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

[Alreadyin4thDensity Love]

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.

Amazon.com

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

Those from the Amazon are pretty much expensive for me because of the import costs and I would get just 32 fluid ounces per each.
The second one could be "commercial pickle jar" that was cleaned for re-use, however it may be new as well, and new lids can be bought separately.

 

[herondancer]

Goemon wrote:​

The second ones are from a german website.

Cool! Thanks for the info. The German jars look nice and sturdy. Are the lids reusable?

 

[Goemon_]

Goemon wrote:​

Cool! Thanks for the info. The German jars look nice and sturdy. Are the lids reusable?

I ask them at the time and they said that the lids are reusable but they couldn't say how many times because it would depend on lots of factors or something.

I didn't open many jars so I had no reason to reuse them.

 

[Gwenllian]

Cool! Thanks for the info. The German jars look nice and sturdy. Are the lids reusable?

I ask them at the time and they said that the lids are reusable but they couldn't say how many times because it would depend on lots of factors or something.

I bought the same jars and lids from the German company Flaschenland as Goemon did and I think the lids are reusable. I canned some new batches last year by using the lids from previous batches. I checked them yesterday and they seem to be holding!

I used the same jars and lids for pressure canning some lard and they seem to be holding fine as well.

Apologies if this has been mentioned before but I stumbled upon these articles while researching how to can lard. How long can you keep (tinned) lard? Apparently, for a very long time!

According to BBC News, the German man received the can of lard in 1948 when the U.S. was in the middle of an aid program to help rebuild Germany after World War II. A student at the time, Feldmeier decided to save the lard tin for emergencies and he has held onto it ever since.

Feldmeier decided to get the lard tested because of debates about expiration dates and food safety. He took it to food safety experts in Germany, who ultimately deemed the 64-year-old can edible for human consumption. Food safety expert Frerk Feldusen explained that while the lard was gritty, tasteless, and difficult to dissolve, it was still edible.

 

[Gwenllian]

I bought the same jars and lids from the German company Flaschenland as Goemon did and I think the lids are reusable. I canned some new batches last year by using the lids from previous batches. I checked them yesterday and they seem to be holding!

I used the same jars and lids for pressure canning some lard and they seem to be holding fine as well.

I had a look at the lids again, but some of them do appear to become a bit rusty after having been used. Mind you, I canned the meat years ago and I kept some of the jars in the cellar which was quite humid. So, perhaps to be on the safe side it is best to order some new lids if you would like to make some new batches (or thoroughly check the lids before using them again)? That is what I am going to do anyway and they are not that expensive. My two cents!

 

[Gwenllian]

This article on SOTT could be an interesting addition to this thread.

How to mentally prepare yourself for the EPIC economic SHTF that's coming

In my last article, I tried to establish the relationship between the economy and SHTF and provide some insights on some implications that institutions and other factors have in determining the outcome of collapses (economic or otherwise). Now...

www.sott.net

The correct mindset is a marathon, not a sprint. This is why gear, stockpiles, and equipment matter but more in the short-term: to provide some comfort, safety, and confidence as a way to soften the blow. Mid and long-term, especially in a lasting economic downturn, require a different mentality.

Think of economic SHTF preparation in other ways.

Life goes on. It's perfectly fine to keep enjoying your current lifestyle. Continue consuming and using products and services that are still available and your financial condition allows. But get ready for a downgrade. Research, learn, test, get acquainted, and live some time using alternative/lower brands and options.

See how this change affects you and your family. I know most people can adapt. But losing can hurt, and it's much better when it's voluntary, or we know how it feels. This exercise can ease the transition practically and psychologically and save a lot of work in case of shortages, price hikes, or a reduction in the variety and availability of products, which are all common during economic downturns.

Don't underestimate the importance of this sort of preparation for surviving a more harsh economic collapse. Just look at the tsunami of mental and psychological illnesses that stemmed from the lockdowns and the whole craziness we're living. [...]

Short term means having preparations (cash and provisions) to deal with frozen accounts, bank holidays, confiscations, bouts of social unrest, things like that. Mid-term can include shortages, disruptions, blackouts, and overall decadence and failure in public services and utilities. And the long term, all the effects of inflation compounded with stagnant or declining economic growth (stagflation) and everything that comes with it. [...]

Expect a lowering in infrastructure investment and maintenance, a worsening (or failure) of public services and necessities, a general reduction in quality on everything public and private. And, of course, all the social volatility that we know will occur. [...]

The lack of "Crisis Memory" may turn things worse.

Most people today have no idea what are things like the indexed economy, price control, and how the market and government respond to these things (hint: shortages, withholds, confiscations, price gouging, and all kinds of scams and tricks).

There are now entire generations that have no memory of living in such an environment. These issues haven't been on the minds of the individuals and the collective for decades now.

Will this lead to mistakes, misreadings, bad judgments, and wrong calls? Probably. The market isn't even considering the possibility of crashes and changes (yet). I'm afraid this will worsen the consequences of the impending economic disaster. But I hope I'm wrong. In fact, not just about this but everything else. [...]

So get busy: whatever your situation, preparing intellectually, mentally, and psychologically is within reach. Study, get literate in economy and finance if you will. At the very least, don't be an "economy denialist." And, of course, keep working on any material preparations you deem essential. No one knows about you better than yourself, so betting on ourselves, whatever happens, is the best strategy of all.

 

[cassandra]

I haven’t tried canning lard yet. I heard that canning fat is tricky, and trimming meat of fat is recommended before attempting to do so, as the fat prevents the lids from sealing. Could anyone tell me how it is done? Thanks!

 

[Goemon_]

The German jar website can be view in French here.

Also, yesterday I received an e-mail from them with this link to get a 30% discount. I follow the link and got the following code: QBYWHGDB

The first e-mail said: subscribe to the newsletter, confirm, receive the code by e-mail.

 

[Yupo]

I checked on my canned water with the silicone rings. They failed at a rate of 50% after about a month. These rings were not made for this purpose, but I thought it worth a try. Also, my metal lids had been gently used before. I think I'll stick with the Tattler lids. They work pretty well. My only issue is being able to taste the rubber in the food.

 

[michaelrc]

Dirty keto for the apocalypse, lol



15 lbs of chicken = 14 quarts of chicken/rice/vegetable soup.

 

[thorbiorn]

Canning meat is not the same as canning berries, but some berries have good properties. This year I have collected elderberries and made a kind of syrup. What was nice was that the pollinating insects had done a quick job this year, and uniformly ripe berries were easy to find.

Elderberries, I have done before, but now have I tried Sorbus aucuparia, in English known as rowan.

The Wiki has:

Fruit and foliage of S. aucuparia have been used by humans in the creation of dishes and beverages, as a folk medicine, and as fodder for livestock.

The fruit of S. aucuparia were used in the past to lure and catch birds. To humans, the fruit are bitter, astringent, laxative, diuretic and a cholagogue. They have vitamin C, so they prevent scurvy, but the parasorbic acid irritates the gastric mucosa.[24][34] Pharmacist Mannfried Pahlow wrote that he doubted the toxicity of the fruit but advised against consuming large amounts.[48] The fruit contain sorbitol, which can be used as a sugar substitute by diabetics, but its production is no longer relevant.[49] Sorbus aucuparia fruits have been used in the traditional Austrian medicine internally (as tea, syrup, jelly or liqueur) for treatment of disorders of the respiratory tract, fever, infections, colds, flu, rheumatism and gout.[50]

Fresh fruit are usually not tasty, but they can be debittered and made into compote, jelly, jam, a tangy syrup, a tart chutney, or juice, as well as wine and liqueur, or used for tea or to make flour.[24][51][52] Fruit are served as a side dish to lamb or game.[33] Debittering can be accomplished by freezing, cooking, or drying, which degrades the parasorbic acid.[48][52] The fruit are red colored in August but usually only harvested in October after the first frost by cutting the corymbs.[26][53] The robust qualities of S. aucuparia make it a source for fruit in harsh mountain climate and Maria Theresa, ruler of the Habsburg Monarchy, recommended the planting of the species in 1779.[33]

Just like the elderberry, the rovan it is a very generous trees, and grows wild across all of Euroasia, as the seeds are carried around by the birds and grows easily.

The berries are cleaned and boiled with water and sugar, or that is what I did. Many books, like the Wiki, recommend freezing them first before boiling, but the bitterness is also removed by heating. My batch went in the pot and stayed way longer than the recipe suggested, and an hour or more later there was a sugary, dark-orange-brown syrup, surprisingly tasty. One can add some chemical to aid preservation, but if it is very sweet, it is hardly needed, so I skipped it. At the end, I tried to find out what would happen if I added a pinch of sodium bicarbonate. It started to bubble, so it must be acidic, but the acidity also helps to conserve the product and that is of course what is desired, though enough sugar ought to be able to compensate for that too.

 

[cinnamon]

I knocked out my first two batches with canning over the weekend:

1st - Belgian beef stew:



2nd - Bolognese:



I didn't use "tried and tested recipes though" - instead, I fully cooked the meat before adding it in to the overall meal, cooked down the vegetables, and hot packed it after bringing to a boil - then did the usual and customary 75 minutes at 11 psi for the pint size jars. Seals are good. Any ideas how to test for any nasties at home before I actually enjoy them? Any idea if the acidity in the Belgian red ale and tomatoes are enough to be even vaguely helpful here? I know you're not supposed to do "Cowboy Canning" but I wanted to use meals I already enjoy.

 

[Yupo]

I knocked out my first two batches with canning over the weekend:

1st - Belgian beef stew:

View attachment 49625

2nd - Bolognese:

View attachment 49626

I didn't use "tried and tested recipes though" - instead, I fully cooked the meat before adding it in to the overall meal, cooked down the vegetables, and hot packed it after bringing to a boil - then did the usual and customary 75 minutes at 11 psi for the pint size jars. Seals are good. Any ideas how to test for any nasties at home before I actually enjoy them? Any idea if the acidity in the Belgian red ale and tomatoes are enough to be even vaguely helpful here? I know you're not supposed to do "Cowboy Canning" but I wanted to use meals I already enjoy.

If you pressure canned for the recommended time, tomato acidity should not matter. Acidity only matters for water bath canning. If your seal is good, the food should be safe to eat. To be extra careful, reheat the food to a boil before you eat it. That should kill anything and inactivate any endotoxin.

 

[Joan]

This post is indirectly about canning, it is for those that don't have canning skills or supplies. Today I found two canned products that I think will be extremely useful. One is a beef canned product from NZ, which is grass fed beef in Natural juices. The product name is Palm. The ingredients are Beef, salt and sodium nitrate, the fat content is 28% Cholesterol 38 mg per 2 tbsp serving. I have no idea what is looks or tastes like, but thought I would give it a go. Net weight is 326 g or 11.5 oz. The price ranges between 6- 7.50 Dollars Canadian. I would suggest checking it out in grocery stores in your area if interested, they do have a website, that could give suppliers that carry the product. The product description on the label calls it corned beef, but I don't think it relates to the corned beef from Brazil.

The other product is canned soup, it comes in a glass jar and can repurposed after use as a storage jar with an oxygen absorber. The product name is Legk's it is from Poland and imported into Canada. It is a large 720ml, jar, it is gluten free and non GMO, only spring water is used. It is vegetarian with four varieties Vegetable, Ukrainian Borscht, Mushroom and Vegetable Barley. My thought is this could make as many as four hearty meals with meat added, depending on ones appetite.

I intend to purchase as much as I can afford at this time while it is available. Thought this was useful information.

 

[Tuatha de Danaan]

haven’t tried canning lard yet. I heard that canning fat is tricky, and trimming meat of fat is recommended before attempting to do so, as the fat prevents the lids from sealing. Could anyone tell me how it is done? Thanks!

Hi cassandra. I've not canned lard exactly but what I did was get suet from the butcher. I cut into cubes and rendered down under very low heat until totally melted in a large saucepan
Whilst this was going on I heated the jars in the oven so they could take the hot fat.
I put my lids and rings on and returned them to the oven for about 5mins just so the lids could warm up.
Taking the jars out and left them for 48 hrs to fully cool. All lids sealed as they cooled.
Lard has a long shelf life so when sealed should last a very long time. I can't see the need for a canner but I've also not seen any do's or don'ts on Y-tube or anywhere else with regards to lard storage.
Hope this helps.