Canning sausage patties

I processed 17 pints of sausage patties. I browned them and then put 4 Tbsp. of water and fat from the pan (as you suggested in an article I read) into each jar, which contains 4 patties. However, I did not fill the jars up with any additional water or other liquid. I thought that fat would render out from the patty and it would be sufficient. I processed the jars in my pressure canner at 11 lbs. pressure for 75 minutes. Everything sealed perfectly, but only the bottom patty is covered with liquid the other 3 are not. My question is are the patties good or should I throw them out?

Angela
Vero Beach, Florida

Your patties are still good. Most people cover the patties with broth to keep them soft, but I prefer them without it. When they are heated, you can add a little water while heating, if you wish, then let them fry down, evaporating the water. — Jackie

Shelf life of canned meats

I’ve been successfully canning meat for years but with money being tight, want to determine the best financial avenue for storing meat. Cans of meat from grocery stores have a 3-4 year shelf-life. What is the approximate shelf-life for properly pressure canned meats kept in a dry, 70 degree storage?

Ruth Knutson
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Who says store meat only has a 3-4 year shelf life? I’ve kept it for a dozen years or more and it does nearly as well as home canned foods. Home canned meats will remain good for as long as the lids are solid; the most common cause for them going bad is rusted out lids (often caused by damp basements or leaving the rings on during storage).

In my opinion the “freshness dates” stamped on store cans are a marketing ploy meant to make people fearful and throw away perfectly good food and go buy more. It is true that foods stored for a lengthy time may lose a little of their nutrition, but they are still good tasting and definitely good to eat provided that the container is solid and store cans are not dented or bulging on the ends. — Jackie

Flavor of canned meats

It seams that all my canned meat — beef, pork, lamb, etc. tastes the same. Can you give me suggestions to help improve the flavors of the various meats or is there a different way to process the different types of meat?

Teresa
Grover, Colorado

You process most meats the same, but you can certainly vary the flavor by using different flavorings and spices. For instance, we like our venison canned with a little powdered beef stock added to each jar. I add black pepper and onion powder to my pork, and beef gets nothing but salt or a combination of seasonings such as onion, garlic, black pepper, basil, etc. Flavorings do not alter the time or pressure necessary for safe canning but can dramatically alter the flavor of the canned meat. Be a little stingy on using the spices at first as some really get strong during storage.

Once you open a jar of your meat, get creative in using it. I don’t just dump my meat out into a saucepan and heat it up. I make such things as sweet and sour chicken, orange beef, tamale pie with Mexican seasonings in the ground meat, casseroles, stews, soups, and much more. (Check out my new book, Jackie Clay’s Pantry Cookbook for tons of recipes for using your home-canned meats and hundreds of other yummy things from your pantry shelves and home garden.) — Jackie

4 COMMENTS

  1. I am fairly new to canning and reading everything I can find on canning. I recently came across an awesome meat sale at a local grocery store. So I bought several beef roasts and pork tenderloins and thick cut chops. I decided to can them. I cut all the meat into 1 x 1 cubes. On the beef I sprinkled them with Montreal steak seasoning and massaged the spice into the meat. I followed the raw pack guidelines for my pressure canner, but I added a smashed garlic clove to each jar. I did the same process with the pork, except I used salt and dill spices, then added the garlic. It was an experiment. Oh, my but did my finicky family like this. Yummmm. I definitely will make this again.

  2. One thing that I have tried with meat is to brown it before I can it and it gives the meat a wonderful flavor. I do not use flour with it, just sear in hot pan till nice and brown – I don’t think that you will be disappointed. It does take some time, but the results are so well worth it. Then processs for the time designated for your meat and jar size.

    Another thing I do is to add some onion with the meat, along with salt and pepper adds flavor also.

  3. We can a lotta meat. Whenever there’s a sale on beef, pork, or chicken, we buy quite a bit of it and can it up. It’s useful as a basis for many yummy things, and goes along with the “meals in a jar” post.

    Another neat thing to do with canned meats is to use them along with the various “hamburger helper” products that come in bags or boxes at quite resonable prices if you watch for sales. Many of these are pasta dishes and work quite nicely with the proper canned meat. For instance, a pint of canned chicken combines nicely with a “Chicken Parmesan” or “Chicken Fettuccini” bag mix, and a pint of canned beef makes a good dish mixed into a “Beef Stroganoff” box mix . . . partnered with some home-canned green beans and some homemade wheat bread.

    Heck, I’m no cook, and even I can whomp up a good supper with these “fixin’s”. Canned stuff . . . it’s what’s for dinner!

    ;-)

  4. Thank you for the advice in my canned meat dilemma I will eagerly head your advice, we greatly appreciate the wisdom you share with all of us.
    Have a great day.
    Teresa

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