What are you canning now?

[71stbrew]

Thank you for the advise i didn't think about a concentrate.

 

[Intheswamp]

Well, I ain't dead yet, Jules. The wife is out of town so I'm frolickin'...<grin> I picked up two pork loins on sale this evening...a tad over 12 pounds....just put the weight on. It's a wild time here bachin' it!<grin> Ed

 

[Beekissed]

Looks excellent!!!

Great to "see" you!!! Looks like you are keeping busy and all.

 

[Intheswamp]

Well, I had 6 of 6 to seal some I'm a happy camper! As for staying busy...I need to be busier than I am, that's for sure!!! I still haven't got the coop going, tossing that back and forth while trying to stay afloat at work.

It's good to hear from you, too! Btw, I like your avatar!!!!

 

[Intheswamp]

Follow up.... Ok, the image above was taken soon after removing the jars from the canner. I let the pressure drop zero and then allowed the canner to sit undisturbed for probably 20-30 minutes afterwards. The pork inside of the jars was still boiling vigorously when I removed the jars from the canner and placed them on the towel.

When I lifted the first jar out of the canner I heard what sounded like a "sizzle", short and abrupt. I almost think it may have been something with that jar's seal/vacuum, but there again I wonder if some water may have hit the side of the canner. If the latter, though, I then wonder if the canner was still hot enough to even cause a sizzle...sometimes I think too much.

There was a definite oily sheen to the water in the canner which tells me some liquid boiled out. It wasn't too bad, but I could see oily circles floating on the water's surface. I had filled the jars up to the ring (1" marker) with meat, juice, and hot water.

All six jars "pinged" loudly and all six lids are depressed and pressing on them causes no movement. This makes me feel good being as I was concerned about canning such a fatty meat. I did, in preparation carve off all the fat strips that I could...it took a while, but got it done...my mistake was getting the guy in the meat department at the grocery store to slice the loins for me...I should have kept them whole and then simply filleted the main strip of fat off, rather than carve it off of each "chop"...live and learn. <sigh>

Anyhow, any feedback on any of this is welcomed being as I'm still learning.

Now, for comparison... Note the photo up above of the freshly removed, still boiling jars of pork loin. Notice the new image below from about 36 hours later. That's a pretty good drop in liquid. When it was canning I could hear the boiling going on inside the canner. I kept turning setting for the burner down until I was well below the medium setting...the rattler kept rattling. I finally stopped fearing I might turn it down too low and stop it from pressurizing. Would too vigorous of a boil cause excess boiling over of the liquid or is that just a symptom of too much liquid to start with or excess air still entrapped within the solids? Any comments? Thanks!

ETA: The jar that caused me to wonder about the "sizzle" sound sealed up fine, just like the rest of the jars did...

 

[wyoDreamer]

Those look good, very similar to how my canned chicken looked after cooling off. As long as the jars are sealed, everything is good. I had some chicken meat extend above the broth level - I tried to use those up first just incase, but it doesn't seem to make any difference in the eating.

From my experience, some of the liquid from inside the jars may escape during the canning process, at least mine did. I was very careful to stay at or slightly below the recommended liquid level. I was concerned about the broth escaping and getting grease under the lid/rim and preventing a good seal, but all my jars sealed and the contents were still good 6 months later (when the last jar got used up). I have never been able to keep the stuff around longer than 6 months, it is so good I have a hard time not using it all up in the first week! lol

And it seems normal for the level to go down as stuff cools, even some water bath canned stuff does this.

Did you season the pork at all before canning it? I have a dry Barbeque mix that I like on my grilled chicken, that I may try on pork or chicken when I can it. If I can it pre-seasoned that will make it much more likely that DH will be able to help with supper occasionally. Just dump and heat meals are his favorites.

My sister cans venison and her jars are less than 1/2 full of liquid/juice when she is done. I don't know if she adds any liquid to her jars at all ... I guess I never asked how she does it. What I do know is that it is out-of this world good.

 

[iawoodchip]

I would think that as the jar cool, it creates a vacuum, and some liquid gets sucked into the less dense meat.

 

[Beekissed]

Yes, to all of that, and I wouldn't worry much about the oil under the seal....happens to me all the time when canning meat and they seal just fine. They say that it's a result of not letting the canner cool down by degrees, turning the flame lower and lower and then finally off, but sometimes that's just not possible so I ignore all of that and just turn the fire off when the timer rings.

Pull up on your seals with the edge of your thumb and see if they hold...if they do, you are golden. If they don't, they wouldn't have held for long anyway.

As for the deer meat, it is often raw packed without adding juice, as it's pretty bloody meat and will make its own juice. That's why it's good to pack those jars as tightly and full as you can if you don't want too much meat over the top of the juice. I've taken to grinding it first and then canning it raw packed....my goodness what juicy and flavorful meat that makes and not much sticking out of the juice at all, as it's easier to pack in tightly when ground.

 

[Talithahorse]

Question on canning meat. I have canned many a vegetable and jam but for some reason canning meat makes me very very nervous. I have a pressure canner and would love to be brave enough to can the bone broth that I make after processing chickens. As of right now I put it in my jars and then freeze it. Anyone else overcome the fear of canned meat? Suggestions (or great stories about having done it for years and never gotten sick might help). Also suggestions for making sure that they are safe. I am like the cowardly lion and need courage...

 

[Beekissed]

Question on canning meat. I have canned many a vegetable and jam but for some reason canning meat makes me very very nervous. I have a pressure canner and would love to be brave enough to can the bone broth that I make after processing chickens. As of right now I put it in my jars and then freeze it. Anyone else overcome the fear of canned meat? Suggestions (or great stories about having done it for years and never gotten sick might help). Also suggestions for making sure that they are safe. I am like the cowardly lion and need courage...

How about three generations of canning meat without anyone getting sick? Would that help?

And not just a few jars a year, either, but whole shelves of chicken, deer, cow, etc. I was raised on home canned meat, mostly deer...my family are bowhunters and in WV a person can take several deer a season as a bowhunter..and they did. It wasn't uncommon for us to be canning up 9-11 deer a season. I lived off grid growing up, so no freezers and such. All meat had to be canned, along with everything else in the garden, as was foraged fruit.

My grandma did the same, except she canned chicken, beef and pig. They weren't big on hunting, but she had a farm, so all the meat resided in jars in the cellar, along with canned jars of lard too.

Making sure it's safe is as easy as following the directions for processing time, keeping good hygiene with your processing, and then just using good common sense and trusting the method. Store your jars in a cool and dark place where temps don't fluctuate much. Test your lids by pulling on them a bit after they have sealed and cooled down...if they come off with your hand pressure, they didn't seal and will have to be processed again. If they have been sitting on the shelf and the lid comes off too easily, give that jar to the dogs. Smell and look closely at every jar you open, even if the seal was good...always trust your eyes and nose...give it a tiny taste. Does it taste "off" to you? If it does, toss it. In canning, the motto is "When in doubt, throw it out".

I've never had to throw out a jar of meat in all my days, nor can I remember my mother having to do so. Veggies, yes. Meat, no. Rest easy and don't listen to the fear mongers...home canned meat is as much a part of America's history as apple pie.

Here's a great FB group you may like...these folks will can anything. They are truly addicted to canning: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1657095577911241/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED