canning meat question

[huckelberry]

i have an ongoing argument with the little lady,she says all meat must be completely cooked before canning,i say pack raw meat into jars and pressure can it.....any advice....of course im right...just need to show her someone else thinks so too,thanks ;)

[OzarkMtnDaredevil]

Well, Huck. Either you haven't been married very long or you don't want to be married much longer. :D
The best piece of advice that I got (from a guy) on my wedding day was to always reply "Yes, Dear." regardless of the question or command unless it could get a man in trouble like the infamous "Does this dress make me look fat?" question. Be very careful not to train yourself too well. ;D
To answer your question honestly, though - No. Most meats don't have to be cooked prior to canning. However, in her defense, it is preferable to do so. For example, meats with high fat content will have less fat and more meat. Ground beef, sausage, etc. Meats canned with a high fat content have the potential to turn rancid more quickly if not stored properly. Fish and wild game have less of this problem due to the low fat content.
Pre-cooking and canning while still hot means you can sample the turkey while canning. Have a loaf of bread and a big jar of mayo handy! :)

Remember... "Yes, Dear."

[CanNerd]

I would just buy the Ball Blue Book of Preserving, which is the canner's bible and do what it says on the printed page.

Or you can get a quicker answer by going to the following link on the National Center for Home Food Preservation website:

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_05/strips_cubes_chunks.html

[Mom5farmboys]

I have been canning raw meat for years. I routinely can venison, beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and occasionally fish. Personally I think its a waste of my time to cook the meat first, after all you are processing it for 90 min, its always so tender and I like the juice that comes out of the meat in the jar--makes the tastiest gravy!!

[NCLee]

Hey, I'm in the middle. :)

I use hot pack for meats. Using venison, as the example, for stew. Cut into pieces, wash well through several changes of water, until the water runs clear.

Put in a pot, fill with cold water and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam and scum. Then ladle meat and the liquid into quart jars for processing.

Lee

[rockymtngirl]

I usually brown the meat lightly first then remove meat and add water to the pan to make a broth. then fill jars with meat and hot broth for processing.

[bookwormom]

I remember my mother roasting the meat first, that was not because of the keeping but for reasons of taste.