HOME-CANNED MEAT

Quality matters when you’re canning meat, just as it does when you’re canning vegetables. You should choose only first-rate meat for home canning. Avoid anything with a pungent smell or that feels slimy.

If you’re processing your own animals, make sure you’re using sanitary slaughtering procedures. Home-processed meat should be chilled at 40 degrees Fahrenheit as soon as possible, and beef should be aged 3 to 10 days. Home-processed pork doesn’t need to be aged.

If the meat cannot be canned within a few days of aging, slaughtering, or being purchased, it will need to be frozen. It can still be canned at a later date; but be sure to allow enough time to thaw it first. Beef and pork should be kept cold until you’re ready to can.

Canned meat will usually have a tender texture, because the pressure canning process tenderizes it. Tough cuts of canned meat, such as brisket, end up being tender without long, slow stovetop cooking.

Before canning, trim off gristle, bruised spots, and visible fat. The finished jars will always contain some fat; you want to avoid an excessive amount. I’ve found that pressure