Brats were on sale this week at the grocery store... I bought a few packages. I vacuum sealed some of them and put them in the freezer. But my freezer is not so big... and it's filled to overflowing with important things, like ice cream! So I decided to can a few of these Mega-Brats... here's how I did it...
First I browned the sausages a little in the oven... cooked them at 400 degrees for maybe 10-15 minutes, just to brown them and keep them from sticking together when I canned them, the canning process would cook them through, I just wanted a good brown on them.
I heated my wide mouth quart jars
by washing them in the dishwasher and leaving them hot until I was ready to use them (my dishwasher gets HOT!) And I simmered my lids and rings in hot water until time to seal the jars.
by washing them in the dishwasher and leaving them hot until I was ready to use them (my dishwasher gets HOT!) And I simmered my lids and rings in hot water until time to seal the jars.
Using tongs
, I began loading up the jars with the brats... these brats were extra-long so had to squish and maneuver them a little to fit them in the jars, but I did it! I got five brats in each jar.
, I began loading up the jars with the brats... these brats were extra-long so had to squish and maneuver them a little to fit them in the jars, but I did it! I got five brats in each jar.
I wiped the jar rims with a damp cloth... with meats and the greasiness they possess, it's a good idea to dampen the cloth with a little vinegar
, it helps cut the grease better than water alone.
, it helps cut the grease better than water alone.
I removed the lids from the simmering water using my magnetic wand
gadget and sealed the jars with a fingertip tightness (not too tight, not too loose!)
gadget and sealed the jars with a fingertip tightness (not too tight, not too loose!)
Using my pressure canner
's recommended directions for pressure canning meats (each canner is different, read and follow ALL safety and canning instructions carefully)... I pressure canned my brats at 10 pounds of pressure for 90 minutes.
's recommended directions for pressure canning meats (each canner is different, read and follow ALL safety and canning instructions carefully)... I pressure canned my brats at 10 pounds of pressure for 90 minutes.
After the processing, I removed the canner
from the heat and let the pressure drop to ZERO without any outside influences... just let it sit and do its thing.
from the heat and let the pressure drop to ZERO without any outside influences... just let it sit and do its thing.Then I opened the canner CAREFULLY... it's still hot, Hot, HOT!!! and removed the jars one at a time using my jar lifter... setting them on a folded towel on the counter to cool.
And to wait for the PING! of a successfully sealed jar!
Canning Granny©2011 All Rights Reserved
I'm working on a project to build a small USDA slaughter plant in Gaines County Texas....40 or 50 hogs per week cap. Part of what I'm trying to do involves supplying meat to area food banks and charitable organizations. My idea is to start off by producing smoked shredded pork and can it both in inexpensive cans, ~28 oz size, and fancy pint size jars. I got this idea from the Mennonite Central Committee canning project. I will sell the jars to high end customers to fund the cans which will be donated to needy organizations. I also plan to have a small retail area and sell sandwiches out the front door. I think I want to can the meat dry, no sauce, but I don't have any experience in this area of the business. I still have lots of questions and am looking for anyone to help me understand how to make this work. I also like the canned Brats. Did you add water or is that juice that cooked out of the sausage during canning? Thanks for your time. Matthew Campbell
ReplyDeleteMatthew,
ReplyDeleteSounds like a worthy endeavor you have planned. What a great idea! I wish you the best of luck! I did not add water while canning my brats, they just have the juice that cooked out of the sausage in them.
Granny
Thank you! I just found a deal on Italian Sausage and wanted to can some. Now I have an outline of what to do.
ReplyDeletejust did them great thanks
ReplyDeleteWoo Hoo!!!! Way to go! ~~Granny
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Wish I had seen it yesterday BEFORE I totally cooked my brats in the oven. Like your idea of putting them up without the juice. I'll eventually take mine back out of the freezer and get them canned up but think I'll have to add beef stock so they won't be soooo dry. Thanks for your site. I'm enjoying it very much and have some of onions in the crockpot on to try for tomorrow. Carmelized onions to go on those brats..... yep, you're my kind of lady!!! The canning kind..;)
ReplyDeleteThank you Mariana! We have eaten all our brats... I'm gonna have to get some more canned! Good luck with the onions... and the brats! ~~Granny
DeleteI am new to canning so pardon my ignorance on the matter.
ReplyDeleteI notice that the liquid does not fully cover the meat and wonder how that affects the quality after being stored awhile.
I've heard that with other foods like say fruits...if the liquid doesn't cover it completely it may suffer in some way.
Personally I think I would prefer it with less liquid so it wouldn't become like mush but like I said I am still learning.
The point of canning is to "push" all the air out of the jar to prevent spoilage. It's much easier to "push the air out" if liquid covers the product being canned, less air to push out. With fruits and veggies, the product will darken if not covered with liquid, making it unappealing but not unsafe. The tops of my brats did darken just a bit, but the flavor was not affected, and it is perfectly safe to "dry can" this type of meat.
DeleteThank you for answering.
DeleteWould you say you prefer it taste wise this way and how would adding liquid change the product.
Other than preventing it from darkening, is it mushier or less flavorful with more liquid?
Thanx again for all the info you share...I've been addicted to your blog several days now!
Tastewise, the brats turned out great, the texture was a little different but not mushy, actually a bit better because the "skin" was less chewy. I think if they were covered with liquid, they would be a little more mushy, but would still hold up well, the taste, I'm guessing would be similar to the difference in grilling hot dogs on a grill or boiling them up in water... both good, but I like 'em on the grill better... that's the best way I can compare, hope it helps? ~~Granny
DeleteThanx for that explanation..:)
ReplyDeleteI suppose you could crisp them up again after opening. I've heard that can be done with canned bacon.
Could you cut the brats in half and place in pint jars? I was thinking maybe you could since you are not placing liquid in the jar, just will have the juices from the brats like your whole ones. I am enjoying your blog very much.
ReplyDeleteSure you can cut them in half, no problem... and thank you so much for reading! ~~Granny
DeleteThank you for answering my question. Feeling better I hope. I tried canning tomatoes once when I was a newly wed and I failed at it. You have given me confidence to try again, thank you. I have a question, can you can dairy?
ReplyDeleteI just purchased the presto pressure canner and I think I should have ordered the all american one. What size of pressure canner do you use? I hope you don't mind me asking.
ReplyDeleteGin, first of all, most of the "powers that be" (USDA, FDA, etc.) recommend that you DO NOT can dairy products (I've canned butter, milk, and cheese with good results, but I'm a bit of a rebel). Second, I have an All American canner 15.5 quart, which I LOVE. I've used the Presto canner in the past and it's a good canner as well. As a matter of fact, last year I bought my daughter a Presto canner for her birthday (the All-American is expensive and I couldn't quite afford one for her gift). ~~Granny
DeletePamela several questions how do you do your cheese i have seen some on line in video. But it did not look like it melted well. Kinda like a pizza thats been reheated.
DeleteSecondly what is the shelf life of the brats? Do you have to keep cold after canning?
thank you
Thank you for answering my questions. I just got the presto but really wish I had ordered the AA from Amazon the larger one is only 20.00 more and I could do water bath canning without having to buy another pot to do so. I would have to send my presto back to Amazon. I do not have a daughter, two sons though I do not know if they will can after I'm not around. But hopefully they will marry wives that do. I can hope. Are you feeling better these days?
ReplyDeleteI saw your cream cheese blog and I found it interesting (I love cream cheese). Would you consider blogging the butter and milk and other cheese recipes if you have other cheese recipes for canning? Thank you for your time and efforts.
ReplyDeleteOk... had/have a bit of a problem... my canned bacon didnt seal, i did everthing i saw read etc... my? is, does too high a pressure while canning cause jars not to seal? I canned at 14# for 75 min for sausage/brats and bacon too my one bacon I tried didnt seal and 2 out of 10 didnt seal from brats... any ideas??? Thanks teisha tmae212@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteTeisha, sounds like you did everything right, too high pressure wouldn't cause the problem. The only thing I can think of is maybe there was greasy residue from the bacon or brats on the jar rims? It's a good idea to wipe the jar rims with a cloth dipped in a little vinegar to cut the grease. Or it could be faulty lids, which wouldn't be your fault at all. Hope this helps. ~~Granny
Deletei bought the cooked stadium brats will i still need to brown them or stright into the hot jar and the pressre cooker?
ReplyDeleteThanks
Ted
Ted, you can do it either way, your choice... they'll be great just straight into the jar and pressure cooker. ~~Granny
DeleteThank you for your quick reply and love the site.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Ted
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ReplyDeleteWhat would be the difference between using 10 pounds of pressure for 90 minutes, and 15 pounds of pressure for 50 minutes? Those are the times my guide recommends. I've always wondered if it made any difference, beside the time frame. Love your site...planning on doing tons of canning this year! You have helped me with all the different things you can. Thanks for all your posts and time!I'm familiar with canning, but only did green beans, pizza sauce, tomatoes, and peaches. I'm excited about trying new things! Canning brats at this moment!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what difference it would make... if your guide recommends that time, go for it. Let me know how it turns out. ~~Granny
DeleteCan I pickle bratwurst sausages?
ReplyDeleteI've canned chicken but just preparing to do my first sausage. Did you add salt. I do to the chicken. Also, for ground sausage, do you brown it first like hamburger? Then would you add water for the ground sausage, or do it dry like the raw links? Thanks so much for sharing your expertise.
ReplyDeleteI was considering canning my homemade german style brats. I would normally poach them in beer first before grilling so I was wondering what you thought of poaching them in the beer before putting in the jar and then adding the beer to the jars to enhance the flavor. When I open the jar I would be able to pull them out and brown on a grill I would think. I would really like your opinion on this.
ReplyDeleteYum! I think that's a great idea!!! Make sure the beer is flat before adding to the jars so it doesn't bubble out. ~~Granny
DeleteI wouldn't have thought of canning brats like this. One of our favorite winter stews is this one https://passthesushi.com/slow-cooker-loaded-bratwurst-stew/
ReplyDeleteDo you think it would be safe to adapt for canning? I'm thinking the cabbage could go into the jar as it does in the unstuffed cabbage roll soup recipe, and everything else would get enough of a simmer on the stovetop to start the potatoes cooking. Then, into the canner for the same 90 minutes/quarts pressure setting as all of the other soup recipes that contain meats. Thoughts?
I only started canning about a month ago, and love your recipes - thank you so much for sharing!