Canning Taco Meat

This weekend I bought some ground chuck on sale and came home and canned up a batch of taco meat... which can be used for tacos, of course, or chili, fajitas, taco salad, even hot dog chili. Here's how I did it...

First I washed my pint jars (a pint jar will hold about one pound of meat, so that works nicely for the two of us, my DH and me!)... then I put the jars in a pan of water to sterilize and the lids (rings and flats) in a saucepan to simmer, heat, and sterilize.

I add water to a baking pan set across two stove eyes... I line the bottom of the pan with a dish towel to keep the glass jars from tipping over and hitting together, reducing any chance of breakage.

Place the jars upside down, bring the water to a boil and let it simmer for at least 10-15 minutes.

I put my lids (bands and flats) in a saucepan and bring them to a simmer 

While the jars and lids are heating, I prepared my ground beef, browning it...

Then adding my spices... for each pound of ground beef add

2 Tbsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried cumin

1 tsp. salt

Mix well...

Now it's time to fill the hot jars with the yummy mixture! It's smelling good enough to eat by now.

Fill the jars, leaving an inch of headspace (I usually stop about where the threading on the jar starts)

Next I wipe the rim of the jar with a damp cloth to remove any and all residue (Tip: dampening the cloth with a little vinegar helps to remove grease)

Next, put the lids on the jars and tighten.

This little magnetic wand gadget for removing lids from the hot water is a wonderful invention, saves fingers! I love it!

When all the jars are filled it's time to process them. I got out my trusty pressure canner and added hot water (about three inches, check your canner's instruction booklet), then I put my jars of taco meat in, taking care not to jostle or clink them together. 

I processed the pint jars, (again use the directions in your brand of pressure canner's instruction booklet), at 10 pounds of pressure for 70 minutes (this is for 1,000 feet above sea level and below). Quarts would be processed for 90 minutes.

Bring to 10 pounds of pressure

70 minutes is one hour 10 minutes

After processing, I allowed the pressure to drop to ZERO on my canner (don't force it down by cooling it, let it cool on its own or you could cause the glass jars inside to break), then removed the canner lid carefully, it was still very hot and steam is released when the lid is removed.

I removed the jars with a jar lifter and placed them on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool... 

Jar lifters are a great invention too!

Then I sit back and listen for the "ping" of successfully sealed jars (it's a beautiful sound!) and pat myself on the back for a job well done.

I leave the jars sitting undisturbed for about 12-24 hours, then recheck the seals... if they're still sealed, I then store them in a cool dark place.

 Finished product... Tacos anyone?

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