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

[Yupo]

I have bunch of canned meat, soups, sardines etc possibly for at least 4-5 months, if rationed perhaps more, but most of them are now expired for at least a year if not more.

They are not disfigured or blown up, so what do you guys think, are they still fine? How long do you guys think they can last?

The contents are sterile. There will probably be some degradation in quality (color/texture) after years, but the contents should be safe to eat.

 

[mimimari]

I have bunch of canned meat, soups, sardines etc possibly for at least 4-5 months, if rationed perhaps more, but most of them are now expired for at least a year if not more.

They are not disfigured or blown up, so what do you guys think, are they still fine? How long do you guys think they can last?

Yeah, if the cans are not bulging, have not turned to mush or have any weird smells they should be okay to eat.

I ate all the meat I canned and have not been able to make more, so lately I've been stocking up on sardines, tuna, salmon, mackerel all in olive oil. They stay good for years and have a lot of nutrition.

 

[Yupo]

I've lost some commercially canned tomatoes and sauerkraut, probably from salt/acid can corrosion. I guess metal lids would be susceptible to this as well. Tatler-type lids or premium Weck jars might be a work around for this. Not sure about canning meat in Weck jars, though.

 

[mugacoffee]

I've lost some commercially canned tomatoes and sauerkraut, probably from salt/acid can corrosion. I guess metal lids would be susceptible to this as well. Tatler-type lids or premium Weck jars might be a work around for this. Not sure about canning meat in Weck jars, though.


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have you tried those reusable lids before? Would you recommend? I've heard of them but never tried them.

 

[Magnolia]

I've tried Tatler and Harvest Guard when regular lids were unavailable a few years ago. There are minor differences between Tatler and Harvest (thickness of lids, for example), and there are a number of youtube videos explaining the differences and why people prefer one over the other. There are also lots of videos demonstrating how to use the lids.

I have had a 100% success rate with the Ball lids, in both water bath and pressure canning. My success rate with the resusable lids has been significantly less. Maybe 80%. I am not sure if I do something wrong, since I have little experience with them, or if the lids themselves are problematic. I would guess that I am the problem, though, not the lids. Nonetheless, I am not alone in having a lower success rate with the reusables. The procedure for using them is quite different from the Ball lids. Centering the lid and seal is critical. The process must be followed exactly. There is also talk about formaldehyde being present in the plastic lids. It is proposed the lids never get hot enough to leach, but not everyone is convinced of that.

I had one major problem with the reusable lids. I canned 17 jars of corn, and they ALL failed within a few months. Very discouraging. I don't understand what I did wrong. Perhaps I left insufficient air space. I tend to think they would NOT have failed with Ball lids. I believe the resusable lids are much less forgiving.

Since I already have them, I now use the reusable lids with foods that will be eaten within a year and items I don't value too much (e.g., jams). But if I preserve something expensive, valuable, or for the long-term, I use the Ball lids.

On the other hand, before the "corn" experience negatively affected my trust in the plastic lids, I DID use the reusable lids on some long-term foods. Those lids are still perfectly sealed, maybe 3 years later. Go figure.