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

I have an interests in dry canning. I did some pressure canning years ago, with help for some community members that were experts. It was the water canning method, unfortunate I gave my supplies away, when I relocated, Now dry canning seems to me a more feasible option. Now is the canning season in the area where I live, and some supplies for dry canning are in short supply or equipment is no longer available from the suppliers, namely to dry can wide mouth and regular canning jars

There are two videos I will post to explain the dilemma, and as I was researching, I found one poster regarding the issue, which seems pertinent "They don't want us storing food"

This is the first video, that explains the situation

Are Food Saver Jar Sealers Gone Forever? Alternatives to Vaccum Sealing Jars - NO OVEN CANNING​



And this video, that may offer an alternative solution. The pertinent information, starts at the 3:50 mark

Vacuum jar sealer find in response to The Purposeful Pantry's "Are Food Saver Jar Sealers Gone...?"​


I thought this information was helpful. I have noticed that price gouging from Amazon.ca, to me seems apparent. For example a flat of Bernadin wide mouth canning jars, which, because of the canning season where I live a flat of 12 cans is around 12$ at stores seems (although sealing lids, seem to be in short supply, for the wide mouth jars) to be the price at this time. On Amazon Canada, a flat of, of what I assume is similar, they come in standard numbers, no number is available in the description, the price was listed as , if my memory serves me as $48, plus shipping etc.

I did order the lid, using Amazon Prime and have a delivery date this week, hopefully it will arrive, along with the rechargeable vacuum sealer.

Hope this helps for those seeking long term dry storage. I am looking into O2 absorbers, but does not seem to be an issue at this time.
 
Thank you a lot brother, I am "afraid" a bit that I will be able to find only the one you put in the attachment, so there is no problem with that one ? Will I be able to store my food with that one for about 10 years. Thank you once more I really appreciate you answer.
 
Will I really be able to store my food with that one up to 10 years or even more (with the one in the attachment) ? Thank you once more I really appreciate you answer. Also in your opinion what is the main difference between the two ? Is first one on the picture better in some way ?
 
Alreadyin4thDensity Love said:
Will I really be able to store my food with that one up to 10 years or even more (with the one in the attachment) ? Thank you once more I really appreciate you answer. Also in your opinion what is the main difference between the two ? Is first one on the picture better in some way ?
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Here's what I found online:
According to the USDA, high-acid canned goods (tomatoes, citrus fruits etc.) will stay fresh for 12 – 18 months and low-acid canned goods (meats, most veggies, etc.) will stay fresh for 2 to 5 years.

Again, you can still eat canned foods after this time period. They might not taste as fresh as when they were canned and may have lost some vitamins, but they will still probably be safe to eat.
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The National Food Processors Association (NFPA) is a research group which looks into issues like food expiration dates and freshness. They once got their hands on some old cans of food.

One of the scientists analyzed a can of corn from 1934 and found it to be pretty much as good as a new can of corn. The only difference in the analysis was that some nutrient levels were lower. The same was found true of very old cans of oysters, tomatoes, and red peppers.

Since canned foods are sterilized and then sealed in an air-tight environment, they won’t breed bacteria. The reason for the expiration date has to do with freshness and taste. After a while of sitting in water, the canned foods can get mushy and lose their flavor. They’ll still be safe to eat, just taste gross.
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The USDA said that the worst danger with eating canned foods was the toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum. So in theory, if you can and store the food correctly I think they could last a lot longer. When you open them, just make sure to boil them thoroughly. Another option would be to periodically use and replenish the stock, that way, you won't need to worry about having old cans.

With regards to jars, that will depend on what's available in your area and how fancy you want to get. I'd check for the thickness of the glass, the lid type, price, and convenience (can you buy them in bulk from a supermarket/ farming shop/ online). You might find this website helpful: Canning Jars: Common Questions Answered Here.. Also, you could do a search of this thread to see if someone in Europe/ closer to you has asked a similar question, hope this helps!
 
I got a half a pig few weeks back and i got 20 pound uncooked and unsmoked ham in it. All the video's I saw for ham canning are for cooked or smoked. Is it possible to can the ham without pre-cooking? any experience or suggestions?
 
seek10 said:
I got a half a pig few weeks back and i got 20 pound uncooked and unsmoked ham in it. All the video's I saw for ham canning are for cooked or smoked. Is it possible to can the ham without pre-cooking? any experience or suggestions?
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Yes! I've was in a predicament with 1/2 cow and not enough freezer space! So I cut up the meat into sizes that would fit in the jar sizes I had, added some salt, and pressure canned it. Since you have to pressure can it for 90 minutes(because it is meat), it cooks in the jar, and is vacuum pressure sealed at the end. Nowadays I put a few spices in to give me some different flavours. Now my example was a cow, but I've also done 'fresh ham' (unsmoked/uncooked) no problem.
 
anartist said:
Yes! I've was in a predicament with 1/2 cow and not enough freezer space! So I cut up the meat into sizes that would fit in the jar sizes I had, added some salt, and pressure canned it. Since you have to pressure can it for 90 minutes(because it is meat), it cooks in the jar, and is vacuum pressure sealed at the end. Nowadays I put a few spices in to give me some different flavours. Now my example was a cow, but I've also done 'fresh ham' (unsmoked/uncooked) no problem.
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cutting into pieces without cooking is what I did with pork but as there are many video's showing that (cold pack). But, for some reason, I couldn't find video for Ham in cold pack , thus making me to wonder about the procedure. Thank you for the suggestion @anartist.
 
Jenn said:
Here's what I found online:


The USDA said that the worst danger with eating canned foods was the toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum. So in theory, if you can and store the food correctly I think they could last a lot longer. When you open them, just make sure to boil them thoroughly. Another option would be to periodically use and replenish the stock, that way, you won't need to worry about having old cans.

With regards to jars, that will depend on what's available in your area and how fancy you want to get. I'd check for the thickness of the glass, the lid type, price, and convenience (can you buy them in bulk from a supermarket/ farming shop/ online). You might find this website helpful: Canning Jars: Common Questions Answered Here.. Also, you could do a search of this thread to see if someone in Europe/ closer to you has asked a similar question, hope this helps!
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When it comes to the jars, the lid itself is the most important part of course. I do not care too much about thickness of the glass (unless it is too thin) or the price unless they are very expensive of course. But the lid itself is important because everything will be heated inside of the pressure canner so I do not want plastic right ? And if you saw the attachment which @Goemon_ put, that lid may contain a bit of plastic on the lower part and I am not so sure about that one, but I would like to know how it would work and how well would food be preserved for the longer period of time, let's say 5 years. What do you think what is the main difference about 2 jars Goemon put ? Did you use both of them ? I could not answer before, but I answer now and I am thankful for your countribution.

Laura is welcome as well to make some contribution since he has probably a very big experience in canning.
 
Alreadyin4thDensity Love said:
I do not care too much about thickness of the glass (unless it is too thin) or the price unless they are very expensive of course.
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When canning meat, especially if you plan to keep it for a while, it would be wisest to go with proper canning jars and lids. They are manufactured to take the stress of extended pressure canning, the only sort you should do for meat.

I know they're expensive, especially now, but I've heard of people picking up flats of jars that say, Aunt Mabel left them, at garages sales and such, where people just don't want them. If you get lucky, make sure to inspect them well for chips on the rim and hairline cracks. I once found a jar, straight out of new box, that had a tiny inclusion in the body glass of the jar. That sucker would have exploded for sure in a pressure canner. I wouldn't trust it even for water bath canning. It's still good for dry storage though.
 
herondancer said:
When canning meat, especially if you plan to keep it for a while, it would be wisest to go with proper canning jars and lids. They are manufactured to take the stress of extended pressure canning, the only sort you should do for meat.

I know they're expensive, especially now, but I've heard of people picking up flats of jars that say, Aunt Mabel left them, at garages sales and such, where people just don't want them. If you get lucky, make sure to inspect them well for chips on the rim and hairline cracks. I once found a jar, straight out of new box, that had a tiny inclusion in the body glass of the jar. That sucker would have exploded for sure in a pressure canner. I wouldn't trust it even for water bath canning. It's still good for dry storage though.
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I agree with you that proper canning jars are important, of course. But I am not sure what you personally consider as proper canning jar. In your opinion, would you consider both canning jars which @Goemon_ put as proper ones ? This is very important for me.
 
Alreadyin4thDensity Love said:
would you consider both canning jars which @Goemon_ put as proper ones ?
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The first one looks ok, though I don't recognize the brand, but it looks as if it has a "pop-down" lid to indicate a good seal. The second one makes me nervous (it looks like commercial pickle jar that's been cleaned for re-use), but again, without seeing in irl, I couldn't tell

North America has a standard style of jars in use. In Canada they're called Bernardin, in the States, Ball brand. In the end they seems to be made by the same company. When you buy a flat, they come with matching sealers and rings. Jars can be found second hand but must still be matched with the sealers/rings.


As you can see they've almost doubled in price from a couple of years ago. I always try to get two packs of sealers for every flat purchased.

Amazon.com: Ball Regular Mouth Jar Lids (6 Pack): Kitchen & Dining

Shop Ball at the Amazon Cookware store. Free Shipping on eligible items. Everyday low prices, save up to 50%.
www.amazon.com

There's some new types of lids being sold that are supposedly reusable, but they're tricky, and I have no experience with them.

Shop - Harvest Guard Reusable Canning Lids

Harvest Guard Reusable Canning Lids. Reusable, BPA Free, Food Grade Canning Lids- Made in the USA. - Shop Now
canninglids.com canninglids.com
 
herondancer said:
The first one looks ok, though I don't recognize the brand, but it looks as if it has a "pop-down" lid to indicate a good seal. The second one makes me nervous (it looks like commercial pickle jar that's been cleaned for re-use), but again, without seeing in irl, I couldn't tell
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The first one are a well know French brand called Le Parfait (EN translation: The Perfect). This brand exist since the early 1930s and can be found in a lot of places in France.

Most of the ones I have I found them on garage sales. The lids (FR: capsules) I bought them new from local stores.

The second ones are from a german website. I couldn't find the exact ones I ordered 8 years ago or so. I have now searched more on the website and the ones I use are pretty much those ones: here.

I just opened one bone broth one from november 2013. As you can see from the short video below it was well sealead.


 
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