296- Home Canning Beef

I'd never thought much about home canning meat until my friend commented how easy it was. Well, it got me to thinking! My family LOVES homemade taquitos but the store-bought canned roast beef is so expensive... if you can even find it! Yesterday Gordon and I stopped at our Super Wal-mart and they had those ginormous bags of beef roasts on sale for $1.88 a pound! That was all I needed to light the match! I was going to make my own *bottled* roast beef!

As it turns out there isn't as much information on the internet as I thought there would be about canning meat specific to my elevation (we live at 4800'). So I called friend-Vicki to ask for the particulars. She wasn't kidding... It is SO EASY! (Note: I just went looking for one of the sites I'd looked at yesterday and found this one that might be helpful.)

First you cut your meat into manageable chunks (I want you to know that I cleaned up my cutting board just for you Jessica!!) and pack as many chunks into the jar as possible while still leaving 1" head room.



Next add 1 heaping teaspoon of my favorite Better than Bouillon (you can also use cubes, granulated or just plain salt). That's it... you don't add any water or broth, it will make its own. Wipe the tops of your jars. Place the lid and ring on each jar and tighten.



Now, here is the hard part... put your filled jars into your pressure canner (you MUST use a pressure canner, not the boiling water canner you use for fruit). Add enough water to bring the water level about 3" up the jars (or follow the directions specific to your pressure canner).

DIAL GAUGE CANNER (notice the stylish 1970s Avocado Green!)

Place the lid on canner and turn on the heat (don't add the weight yet!). Soon the water will begin to boil and steam will come out of the spout. Set the timer and let the steam vent for 12 minutes. Then place the weight on the spout.

As soon as the pressure gauge reaches the desired pressure (13 lbs. for 4800' elevation) start your timer; 75 minutes for pints, 90 minutes for quarts. When the desired pressure is reached you will need to adjust the heat to keep it at that constant pressure. (Yeah, good luck... you think you should be able to set the flame and be done... nope! You have to babysit this pot checking it every 10 minutes or so to make sure it stays on target!)

At the end of the 90 minutes (I did quarts) turn off the heat and remove canner from heat source. DO NOT DO ANYTHING TO HASTEN THIS NEXT STEP!! The pressure will gradually reduce until the safety valve opens (see your book for specific instructions), Then, and only then, carefully remove the lid and using a jar lifter transfer the jars from the canner to a clean folded towel to cool.

The next day I like to remove the rings, wash & dry jars and rings. Replace rings, label the jars. (Only do this after jars are totally cooled)

Wow, look at all that wonderful precooked meat just waiting for taquitos or one of my other favorite recipe! (Each quart yeilds about 2-3 cups of shredded meat)

So, you may ask...

What did I do while I was babysitting my pressure canner for 14 quarts worth of processing? I put my time to good use by bottling 14 quarts of apple pie filling. (Except at my house it will be a miracle if any of this apple pie filling ever gets into a pie!! I love to put a heaping tablespoon in my morning oatmeal! YUMMY!!)

I have to say, "I just love making a home!"