Part 2

Directions for canning cut-up meat by hot-pack and raw-pack methods begin on page 18.

How To Can CHICKEN—hot pack

Directions for canning poultry by hot-pack and raw-pack methods begin on page 21.

Directions for Meat

Directions for canning cut-up meat may be used for beef, veal, pork, lamb, and mutton. Meat from large-game animals may be canned by the same directions.

Use tender meat—loin and cuts suitable for roasts, steaks, and chops—for canning as large pieces. Use less tender cuts that contain more connective tissue and small pieces for canning as stew meat or ground meat. Use bony pieces for soup.

Cut-Up Meat

Follow directions for cutting up meat (p. 14).

Cut tender meat into jar- or can-length strips. Strips should slide into jars or cans easily, with the grain of the meat running the length of the container. Strips may be any convenient thickness, from 1 or 2 inches to jar or can width.

Cut less tender meat into chunks or small pieces suitable for stew meat.

Small, tender pieces may be packed by themselves, with meat strips, or with stew meat.

Hot pack

Put meat in large shallow pan; add just enough water to keep from sticking. Cover pan. Precook meat slowly until medium done. Stir occasionally, so meat heats evenly.

_Glass jars._—Pack hot meat loosely. Leave 1 inch of space at top of jars. Add salt if desired: ½ teaspoon to pints or 1 teaspoon to quarts.

Cover meat with boiling meat juice, adding boiling water if needed. Leave 1 inch of space at top of jars. Adjust lids. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

Pint jars 75 minutes Quart jars 90 minutes

_Tin cans._—Pack hot meat loosely. Leave ½ inch of space above meat. Add salt if desired: ½ teaspoon to No. 2 cans or ¾ teaspoon to No. 2½ cans. Fill cans to top with boiling meat juice, adding boiling water if needed. Seal. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

No. 2 cans 65 minutes No. 2½ cans 90 minutes

Raw pack

Cut up meat (p. 14). Pack containers loosely with raw, lean meat.

_Glass jars._—Leave 1 inch of space above meat. To exhaust air, cook raw meat in jars at slow boil to 170° F., or until medium done (about 75 minutes). (See p. 9.) Add salt if desired: ½ teaspoon per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart. Adjust lids. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

Pint jars 75 minutes Quart jars 90 minutes

_Tin cans._—Pack tin cans to top. To exhaust air, cook raw meat in cans at slow boil to 170° F., or until medium done (about 50 minutes). (See p. 9.) Press meat down ½ inch below rim, and add boiling water to fill to top, if needed. Add salt if desired: ½ teaspoon to No. 2 cans or ¾ teaspoon to No. 2½ cans. Seal cans. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

No. 2 cans 65 minutes No. 2½ cans 90 minutes

Ground Meat

For grinding, start with fresh, clean, cold meat. Use small pieces of meat from less tender cuts.

Never mix leftover scraps with fresh meat. Don’t use lumps of fat.

If desired, add 1 level teaspoon of salt per pound of ground meat. Mix well.

Hot pack

Shape ground meat into fairly thin patties that can be packed into jars or cans without breaking.

Precook patties in slow oven (325° F.) until medium done. (When cut at center, patties show almost no red color.) Skim fat off drippings; do not use fat in canning.

_Glass jars._—Pack patties, leaving 1 inch of space above meat. Cover with boiling meat juice to 1 inch of top of jars. Adjust jar lids. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

Pint jars 75 minutes Quart jars 90 minutes

_Tin cans._—Pack patties to ½ inch of top of cans. Cover with boiling meat juice to fill cans to top; seal.

Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

No. 2 cans 65 minutes No. 2½ cans 90 minutes

Raw pack

Raw pack is suitable for tin cans. Ground meat canned in bulk is difficult to get out of jars.

_Tin cans._—Pack raw ground meat solidly to the top of the can. To exhaust air, cook meat at slow boil to 170° F., or until medium done (about 75 minutes). (See p. 9.) Press meat down into cans ½ inch below rim. Seal. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

No. 2 cans 100 minutes No. 2½ cans 135 minutes

Sausage

Hot pack

Use any tested sausage recipe.

Use seasonings sparingly because sausage changes flavor in canning and storage. Measure spices, onion, and garlic carefully. Omit sage—it makes canned sausage bitter.

Shape sausage meat into patties. Precook, pack, and process as directed for hot-packed ground meat.

Corned Beef

Hot pack

Use any tested recipe to make corned beef.

Wash corned beef. Drain. Cut in pieces or strips that fit in containers.

Cover meat with cold water and bring to a boil. If broth is very salty, drain meat; boil again in fresh water. Pack while hot.

_Glass jars._—Leave 1 inch of space above meat. Cover meat with boiling broth or boiling water. Leave 1 inch of space at top of jars. Adjust lids. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

Pint jars 75 minutes Quart jars 90 minutes

_Tin cans._—Leave ½ inch of space above meat. Fill cans to top with boiling broth or boiling water. Seal. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

No. 2 cans 65 minutes No. 2½ cans 90 minutes

Meat-Vegetable Stew

Raw pack

Beef, lamb, or veal, cut in 1½-inch cubes. 2 quarts Potatoes, pared or scraped, cut in ½-inch 2 quarts cubes Carrots, pared or scraped, cut in ½-inch 2 quarts cubes Celery, ¼-inch pieces 3 cups Onions, small whole, peeled 7 cups

Combine ingredients. Yield is 7 quarts or 16 pints.

_Glass jars._—Fill jars to top with raw meat-vegetable mixture. Add salt if desired: ½ teaspoon per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart. Adjust lids. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

Pint jars 60 minutes Quart jars 75 minutes

_Tin cans._—Fill cans to top with raw meat-vegetable mixture. Do not add liquid. Add salt if desired: ½ teaspoon to No. 2 cans or 1 teaspoon to No. 2½ cans. To exhaust air, cook stew at slow boil to 170° F., or until medium done (about 50 minutes). (See p. 9.) Seal cans. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

No. 2 cans 40 minutes No. 2½ cans 45 minutes

Heart and Tongue

Hot pack

Heart and tongue usually are served as fresh meat. To can, prepare as described below; then follow hot pack directions (p. 18).

_Heart._—Remove thick connective tissue before cutting into pieces.

_Tongue._—Drop tongue into boiling water and simmer about 45 minutes, or until skin can be removed. Then cut into pieces.

Soup Stock

Hot pack

For canning, make meat stock fairly concentrated. Cover bony pieces of meat (or chicken) with lightly salted water. Simmer until tender.

Skim off fat. Remove all bones. Leave meat and sediment in stock.

_Glass jars._—Pour boiling soup stock into jars, leaving 1 inch of space at top. Adjust lids. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

Pint jars 20 minutes Quart jars 25 minutes

_Tin cans._—Fill cans to top with boiling soup stock. Seal. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

No. 2 cans 20 minutes No. 2½ cans 25 minutes

Directions for Poultry

Directions for poultry may be used to can chicken, duck, goose, guinea, squab, and turkey. These directions also apply to game birds.

Domestic rabbits and small-game animals should be canned like poultry.

Poultry, rabbits, and small-game animals may be canned with or without bone.

To make soup stock from poultry for canning, follow directions for meat.

Cut-Up Poultry

Follow directions for cutting up poultry (p. 16). Sort into meaty and bony pieces. Use bony pieces for broth (p. 8) or soup (p. 20). Set aside giblets to can separately.

Hot pack, with bone

Bone breast. Saw drumsticks off short. Leave bone in other meaty pieces. Trim off large lumps of fat.

Place raw meaty pieces in pan and cover with hot broth or water. Put on lid. Heat, stirring occasionally until medium done. To test, cut piece at center; if pink color is almost gone, meat is medium done.

Pack poultry loosely. Place thighs and drumsticks with skin next to glass or tin. Fit breasts into center and small pieces where needed.

_Glass jars._—Pack jars, leaving 1 inch of space above poultry. Add salt if desired: ½ teaspoon per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart. Cover poultry with boiling broth, leaving 1 inch of space at top of jar. Adjust jar lids. Process in pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

Pint jars 65 minutes Quart jars 75 minutes

_Tin cans._—Pack cans, leaving ½ inch of space above poultry. Add salt if desired: ½ teaspoon to No. 2 cans or ¾ teaspoon to No. 2½ cans. Fill cans to top with boiling broth. Seal. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

No. 2 cans 55 minutes No. 2½ cans 75 minutes

Hot pack, without bone

Cut up poultry (p. 16). Remove bone—but not skin—from meaty pieces either before or after precooking.

_Glass jars._—Pack jars loosely with hot poultry, leaving 1 inch of space above poultry at top of jars. Add salt if desired: ½ teaspoon per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart. Pour in boiling broth; leave 1 inch of space at top of jar. Adjust jar lids. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

Pint jars 75 minutes Quart jars 90 minutes

_Tin cans._—Pack loosely, leaving ½ inch above poultry. Add salt if desired: ½ teaspoon to No. 2 cans or ¾ teaspoon to No. 2½ cans. Fill cans to top with boiling broth. Seal. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

No. 2 cans 65 minutes No. 2½ cans 90 minutes

Raw pack, with bone

Cut up poultry (see p. 16).

Bone breast. Saw drumsticks off short. Leave bone in other meaty pieces. Trim off large lumps of fat.

Pack raw poultry loosely. Place thighs and drumsticks with skin next to glass or tin. Fit breasts into center and small pieces where needed.

_Glass jars (air exhausted)._—Pack jars to 1 inch of top. To exhaust air, cook raw poultry in jars at slow boil to 170° F., or until medium done (about 75 minutes). (See p. 9.) Add salt if desired: ½ teaspoon per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart. Adjust lids. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

Pint jars 65 minutes Quart jars 75 minutes

_Glass jars (air not exhausted)._—Fill jars loosely with raw pieces of poultry to 1 inch of top. Do not exhaust. Add salt if desired: ½ teaspoon per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart. Adjust lids. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

Quart jars 80 minutes

_Tin cans._—Pack cans to top. To exhaust air, cook raw poultry in cans at slow boil to 170° F., or until medium done (about 50 minutes). (See p. 9.) Add salt if desired: ½ teaspoon to No. 2 cans or ¾ teaspoon to No. 2½ cans. Seal cans. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

No. 2 cans 55 minutes No. 2½ cans 75 minutes

Raw pack, without bone

Cut up poultry (p. 16). Remove bone—but not skin—from meaty pieces before packing containers.

_Glass jars._—Pack raw poultry in jars to 1 inch of top. To exhaust air, cook poultry in jars at slow boil to 170° F., or until medium done (about 75 minutes). (See p. 9.) Add salt if desired: ½ teaspoon per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart. Adjust lids. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

Pint jars 75 minutes Quart jars 90 minutes

_Tin cans._—Pack raw poultry to top of cans. To exhaust air, cook poultry in cans at slow boil to 170° F., or until medium done (about 50 minutes). (See p. 9.) Add salt if desired: ½ teaspoon to No. 2 cans or ¾ teaspoon to No. 2½ cans. Seal cans. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

No. 2 cans 65 minutes No. 2½ cans 90 minutes

Giblets

Use pint jars or No. 2 cans.

Wash and drain giblets.

Pack gizzards and hearts together. Precook and pack livers separately to avoid blending of flavors.

Hot pack

Put giblets in pan; cover with hot broth or hot water. Cover pan and precook giblets until medium done. Stir occasionally. Pack hot.

_Glass jars._—Leave 1 inch of space above giblets. Add boiling broth or boiling water, leaving 1 inch of space below jar tops. Adjust lids. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F)—

Pint jars 75 minutes

_Tin cans._—Leave one-half inch of space above giblets. Fill cans to top with boiling broth or boiling water. Seal. Process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240° F.)—

No. 2 cans 65 minutes

Questions and Answers

Q. Why must a pressure canner be used for canning meat and poultry?

A. To insure a safe product. It takes a combination of high temperature and sufficient processing time to make sure of killing bacteria that cause dangerous spoilage in canned meat and poultry. The only practical way to get the necessary high temperature is to use a pressure canner.

Q. How should meat and poultry for canning be handled?

A. Keep meat and poultry clean and sanitary. Chill at once and keep cold until canning time. (See p. 4.)

Q. Why is liquid sometimes lost from glass jars during processing?

A. Loss of liquid may be due to packing jars too full, fluctuating pressure in a pressure canner, or lowering pressure too suddenly.

Q. Should liquid lost during processing be replaced?

A. Loss of liquid does not cause meat to spoil, although the meat above the liquid may darken. Never open a jar and refill with liquid—this would let in bacteria and meat would have to be processed again.

Q. Is it safe to can meat and poultry without salt?

A. Yes. Salt is used for flavor only and is not necessary for safe processing.

Q. Is it safe to leave food in tin cans after opening?

A. Yes. Food in tin cans needs only to be covered and refrigerated.

Q. Is it all right to use preservatives in home canning?

A. No. Some canning powders or other chemical preservatives may be harmful.

Q. Should processing times be changed for different types of ranges?

A. No. Processing times and temperatures given in this bulletin are for canning in a pressure canner and may be used for any type of range.

Q. Is it possible to can frozen meat or poultry?

A. Yes, frozen meat or poultry may be canned. (For directions, see p. 4.)

Index

A Page Altitude, high, canning at 5

B Beef 18 Beef-vegetable stew 20 Botulism 4, 13 Broth 8

C Canning methods 8 Chilling meat 4 Corned beef 19

D Discoloration 13

E Equipment 4

F Fat 9 Frozen meat, canning 4

G Gage 5 Giblets 22 Glass Jars: Cooling 12 Closures 6, 10 Exhausting 9 Packing 9 Processing 11 Use 6

H Heart 20

L Labeling 12 Lamb 18 Lamb-vegetable stew 20 Large game 18 Liquid: Loss 9, 23 Use 9

M Meat, cut-up: Hot pack 18 Raw pack 18 Meat, ground: Hot pack 19 Raw pack 19 Meat-vegetable stew 20 Mutton 18

P Packing: Hot pack 9 Raw pack 9 Pork 18 Poultry, cut-up: Hot pack, with bone 21 Hot pack, without bone 21 Raw pack, with bone 22 Raw pack, without bone 22 Pressure canner: Care 5 Use 5, 11 Pressure saucepan 5

R Rabbit 21 Rubber rings 7

S Salt 9, 23 Sausage 19 Sealer, tin-can 7, 10 Seals, testing 7 Small game 21 Soup stock 20 Spoilage 4, 5, 13 Stew 20 Storing 13