Canning meat/what Equipment is needed, how much canning is necessary

[1984]

I just thought about one more thing : If you open the cooker too early the jars haven't cool down enough to be sealed but they will sealed as they cool down. As have been said before I don't see any reason for the jar not to seal correctly just because they are too much filed.

Yes, allowing the cooker pressure gauge to come down to zero is very important (it should be noted in your booklet from the mfg to always do so) for your own safety as well as the jars. You shouldn't try to move them from the cooker either until they have stopped internally boiling - which could take some time.

FWIW, I've not experienced jars not sealing properly that were filled up to one inch from top (while cooking largely fat) though it is recommended to not fill over 1 1/2 inches from top, and I've canned quite a bit of food consisting largely of fat. There was some slight leakage (based on the water in the cooker after opening), but that didn't refrain from sealing properly. Not sure, other than following all the proper directions (using vinegar on rims of jars, etc.) what advice to provide, seek10.

 

[seek10]

I just thought about one more thing : If you open the cooker too early the jars haven't cool down enough to be sealed but they will sealed as they cool down. As have been said before I don't see any reason for the jar not to seal correctly just because they are too much filed.

Infact, I opened the lid after 8 hours as slept after switching off the stove. I will experiment it with different ways and see how it goes. Thanks to all for the input. :)

 

[will01]

After reading this thread and thinking on what could happen in the future, I have decided that canning meat is a wise decision. However living in Australia it seems to be one of the more expensive countries for purchasing the necessary equipment, especially the jars. Even buying OS is out of the question when the shipping is added.

Has anyone from Oz managed to find a good price on any canners or jars locally? The best value canner I can find is a Presto 21 L with 3 piece regulator for $150 plus $20 shipping, which isn't bad.

As for the jars, it seems Big W is the best value with Ball Mason jars in 16 oz for $29 for 12 and 32 oz for $39 for 12. There are used options around, but once again the added freight puts them out of the picture.

Thanks for any replies.

 

[nicklebleu]

After reading this thread and thinking on what could happen in the future, I have decided that canning meat is a wise decision. However living in Australia it seems to be one of the more expensive countries for purchasing the necessary equipment, especially the jars. Even buying OS is out of the question when the shipping is added.

Has anyone from Oz managed to find a good price on any canners or jars locally? The best value canner I can find is a Presto 21 L with 3 piece regulator for $150 plus $20 shipping, which isn't bad.

As for the jars, it seems Big W is the best value with Ball Mason jars in 16 oz for $29 for 12 and 32 oz for $39 for 12. There are used options around, but once again the added freight puts them out of the picture.

Thanks for any replies.

In Oz that's about as good as you can get! Happy canning!

 

[LQB]

For those in the US there is also the option to buy canned grass fed/finished beef from:

_http://www.head2tail.com/index.php

They advertise in the WAPF Journal, which is good since Sally Fallon is very picky about advertisers she allows in her Journal.

 

[will01]

After reading this thread and thinking on what could happen in the future, I have decided that canning meat is a wise decision. However living in Australia it seems to be one of the more expensive countries for purchasing the necessary equipment, especially the jars. Even buying OS is out of the question when the shipping is added.

Has anyone from Oz managed to find a good price on any canners or jars locally? The best value canner I can find is a Presto 21 L with 3 piece regulator for $150 plus $20 shipping, which isn't bad.

As for the jars, it seems Big W is the best value with Ball Mason jars in 16 oz for $29 for 12 and 32 oz for $39 for 12. There are used options around, but once again the added freight puts them out of the picture.

Thanks for any replies.

In Oz that's about as good as you can get! Happy canning!

Cheers for the reply nicklebleu.

 

[seek10]

For those in the US there is also the option to buy canned grass fed/finished beef from:

_http://www.head2tail.com/index.php

They advertise in the WAPF Journal, which is good since Sally Fallon is very picky about advertisers she allows in her Journal.

thank you LQB for sharing this. Glad to see some canned grassfed meat on the market. I plan to order and try some cans.

 

[Ennio]

Just canned some meat using 1 quart Ball Mason widemouth jars with band and lids. After the jars cooled down I noticed that the bands were actually all loose even though they were put on fairly tightly. Guess I didn't twist it on quite as tightly as I thought. But my question now is, is there a way of knowing if the lid has sealed enough to the rim of the jar to keep it from spoiling now that I have tightened the lids? Is there a way to know?

 

[herondancer]

The bands can get loose sometimes. Are the sealer lids slightly concave? That would mean the seal is good. Ideally you should have heard popping sounds as the jars cooled which means the seal is taking hold. The bands are more to keep the sealers from moving around while the air is being exhausted from the jars during processing.

When a seal hasn't taken, I've reprocessed the jar with a new lid, which worked fine. I've also read that the bands shouldn't be left on the jars when storing them. Apparently they can rust. But it might just depend on how humid your storage area is.

 

[nicklebleu]

Just canned some meat using 1 quart Ball Mason widemouth jars with band and lids. After the jars cooled down I noticed that the bands were actually all loose even though they were put on fairly tightly. Guess I didn't twist it on quite as tightly as I thought. But my question now is, is there a way of knowing if the lid has sealed enough to the rim of the jar to keep it from spoiling now that I have tightened the lids? Is there a way to know?

It is very important not to tighten the bands too much before you put them into the canner - I only use three fingers to tighten them loosely. If you overtighten them, then the air inside the jars cannot escape and they will be loose. Also don't try to tighten the lids after canning - either they are fine or they are not. If they are fine, they don't need the bands anymore - they might loose the vacuum, if you try to tighten these. I usually leave the band on as they are just to protect the lid from accidentally opening.

 

[Ennio]

The bands can get loose sometimes. Are the sealer lids slightly concave? That would mean the seal is good. Ideally you should have heard popping sounds as the jars cooled which means the seal is taking hold. The bands are more to keep the sealers from moving around while the air is being exhausted from the jars during processing.

No popping sounds but the lids are concave.

When a seal hasn't taken, I've reprocessed the jar with a new lid, which worked fine. I've also read that the bands shouldn't be left on the jars when storing them. Apparently they can rust. But it might just depend on how humid your storage area is.

Had just re-checked the seals and they appear to have taken well.

It is very important not to tighten the bands too much before you put them into the canner - I only use three fingers to tighten them loosely. If you overtighten them, then the air inside the jars cannot escape and they will be loose. Also don't try to tighten the lids after canning - either they are fine or they are not. If they are fine, they don't need the bands anymore - they might loose the vacuum, if you try to tighten these. I usually leave the band on as they are just to protect the lid from accidentally opening.

Yes, I thought I found the sweet spot of band tightness before I placed the jars in the canner. That's why I was surprised to find them so loose afterwards. I did re-tighten the bands just now, but only just to have a secure fit around the lids. The lids seem firmly placed and sealed.

Thank you for these responses.

 

[Nancy2feathers]

Hi Ennio. You know the jar is sealed if the middle of the lid Doesen`t give or pop. I always take the bands off afterwards, wash with hot soapy water, rinse and dry good before putting them away.( It`s also good to wipe the jars with a hot,damp, cloth after the jars have cooled.) If you leave the bands on the jars, they tend to sometimes rust a little and then they`re not good to re-use. Once the lid is sealed, the band has done it`s job and can be removed.

Do you have a manual for your pressure canner? In my manual there are some good tips to follow. If you don`t have one, I can make you a copy of mine.

Happy canning! and Happy Holidays Ennio! :)

 

[GregP507]

I would opt for pressure-canning myself. It raises the temperature well above the boiling point, and that's what's required to kill some pathogens. I read somewhere that botulism spores can withstand 6 hours at the boiling point. I know from experience that home canning has its risks. Some people have died, and sometimes opening a jar, it's very apparent that things have gone bad.

 

[SeekinTruth]

Yeah, pretty much what others said is what I've read and my own experiences with ball pint jars with the lids and bands. I've also had one or two bands loosening up in the pressure canner here and there, and there were no problems with the lids sealing. Besides checking the middle of the lids by pressing on them and seeing that the vacuum sucked them in completely, assuring a good seal, I gently try "tugging" on the lids to see that they are sealed well. Never had a ball jar with bands not seal so far. And I put back on or leave on the bands, depending on if I have to take them of to clean up.

Not sure about the rusting of the bands part, though I've read the same, from the Ball instructions, but don't remember that it would make much difference whether they're left on the jars or stored separately. If humidity and other environmental factors are the same where you'd store the lids, I'm not sure it would make much difference whether they're on the jars or off. Other than if moisture was trapped under the lids after canning and weren't cleaned and dried. Did your jars come with instructions? Mine were just a single letter sized sheet in each case. You can check there for more detailed information, beside your canner's instructions. And you can always go to the manufacturers' websites if in doubt and check for answers to questions. FWIW.

 

[Ennio]

Hi Ennio. You know the jar is sealed if the middle of the lid Doesen`t give or pop. I always take the bands off afterwards, wash with hot soapy water, rinse and dry good before putting them away.( It`s also good to wipe the jars with a hot,damp, cloth after the jars have cooled.) If you leave the bands on the jars, they tend to sometimes rust a little and then they`re not good to re-use. Once the lid is sealed, the band has done it`s job and can be removed.

Guess I am a bit leary of the lids getting knocked off the jars somehow which is why I thought to leave the bands on. But the ways these are getting stored should prevent that, so off they go.

Happy canning! and Happy Holidays Ennio! :)

Right back at ya, N2f!

Not sure about the rusting of the bands part, though I've read the same, from the Ball instructions, but don't remember that it would make much difference whether they're left on the jars or stored separately. If humidity and other environmental factors are the same where you'd store the lids, I'm not sure it would make much difference whether they're on the jars or off. Other than if moisture was trapped under the lids after canning and weren't cleaned and dried. Did your jars come with instructions? Mine were just a single letter sized sheet in each case. You can check there for more detailed information, beside your canner's instructions. And you can always go to the manufacturers' websites if in doubt and check for answers to questions. FWIW.

Yep, everything in the booklet and jar instructions pretty much jives with what's been said and how I did it. It was several quarts of meat that got canned and the extra experience shared regarding the process is indeed helpful! Gratzi, ST.