How to Can Ground Beef (and other Meats)

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Learn how to pressure can Ground Beef, to make it shelf-stable. This can be used for many other meats, as well!

Learn how to pressure can Ground Beef, to make it shelf-stable. This can be used for many other meats, as well! Includes canning video.

Canning ground beef (or other meats) is a great way to make your perishable meats shelf stable. If you have ever had a freezer go out, and lost hundreds of dollars of food (I have!) it really stinks! We’ve also had power outages that lasted for days, after a hurricane came through. You know the hit these things can take to your grocery budget.

Canning as much of your meat as possible can spare you the heartache of seeing costly, healthy foods that should have nourished your family, go to waste.

An added benefit, is that because it is already cooked, it makes for easy short-cut meals on busy days.

What Ground Meats Can I Preserve This Way?

According to the USDA, this technique is good for Beef, Lamb, Sausage, Veal, Venison (to include elk, moose, caribou) as well as Veal, Pork or Bear (which I don’t eat.)

The USDA can’t recommend (or discourage) canning ground poultry this way, as it has never been tested.

Just because it isn’t tested, doesn’t mean it isn’t safe.

I would be perfectly comfortable canning ground poultry in this fashion, and I would use chicken broth for the liquid. But you should make your own informed decisions, of course.

If you are canning sausage, it is advised that you not use a sausage that contains sage. Sage will become bitter when canned.

The ground meats can be canned in water, broth or tomato juice. If you choose to use broth, I highly recommend using Better than Bouillon. I get great results with it. Just mix it with water according to the jar’s directions.

These instructions can be used for ground or chopped meats.

To Can Ground Meats You Will Need:

  • ground/chopped beef (or other meat)
  • large skillet
  • wooden spoon or spatula
  • slotted spoon
  • ladle
  • pint or quart mason jars with lids
  • large pot
  • broth, water or tomato juice
  • salt (optional)
  • canning tools (jar lifter, bubble wand, etc.)
  • pressure canner
  • white vinegar
  • small dish
  • damp cloth

Watch Me Make this Recipe in the Video Below

To begin, you’ll want to wash and prepare all of your canning equipment. Jars should be inspected for chips or cracks, and everything washed and clean.

Pint jars will hold about 1 pound and quart jars about 2 pounds of meat. So the number of jars you will need, will be determined by how much meat you plan to process.

Prepare your pressure canner with the 2-3 inches of water (refer to your canner’s user manual.) Turn your stove burner on low, so that it is beginning to get warm.

You will want your jars to be warmed as well. I place all of my jars on a baking sheet in my oven, with the oven on the “keep warm” setting.

Cook the ground beef in a large skillet, breaking it up with a utensil. Cook it until it is browned, but not cooked all the way through. It’s okay for there to be pink bits here and there.

Constance cooking ground beef in a cast iron skillet

You simply want to cook this enough so that there aren’t raw bits that adhere to one another, creating large clumps. Large clumps can prevent the liquid from getting all through the jar, and that will hinder heat conductivity.

ground beef cooking in a large cast iron skillet

Meanwhile, place your canning liquid (water, broth or tomato juice) in a large pot. Bring it to a boil, and reduce the heat to a simmer. You will needĀ approximatelyĀ 1 cup of liquid per pint of ground beef, or 2 cups per quart. Have a little extra prepared in case you need more.

When the beef is browned, spoon the beef into your canning jars using a slotted spoon to leave the grease behind. If you wish, you could also strain the meat using a colander. Some people even rinse the meat with hot water to get as much fat off as possible. You can do this is you want, but I find it to be an unnecessary step.

Fill the jars to 1 inch of headspace.

You can add salt if you like, up to 1 teaspoon for a pint, 2 teaspoons for a quart.

Add enough of the canning liquid to cover the meat.

Use a bubble wand to remove any trapped air bubbles. Add additional liquid if needed to restore the 1 inch of head space.

Dip a damp cloth into white vinegar, and clean the rim of your jars very well. This is especially important when canning meats, because the grease from the meat can hinder the jars from sealing.

Position a lid and ring on your jar, and tighten finger-tight. Place it in your pressure canner. Repeat the process with all the meat.

When your meat is all jarred up, close and seal your pressure canner. Bring the heat up until you have a steady stream of steam coming from the vent pipe. Allow the steam to vent for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, place your weight or regulator on the pipe and bring your canner up to the appropriate pressure. Process your jars for the time required. See below.

Processing Time & Pressure

Pints are processed for 75 minutes

Quarts are processed for 90 minutes

Depending upon what kind of pressure canner you use, and where you live, these are the pressures (PSI) at which you will do your processing.

Elevation in FeetDial Gauge Canner
(Like a Presto)
Weighted Gauge Canner
(Like an All American)
0-1,00010 lb pressure10 lb pressure
1,001-2,00011 lb15 lb
2,001-4,00012 lb15 lb
4,001-6,00013 lb15 lb
6,001-8,00014 lb15 lb
8,001-10,00015 lb15 lb

Don’t know your elevation? Here’s a website that will tell you based upon your address: See It Here.

After your canner has done processing, turn off the heat and allow the pressure to come back down to zero naturally. Do not manually vent the pressure.

Once the pressure is down to zero, wait another minute, then remove the weight/regulator. Wait another minute.

Carefully remove the lid from the canner, and allow the jars to sit there another minute.

opening the pressure canner

Use your jar lifter to transfer the jars to a lined surface in a draft-free location. Let the jars cool 12-24 hours or until they are completely cool. I usually let them go until the next day.

jars of canned ground beef cooling on a counter

Remove the rings, test the lids to make sure they are sealed. If you have a jar that didn’t seal, stick it in your fridge to use right away.

Wash your jars with warm, soapy water.

By the way, don’t I have the cutest kitchen helper?

Label the jars, and put them in your pantry for future meals.

The ground meats can be used for spaghetti, chili, tacos…the options are endless!

Learn how to pressure can Ground Beef, to make it shelf-stable. This can be used for many other meats, as well! Includes canning video.

Canning Ground Beef and Other Meats

Constance Smith – Cosmopolitan Cornbread
Learn how to pressure can Ground Beef, to make it shelf-stable. This can be used for many other meats, as well! Quantities can vary depending upon how much meat you are planning to process. Pint jars generally hold about 1 lb of meat, and quart jars, 2 lbs. On average, you will need about 1 cup of canning liquid per pint or 2 cups per quart, but always have a little extra handy in case you need it.
Be the First to Rate This!
Cook Time 2 hours
Course EntrĆ©es – Main Dishes, Food Preservation & Canning
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • ground beef, Lamb, Sausage, Veal, Venison, Veal, Pork or Bear (See Note in post about Poultry)
  • beef bouillon , I use Better than Bouillon. You can also use water or tomato juice instead (see note)
  • water, for mixing with bouillon
  • salt, optional

Instructions
 

  • To begin, youā€™ll want to wash and prepare all of your canning equipment. Jars should be inspected for chips or cracks, and everything washed and clean.
  • Prepare your pressure canner with the 2-3 inches of water (refer to your cannerā€™s user manual.) Turn your stove burner on low, so that it is beginning to get warm.
  • Cook the ground beef in a large skillet, breaking it up with a utensil. Cook it until it is browned, but not cooked all the way through. Itā€™s okay for there to be pink bits here and there. (See recipe post.)
  • Meanwhile, place your canning liquid (water, broth or tomato juice) in a large pot. Bring it to a boil, and reduce the heat to a simmer.
  • When the beef is browned, spoon the beef into your canning jars using a slotted spoon to leave the grease behind. If you wish, you could also strain the meat using a colander.
    Fill the jars toĀ 1 inch of headspace.
  • You can addĀ saltĀ if you like, up to 1 teaspoon for a pint, 2 teaspoons for a quart.
  • Add enough of the canning liquid to cover the meat.
  • Use a bubble wand to remove any trapped air bubbles. Add additional liquid if needed to restore the 1 inch of head space.
  • Dip a damp cloth into white vinegar, and clean the rim of your jars very well. This is especially important when canning meats, because the grease from the meat can hinder the jars from sealing.
  • Position a lid and ring on your jar, and tighten finger-tight. Place it in your pressure canner. Repeat the process with all the meat.
  • When your meat is all jarred up, close and seal your pressure canner. Bring the heat up until you have a steady stream of steam coming from the vent pipe. Allow the steam to vent for 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes, place your weight or regulator on the pipe and bring your canner up to the appropriate pressure. Process your jars for the time required. Pints: 75 minutes, Quarts: 90 minutes. Pressure is 10 lbs. See the chart in the post for adjustments if you live over 1,000 feet elevation.
  • After your canner has done processing, turn off the heat and allow the pressure to come back down to zero naturally. Do not manually vent the pressure.
  • Once the pressure is down to zero, wait another minute, then remove the weight/regulator. Wait another minute.
  • Carefully remove the lid from the canner, and allow the jars to sit there another minute.
  • Use your jar lifter to transfer the jars to a lined surface in a draft-free location. Let the jars cool 12-24 hours or until they are completely cool. I usually let them go until the next day.
  • Remove the rings, test the lids to make sure they are sealed. If you have a jar that didnā€™t seal, stick it in your fridge to use right away.
  • Wash your jars with warm, soapy water. Label the jars, and put them in your pantry for future meals.

Equipment Used

Video

Notes

You will need approximately 1 cup of liquid per pint of ground beef, or 2 cups per quart. Have a little extra prepared in case you need more.

If nutritional values are provided for this recipe, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands of ingredients you use. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste or for serving. If nutritional values are very important to you, I suggest using your favorite nutritional calculating tool with the brands you use.

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This recipe was adapted from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

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