Having jars of canned ground beef can be very handy on a busy day... or if you forgot to thaw out anything for dinner...
Open a jar, add to spaghetti sauce, season for tacos, add some beans and spices for a quick pot of chili, make a brown gravy, add spices and top with mashed potatoes for Shepherd's pie... the possibilities are endless...
Here's how I canned ground beef in broth...
I canned my ground beef in pint jars... rule of thumb one pint=one pound (more or less)... so pints are a good size for when your recipe starts out with "brown one pound of ground beef..."
I buy ground beef whenever I find it on sale... or it would be great if you raise (or buy) your own beef and don't have the freezer space to store it.
I started out by browning my ground beef...
I then drained the meat...
...and filled the hot, sterilized pint jars loosely, leaving a generous one inch headspace.
Next, I filled the jars with hot beef broth (make your own, buy it from the store, or use beef broth granules and mix with boiling water)... I left a one inch headspace... got rid of any air bubbles by inserting a plastic knife between the inside of the jar and the meat, adjusting headspace as necessary by adding more broth if needed.
After wiping the jar rims with a cloth dampened with a little vinegar to cut any greasiness, I tightened my hot, sterilized lids on to fingertip tightness.
I processed the pint jars in my pressure canner at 10-11 pounds pressure for 75 minutes (quarts would be processed for 90 minutes).
After processing, I let the pressure drop in my canner slowly, on its own... then waited an additional 10 minutes or so (the slow "cool down" helps prevent liquid loss and jar breakage) then removed the jars using my jar lifter...
And set them on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool (away from any drafts) and to listen for the PING! of each successfully sealed jar.
Homemade convenience food... doesn't get any better!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI just started canning a little over a month ago and I jumped straight into pressure canning and hamburger was the first thing I did. Love it!
ReplyDeleteexcellent instructions and picked up the tip on wiping the edge of the jar with clean rag with vinegar to cut the grease and create an excellent seal.
ReplyDeletedo you have to brown the hamburger first?
ReplyDeleteIn this case, yes... otherwise you just end up with a big blob of meat. ~~Granny
DeleteJerri,
Deletehere is an alternative method avoiding the browning first.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrJpNEvaigU&feature=related
Pamela,
Looking forward to your new Great Work of Non-Fiction. Darn sure I want a copy. And thanks for all you teach to the rest of us. I have learned a lot.
Winston
How long does these last? I want to can for long time storage.
ReplyDelete"Officially" a year... but realistically more like 2-5 years... or longer. ~~Granny
DeleteI agree. They usually say one year but if you store in a cool dry (darker) place it will last for years. I can ham, pork, sausage, beef, venison, chicken, etc. I just grab the oldest ones first. Sometimes they might be 2-3 years old or more. I just make sure the seal was still good.
DeleteDoes the meat stay brown? I canned hamburger once, but in the canning process the meat turned from brown to reddish.
ReplyDeleteMine stays brown... ~~Granny
DeleteJust found your blog searching for "Canned BBQ". I just roasted two deer shoulders, pulled it apart & was going to slather it in my own homemade BBQ sauce & then can it. Glad I found someone else who cans it for a REAL convenience food.
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way, they eat yellow/mustard'ie bbq sauce where you live?! How weird (icky) is that?
Looking forward to going through all your previous posts!
Carolyn Renee
When I've canned ground beef in the past I've just added hot water. Love the idea of broth. Will have to try it next go around.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDo you, or anyone else, know if the processing time would be same for canning browned ground venison in broth?
ReplyDeleteYes, venison would be processed for the same time. ~~Granny
ReplyDeleteSo far I havent canned hamburger since Im not really a fan but it sure would be nice to have about 20 or 30 pounds on hand for spaghetti or taco salads. I'll have to keep my eye out for a good ground beef sale.
ReplyDeleteI grew up near Mexico and down there, they put their ground meat in water & spices to cook (simmer) instead of frying it. You can cook it like that from a frozen block, scraping the meat from it as it thaws/cooks or you can do it raw. Either way, its good.
Can you use the water bath method instead of pressure cooking? I don't have a pressure cooker.
ReplyDeleteSorry, meat MUST be pressure canned. ~~Granny
DeleteWhere is the best place to store it?
ReplyDeleteOn a shelf... in a cool dark place if possible. ~~Granny
DeleteI love this idea and I am defiantly going to try this. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWould it be a good idea to rinse the fat from the meat before canning? I have NEVER pressure canned anything, and this canned hamburger will be my FIRST attempt. I do however have the water bath method down, we have salsa and apple butter, looking forward to pear butter next year and pie filling.
ReplyDeleteAny other veterans have some tips for a newbie?
I usually just drain it, but you can rinse too if you like. ~~Granny
DeleteWhat fat content ground beef works best? I usually by 90% lean. The sales however, are usually for 80-85% lean. Any thoughts or preferences? Can I add raw garlic to the jars before adding the meat?
ReplyDeleteFat content doesn't matter since you brown and drain off the fat. And yes, you can add raw garlic, sounds great. ~~Granny
DeleteGreat! We use a lot of garlic. And I would rather put it in raw because I'll save the fat for dog chow--garlic is not good for dogs. I'd like to make beef dog soup with the fat--think the chicken dog food recipe would work?
DeleteDefinitely, the beef fat would make great dog soup! ~~Granny
DeleteGranny- hi. I am new to your site (and fairly new to pressure canning)-- I have been reading it & copying recipes all night. I am up to August 2011. Just wondering how do you know how long to process your boiling water baths. Most are 10 min baths but then the Plum Sauce recipe is 20 min. Is there a rule of thumb. Also, I thought onions had to be pressure canned (the plum sauce recipe again). What if I wanted to add garlic to the plum sauce recipe. I know that pressure canned recipes cannot be processed in a boiling water bath but--What would happen if I pressure canned something that was meant for a boiling water bath? I'd like to experiment but a little nervous about it. And finally, if I canned something that was somehow contaminated would I know, when I opened it. Example: extension services say don't can sweet cakes-- your recipe is clear to can at your own risk. But would you know by looking, smelling if it were no good? Or would it seem fine and hit me later? One more Q. How to I become a member of this forum instead of always being anonymous?
ReplyDeleteFor the plum sauce, I followed a recipe and 20 minutes was the time called for. Generally, yes, onions must be pressure canned... UNLESS they're used in a recipe that is high enough in acid to compensate for the onions, which this recipe does, as well as other recipes that have acid (such as lemon juice, high acid fruits, or vinegar) added. It's no problem to pressure can a recipe that calls for water bath, but it's NOT OK to water bath a recipe that calls for pressure canning. The cake recipes would clearly be moldy or have a spoiled smell if they were bad. To become a member, just sign in using a Google account or other URL account. ~~Granny
DeleteI just have to be one of the many to write and tell you how much your blog has helped me as a new canner...I have read your blog from start to now and will buy your book the minute the ink dries :) Keep up the good work!!!
ReplyDeleteGranny-- never thought much about canning hamburger it just didn't seem versatile enough. In our house I only use it in tomato sauce and the occasional taco (DH is Polish and has still not acquired a taste for tacos). I did however, run across another blog for making your own Hamburger Helper (always avoided the product because the price was too high--money wise & health wise) and I thought I sooo need to put up hamburger because I can make up little kits and make dinner in a flash! I will also send some kits to my college boys who look to be starving.
ReplyDeleteMy kids love hamburger helper. Id love to see the recipes you found.
DeleteWell, Granny I finished your site and am ready to can many of your posted recipes. Your tutorials are excellent! I also plan to can along with each of your upcoming posts. Still can't figure out how to be a non-anonymous contributor--but that's OK.
ReplyDeleteTHANKS FOR A GREAT SITE
Granny, I wish I had found this blog a few months ago... we tried to can some ground beef but didn't know to add any liquid. So, now I have a bunch of seasoned taco meat in pint jars that I'm not sure what to do with. They're all still sealed, but I'm not sure if they'll be okay to eat or not. We pressure sealed them with a pressure caner for the time recommend for our altitude, etc. What do you think? You're thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteBecky, some folks can it without adding any liquid with good results... I'm sure yours will be just fine. ~~Granny
DeleteI can mine dry. The cooked and drained hamburger produces it's own juices while canning. I even add taco seasoning to some. Here is a great youtube video showing you how.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBEjwlV-czE
Granny-HELP! this is off topic but need to pick your brain. I am making cranberry juice (using your Muscadine method) and ran into a SNAFU. I made 14 quarts yesterday no problem, but today I am using 1/2 gal jars. My problem is that my canner is not tall enough to cover the jars with 2 " water like the boiling bath requires. Can I pressure can instead? How many pounds & how long. I am not in a high altitude (365').
ReplyDeleteYou can, but I honestly have never had a canner deep enough to water bath half gallon jars and I just fill the water up as high as it will comfortably go (it usually comes up to the shoulders of the jars or thereabouts) and water bath like that with the lid over top of them so the heat up on top as well... I've never had a jar to NOT seal and stay sealed... it may not be "proper" but it's worked for about 30 years! If you want to pressure can instead, I'd just pressure at 10 pounds pressure for 5 minutes. ~~Granny
DeleteGranny, I had a problem with canning too tall jars years ago and my mom told me to turn the jar upside down. Guess this is what my grandma did all the time. It worked, it sealed and was great when I used it latter on.
DeleteThanks--being a newbie I think I'll pressure can.
ReplyDeleteI am going to do this Sat....got some on sale today at the store...I love being able to go down in my room and get a jar of canned meat and warm it up for dinner.
ReplyDeleteWhat timing--I just recently stumbled across a series of DIY Hamburger Helper recipes. Imagine how fast you could get dinner on the table when the meat is already cooked. The site is chickensintheroad.com/cooking/homemade-hamburger-helper/
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to put these kits together. Would make great gifts too.
Granny,
ReplyDeleteI' so disappointed! I canned beef just like you said, but all the lovely broth boiled out of my jars :( Based on other comments, I'll presume that since the jars sealed, they are ok to store, but I'd really like to have that broth! Any hints on what I might be doing wrong?
I recently bought a side of beef from a local butcher who was kind enough to cut some of the meat into "jar sized" pieces when I told him I wanted to try canning it :)
Lisa in AZ
who must can everything at 15 lbs due to altitude of 4500 ft
Lisa, liquid loss is usually caused by the pressure dropping too quickly or the jars cooling too quickly... leave the jars in the canner a few extra minutes after the pressure has dropped to zero and don't hurry it. ~~Granny
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great tips. I canned my first batch of ground beef & it turned out wonderfully. Hubby thinks I'm a little nuts cause I think it looks so pretty in the jars.
ReplyDeleteCan I do up small meatballs & follow the same process?
ReplyDeleteSure you can. ~~Granny
Deletejust received a pressure cooker for christmas tried canning chicken and hamburger left the 1 inch head space cooked for the 75 min for pints all the jars gave the pop and sealed but i still have that inch of headspace of air in the jar is that normal or should it be filled to the seal after it is done
ReplyDeleteThe headspace is normal! ~~Granny
DeleteWe eat ground turkey not ground beef. Can you can the ground turkey instead and would it still be for the same amount of time?
ReplyDeleteYes, ground turkey would be the exact same process as beef. ~~Granny
DeleteGranny, I have a glass top stove. Can I use the BBQers side burner to can on? I have heard so many conflicting information on using propane. How is propane outside differ from propane stoves in the house? If I can use the propane outside, does it matter if it is in the 30's outside?
ReplyDeleteYou can use your propane burner, just be careful the flame doesn't get to high. I use my glass top stove with no problems. ~~Granny
DeleteGranny,
ReplyDeleteWhen I tried canning chili the consistency of the hamburger changed in the canning process. The meat became very soft. Can you suggest anything tips to keep the meat firmer?
With canning, you aren't going to get a "fresh meat" consistency, it will be softer... no way around it. ~~Granny
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ReplyDeleteif I had to use the beef bullion cube in water to make my broth, how many cubes would I need to use in order to make enough broth to cover the ground beef???
Great information! I am canning some pints of ground beef right now. I have only done this a time or two before but WOW....the results have been amazing. I can the beef with onions and a tiny bit of salt and then add water.. I have also drained and rinsed the beef first to cut the fat. It is soooo good! It is so wonderful to be running late and wonder what I am going to fix this family for supper....then I grab a jar of canned beef or chicken and go to it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great site!
Beth
What is your opinion about "Dry Canning" ground beef? Not adding liquid to the cooked ground beef in the jars?
ReplyDeleteI have been seeing several youtube videos with regards to this procedure.
Just asking
I've heard good things about it, but have never tried it myself. I've heard it tastes more like freshly browned meat rather than the more mushy texture you can sometimes get with adding broth or water. I may get the courage to try it soon. ~~Granny
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What is the purpose of adding water or broth?
ReplyDeleteJust started canning. My elevation here in ontario is 728 feet above sea level so when canning ground beef how long and what weight? Thanks
ReplyDelete10-11 lbs. pressure 75 minutes for pints, 90 minutes for quarts. ~~Granny
DeleteGreat tips. Have a question? When storing in a cool dry dark place, I have a cold cellar that is cool in dry and dark...but in the winter, some items freeze. I live in Ontario. Do you recommend this Granny or should I just store in my dark dry pantry.? Thanks
ReplyDeleteThanks
DeleteIf there's a chance of freezing, I wouldn't store there. Better in your dark dry pantry. ~~Granny
DeleteCanner is vented pressure is on and the timer is set. 7 pints of ground beef going. Its doesn't get any better this for me! Love being in my kitchen!
ReplyDeleteHELP, I dry canned some ground beef, (did add some dry beef bullion) and it processed great, but it tastes like dog food. Is this normal? I hear everybody saying how great it tastes so I must have done something wrong?
ReplyDeleteMost likely the combination of dry canning and using dry beef bouillon. I cook my meat until almost done, but NOT BROWNED. I drain it, add to my pint jars. Top with an 1/8 tsp of canning salt. Then I add boiling water, use a chopstick or plastic knife to remove bubbles. Wipe my rims, apply lids and rings and process. I never rush my canner to calm down. I don't want to lose any of the liquid.
DeleteCould also have been the quality of the meat. Was it fresh? Was it sitting in your fridge a couple days? Was it at the last use by date? These can all factor into the taste and quality of final product.
You can, it's really up to you. ~~Granny
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly how I can beef, and I also can ground turkey and use beef broth. Mine do not stay a nice brown, but turn more of a pink and look uncooked. Ick. But still are tasty and handy.
ReplyDeleteCan you put ground canned beef in the refrigerator? Someone gave me some and I don't have a cool dark place to put it, and how long would it last?
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Mine do not stay a nice brown, but turn more of a pink and look uncooked. Ick. But still are tasty and handy.