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

[iamthatis]

I've never tried canning lard as it seems there might be some issue with a correct tightening of the lids. So I'm going to try the way it's possible to do it according to this process on yt, which seems pretty simple, and will report as soon as I'm able to get some fat:

Good one! I have a number of jars of lard canned as well. I've found that it is pretty simple. In Canada it is not so simple to find pork fat that is not fed GMO or glyphosate.

The lard came from some pigs that I raised, slaughtered and butchered. After butchering, one ends up with some very thick leaves of fat - 2 inches in some places. I didn't want to go through the very time-consuming process of separating all the small pieces of meat that are 'interwoven' with the fat. I also wanted to avoid wasting anything if possible.

So I slow cooked it all for a while without much processing, and then doled it out into jars, and pressure cooked. The end product is mostly lard on top, but there are also some juices and meat chunks at the bottom, a strata of about 1 cm. It smells amazing! The juices indicate that I could have slow-cooked it for much longer in order to allow water to boil off.

The end product is delicious, and I haven't noticed any spoilage or weirdness whatsoever from the 'bottom strata' of meat/juices when I open and use one of the jars.

 

[Anya112003]

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I would see if I could get some information regarding canned food. I found the National Center for Home Food P5that uses recommendations from Cooperative State research and USDA. Nchfp.uga.edu They have guides you can download
.Low acid canned can be stored for 2 to 5 years
High acid foods 12 to 18 months
Some web sites state that as long as the seal is intact and not rusted the food is good but the texture could deteriorate.
Botulism is fatal. If when the can is opened there is any foam or spurting chances are there is botulism. Reseal and place in a heavy garbage bag for disposal. Discoloration and signs of mold require immediate disposal as well. The guides are easy to download and read.
Talk to you later.

 

[3DStudent]

With a great deal of caution, theoretically, yes.

Check the seal carefully to make sure it's still tight. Clean the lid with hot soapy water in case it's dusty, or any critters have been around. Give it a good sniff when you open it to see if there are any off odours (you should hear the pop of the seal breaking). Pitch it immediately if the seal has failed or the smell is the least bit iffy. Then the recommendation is to boil the contents for at least twenty minutes to kill off anything you haven't detected. So some sort of stew or goulash that cooks for a long time would be your best bet for something that old. I made a very nice curry out of some 5-year old pork shoulder, following those rules. No one suffered.

I'd try to find a better place than a shed to store the jars. Ideally it should be dark and cool. Mine are in a basement garage which does have windows, but the shelves are set up away from them. The temps do vary but generally, it's cool enough.

Hope that helps!

I recall this post and I plan to do some cleaning and checking on some canned meat that is around 10 years old. I haven't done much in this regard and these days just buy bulk food. I'm guessing I should be really careful, maybe wearing gloves when clearing them out? I don't know if any of the seals have gone bad.

I'm guessing adhering to expiration dates depends on how desperate you are in the future? I used to buy a lot of sardines and I know some of them are past the expiration or best by date. Prepping sort of became an interest that I didn't keep up with. I want to clear some stuff out because cleaning is something I've been reluctant to do and it at least would help in rotating some stock.

 

[benkostka]

Well I made some pemmican as a trial run and figure it’s probably the best survival food you can have, dried meat, tallow and some dried cranberries for vitamin C.

I cold smoked my meat, apple wood and alder and it took about 6 hours in a small electric smoker meant for fish. It’s easy enough to do though without electricity once that happens. Though most people use a dehydrator, the wood smoke adds a nice flavor and is also a preservative.

I rendered the beef tallow in a crockpot, but again this can easily be done over a small fire and all you really need is a pot of some sort and a way to strain the fat.

After that I pulverized the meat and berries in a blender, this can be done in a mortar and pestle easy enough. Melt the tallow and then mix it until it sorta sticks and let it solidify. I tasted it before it was solid and added a little salt.

The stuff should last forever as long as it’s kept away from vermin and it doesn’t taste bad at all. It really makes one think about the absolutely low impact humans could have on this planet. A family could very very easily survive on a small herd of cattle with the right acreage to graze them and make hay, which like pemmican stores forever if done properly. Add in a few sheep, alpacas or goats for fiber/meat and that’s it. Maybe that’s all Noah needed for his Ark along with a few basic tools.

 

[gottathink]

I have not equipped myself to preserve food but have been just collecting stores. I have a garden and good composting ability now, it’s hard to keep up with all the preparations. I do what I can without becoming overwhelmed by it.

One really easy way to have a meat protein source store is to purchase hydrolysed beef protein.

Beef Protein Powder 1kg

Beef Protein is a powerful muscle building protein. It mixes & digests easily, & has a higher protein level than alternatives. A hypoallergenic alternative to dairy, egg, and pea based proteins.

www.nzprotein.co.nz

Beef Protein Powder NZ​

NZ Protein's beef protein powder is a complete muscle building protein that's great tasting.

Beef protein mixes and digests easily and has a much higher protein level than other sources; Where whey, egg white, and pea typically have around 80% protein, and whey isolate has a little over 90% protein, beef protein powder has 98% protein (unflavoured). That makes this product more economical and as a bonus there's virtually no fat or carbohydrates!

Beef protein is naturally hypoallergenic meaning it's free of milk, egg, soy, lactose, gluten, sugars, and other things* that can cause gut irritations. Eliminate the gastro side effects without comprising results!

A number of people have been turning away from the traditional milk based protein powders in favour of pea and egg protein powders but we feel that this product is a much more satisfying alternative - the Double Chocolate flavour tastes great!

 

[benkostka]

I’ve been reading a lot about dry aging meats and it seems like that will preserve much more of the nutrients in the meats as opposed to canning and if it’s done correctly there’s very little spoilage. There’s large dry aging refrigerators now that keep the temperature/humidity steady. One of the benefits is that the tough connective tissue gets broken down naturally by the enzymes in the meat slowly and that typically ends up in a more flavorful piece of meat.

Here’s a video about a guy who started dry aging fish around LA. It’s interesting because you really need to handle the fish with care from when you catch them until they’re eaten. They brain the fish to kill it instantly and then cut the gills so the blood drains, then they’re packed in shaved ice so they can be processed for the dry aging. Overall it’s certainly a better way of honoring the animal compared to other types of fishing like trawls or long lines that produce excessive bycatch.

The other benefit to dry aging is that there would be very little waste, if you process the fish like this they’re able to be stored for a few weeks as opposed to trying to keep them fresh on ice. The bones/heads also make a superior broth.

Obviously if the grid goes down, well that’s it. But it would be interesting to build a society where this is the normal way that food is stored, as it makes much more sense.

The same type of aging can be done with beef or pork, and with certain types of cattle like wagyu that have high levels of intramuscular fat, it’s probably the ideal superfood.

 

[mugatea]

hi, I havent canned in a while and starting again today with some ground beef. Just watching a video on it on youtube from the channel 'Homesteading Family' and she has just cooked the beef in a pot first and now rinsing the beef under a tap to get the fat off - that just seems wrong to me. Any views? I've added the clip at the time she is rinsing the beef.

 

[benkostka]

hi, I havent canned in a while and starting again today with some ground beef. Just watching a video on it on youtube from the channel 'Homesteading Family' and she has just cooked the beef in a pot first and now rinsing the beef under a tap to get the fat off - that just seems wrong to me. Any views? I've added the clip at the time she is rinsing the beef.

Well cooking beef reduces the amount of nutrients available and also changes the iron from a form that’s bioavailable to one that isn’t. From a nutrition standpoint it seems like drying meat preserves more of the nutritional value than cooking.

Fats can be rendered, including tallow and lard for pigs and then they’re shelf stable without canning and they preserve their nutritional value. Fats from wild fed animals will preserve better than ones fed in feedlots, for instance the fat from Spanish pigs produces superior hams because they have a heavy diet of acorns before they’re slaughtered. Getting back to naturally raising animals is the way to go.

 

[mugatea]

Well cooking beef reduces the amount of nutrients available and also changes the iron from a form that’s bioavailable to one that isn’t. From a nutrition standpoint it seems like drying meat preserves more of the nutritional value than cooking.

Fats can be rendered, including tallow and lard for pigs and then they’re shelf stable without canning and they preserve their nutritional value. Fats from wild fed animals will preserve better than ones fed in feedlots, for instance the fat from Spanish pigs produces superior hams because they have a heavy diet of acorns before they’re slaughtered. Getting back to naturally raising animals is the way to go.

ok thanks, its just a test run to refreshen myself. Ive got it on, didnt bother removing fat, will see how it is in a couple of hours.

 

[liam1310]

I havent canned in a while and starting again today with some ground beef.

I cook mine in the pan until brown then Into the jars and fill with bone broth.

 

[iamthatis]

ok thanks, its just a test run to refreshen myself. Ive got it on, didnt bother removing fat, will see how it is in a couple of hours.

Yeah, I definitely would not recommend rinsing fat off with water! That's a whole ton of nutrients going straight down the drain. People are so weird.

One item in the thread that I've found important is to wash the full jars (when cool) with soapy water to remove the greasy film on the outside of the jars. At first I thought that this greasy film meant I'd messed up somehow, but it's a common occurrence.

Happy canning!

 

[mugatea]

Yeah, I definitely would not recommend rinsing fat off with water! That's a whole ton of nutrients going straight down the drain. People are so weird.

One item in the thread that I've found important is to wash the full jars (when cool) with soapy water to remove the greasy film on the outside of the jars. At first I thought that this greasy film meant I'd messed up somehow, but it's a common occurrence.

Happy canning!

thanks, I canned 3 jars worth of ground meat and kept the fat in it. The left jar lid didn't want to suck down even after an hour, I put a teaspoon of cold water on lid and it popped instantly and remains stuck on. I can't remember if I learned that hack online. I don't even remember if it's a good hack or a no-no hack.

 

[mugatea]

oh and if it helps anyone, most canners are aluminum and won't work on an induction hob, but I just tested my All American Canner on an induction hob using a Heat Diffusor and it worked really well.

 

[anartist]

oh and if it helps anyone, most canners are aluminum and won't work on an induction hob, but I just tested my All American Canner on an induction hob using a Heat Diffusor and it worked really well.View attachment 72435

so it the heat diffuser that was magnetic, and heated up, so heating the canner. Unless your American Canner is appropriate magnetic metal?

 

[mugatea]

so it the heat diffuser that was magnetic, and heated up, so heating the canner. Unless your American Canner is appropriate magnetic metal?

yeah, so the diffusor heats up and that heats the aluminum pot. I don't think you can get an All American Canners in anything but aluminum. i think Presto do a stainless one.