w/all the vents open which may loosen the hold/vacuum a bit. I just switched the stove off now and will try opening it before I go to sleep. Hopefully it works.
But either way, the entire batch of meat has to be thrown away :(
Edit: The advice I was given on the forum didn't work, but the screwdriver method was very effective in releasing the seal. It actually came off much easier than I expected.
The pressure gauge on my 921 All American canner reads 11 psi when the regulator weight lets off pressure, so it sounds like you are close. If your seal was good this time around I would think you are not getting enough heat from your burner/element? Do you still have steam escaping from your seal?
It may be a good idea to do a test without meat and jars in your canner until all the bugs are sorted out.
anart said:
I waited about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Both the pressure gauge and the vent weren't registering any pressure before I attempted to. But I tried taking it off a few times throughout the day afterwards and it wouldn't budge.
The advice for throwing away the meat was given to me on the canning forum.
What else can I do with it other than put it in the freezer which is packed at the moment and periodically eat this batch. They seem to have sealed by testing the seals for any give when I push down on them, so there is definitely a vacuum, but I only pressure canned them at 10 PSI for about 40 minutes the 2nd time before I shut it off.canningforum said:
furryfrog said:
I still had steam escaping from the seal just above the handles, but not as much as the first time around, thankfully. Yeah, I think my burner isn't large enough, because the bottom of the canner is almost twice the size of the largest burner on the stove.
furryfrog said:
A dry run so to speak? Good idea. I probably should have done that the first time around instead of immediately filling the canner with 16 jars. Live and learn, I guess. :)
Turgon said:
Hey, I'm wondering, did you only can that batch for 40 minutes or was that 40 minutes more after canning at 90 minutes at 10PSI? I think if when you were able to finally get the lid off, if you were able to maintain the 90min cook time at the right pressure, and the seals looked good, it might have been okay. From what I have read the problem is when at any point in the process you go below the recommended pressure, then you have to start the clock again.
fabric said:
No, 40 minutes in total. Which really stinks because now that I think of it, even though I didn't go over 10 PSI and have the pressure control jiggle, having the canner stay at that pressure for 50 more minutes would have been fine for a proper seal.
I´ve made my first pork/lard batch in my new Presto pressure canner and was delighted to see the end result, no spoiled lids and a good layer of fat on top of the meat. Next day, I put the jars in a cupboard and hours later I realized I didn´t check whether any liquid would pour out of the jars if holding them upside-down. So I checked and some tiny drops came slowly out of the jars. Now, I´m trying to figure out what happened. First of all, I´m still looking for the type of jars mentioned in this thread, so that in the meantime I used those with a side clamp to close the lid, which are those our grandmothers were used to. The type of glass is much thicker than current ones, which maybe why it doesn´t seal well at 11 psi (will use 10 psi next time) and maybe needs some more cooking time. Another factor could be the pressure exerted when closing the lid with the clamp is so great on the rubber that under high heat it could be put out of shape. I don´t know. Maybe these jars were simply not meant for this kind of processing. It´s not a standard process in Spain at all, and even less with meat, so these jars may well be sold for raw packing/design purpose only. I also think the quality may not be what it used to be 50 years ago and also that the jars were mainly or solely processed in boiling water without much pressure if any.
What I ask here is if I still may keep the jars in my fridge for a couple of weeks or so (I bought already freezed meat) or wouldn´t it be safe? I would say that the fat layer protects meat but I´m not sure in this case about botulism risk.
What I ask here is if I still may keep the jars in my fridge for a couple of weeks or so (I bought already freezed meat) or wouldn´t it be safe? I would say that the fat layer protects meat but I´m not sure in this case about botulism risk.
hesperides,
The thickness of the jar has nothing to do with the sealing process - it's the lid that counts. Maybe the lid is clamped too tight, which might prevent a good seal, or there were particles between the jar and the lid, or the rubber ring was not sealing well. I would try again, but not reduce the pressure much, because then you risk not kill the botulinum spores. Remember: pressure equals temperature, so the higher the pressure, the higher the temperature.
If I were you I would simply put the jars in the freezer and use them one by one. Also cook the broth before consumption, as botulinum toxin is heat-labile above 80 deg C.
The thickness of the jar has nothing to do with the sealing process - it's the lid that counts. Maybe the lid is clamped too tight, which might prevent a good seal, or there were particles between the jar and the lid, or the rubber ring was not sealing well. I would try again, but not reduce the pressure much, because then you risk not kill the botulinum spores. Remember: pressure equals temperature, so the higher the pressure, the higher the temperature.
If I were you I would simply put the jars in the freezer and use them one by one. Also cook the broth before consumption, as botulinum toxin is heat-labile above 80 deg C.
Thank you for your advice, Nickebleu. The thing is I thought once food was frozen, you couldn´t freeze it again afterwards. Or is it possible once the food has been cooked? That would be greet news!
hesperides said:
Chrissy found this advice from USDA about "Refreezing", which is posted in the "Ketogenic Diet" thread:
That should answer your question about refreezing ...
Laura said:
When you say boiling bath, do you mean that do you mean putting the jars of rendered fat in boiling water for 25 minutes?
A few people have mentioned that they've canned butter in boiling water baths, does this mean it's safe to can fat and fatty bone broth without a canner? If so, any suggestions on how much time I should keep the jars in boiling water?
Well, I just went through a disasterous canning session that left me with only half of the bone broth I'd started with :( The first problem happened when I tried to warm up some bone broth I'd had in the fridge in order to transfer it to the jars to be canned. I had it in a glass pitcher (as I usually do) and put it into a water bath on the stove to try and heat it gently to melt down the gel and pour it into the jars. I obvioulsy wasn't gentle enough with the heating, though, because the pitcher cracked and the whole bottom fell out of it, spilling the broth into the water bath. Grrr 
I decided I didn't want to waste the broth so I set it on to boil until it reduced to about the amount of stock I started with. Of course, this was less than ideal since the water bath had been tap water, but I figured in an emergency situation where I'd need canned broth, I probably wouldn't be so picky. I really didn't want to waste it.
But then, upon canning, I ended up with 2 (!) cracked jars. I don't really get what went wrong there. Oddly enough, I've done several canning sessions now, and this is my first broken jar.
Oh well. Can't really say there was a lesson there, because I'm pretty clueless as to why this canning session seemed doomed from the getgo. I suppose it might have been the difference in temperature in both cases, but it's hard to say.
I decided I didn't want to waste the broth so I set it on to boil until it reduced to about the amount of stock I started with. Of course, this was less than ideal since the water bath had been tap water, but I figured in an emergency situation where I'd need canned broth, I probably wouldn't be so picky. I really didn't want to waste it.
But then, upon canning, I ended up with 2 (!) cracked jars. I don't really get what went wrong there. Oddly enough, I've done several canning sessions now, and this is my first broken jar.
Oh well. Can't really say there was a lesson there, because I'm pretty clueless as to why this canning session seemed doomed from the getgo. I suppose it might have been the difference in temperature in both cases, but it's hard to say.
Foxx
The Living Force
dugdeep said:Well, I just went through a disasterous canning session that left me with only half of the bone broth I'd started with :( The first problem happened when I tried to warm up some bone broth I'd had in the fridge in order to transfer it to the jars to be canned. I had it in a glass pitcher (as I usually do) and put it into a water bath on the stove to try and heat it gently to melt down the gel and pour it into the jars. I obvioulsy wasn't gentle enough with the heating, though, because the pitcher cracked and the whole bottom fell out of it, spilling the broth into the water bath. Grrr
I decided I didn't want to waste the broth so I set it on to boil until it reduced to about the amount of stock I started with. Of course, this was less than ideal since the water bath had been tap water, but I figured in an emergency situation where I'd need canned broth, I probably wouldn't be so picky. I really didn't want to waste it.
I would be very careful of doing this and might even suggest throwing away any of the cans that had that broth in it because of glass shards.
Chrissy
Jedi Council Member
Hi Dugdeep, I was wondering if you made sure your canning jars were hot that you poured the broth into.dugdeep said:
I found this on a Q&A for Presto canners. Maybe there's something in here as to why you had breakage.
_http://www.gopresto.com/recipes/canning/faq.php#8
Q. Why do jars break during processing? A. Jars break during processing for the following reasons: • Canner became dry during the processing period. This is caused by either a steam leakage in your canner, which means you need a new part, or by using insufficient water for the processing period. • Commercial jars (peanut butter, mayonnaise, etc.) were used instead of the recommended glass home canning jars. • Cracked or nicked jars were used. • Food was packed too solidly or jars were overfilled. • Lids were overtightened (follow manufacturer’s directions). • Cold jars were immersed in boiling hot water. Food and jars should be hot when placed in the canner. • Jars were placed directly on canner bottom. A canning rack should always be placed on the canner bottom. It is not necessary to place a rack between a layer of pint or half-pint jars. Stagger the jars by placing a top jar on two bottom jars (see picture). • Pressure was reduced quickly after processing. Always let pressure drop of its own accord. • Air was exhausted from canner at too high a temperature. Adjust heat so a steady gentle flow of steam emerges from the vent pipe. • Pressure had fluctuated during the processing period. This can be caused by an unsteady heat source or steam leaking from the canner. • Jars were placed in a cold, drafty place to cool. Cool jars on a towel or rack at room temperature. • The jars themselves are very often the cause of difficulty. They eventually weaken with age and repeated use.
Fine, Nickebleu, I won´t have to eat all my jars content in a row then :P