Recipes I Made From The Lost Super Foods Book: Canned Hamburger Meat

I was amazed at how fast and easy this recipe is to do: Canned Hamburger Meat.

It is also very satisfying to see my shelves fill up with long time storage meat that I canned.

For this one here I did 4 ½ Lbs. of beef.

The recipe is for 3 Lbs. The only difference is the number of jars.

Each jar holds ¾ lb. fresh meat, but after cooking, and draining them before use, you only get about ½ Lb. (almost all of the fat and moisture content of raw is gone) Liquid is good stock for boiling potatoes, etc.

I find the ease of storage, and use very helpful, and the taste is good, but slightly lean. Add salt and spices at use time, as none were added pre-canning.

I hope you enjoy canning meat as much as I do.

Collect The Supplies

3 Lbs. 93% lean ground beef.
2 cups low salt beef broth.
13 Qt. minimum pressure canner.
Large skillet. Sauce pan for broth.
4 wide mouth pint canning jars with lids.
2 TBS vinegar.
Jar lifter. (Optional)

Put 4 freshly washed jars/lids in HOT water.

Put 4 1/2 cups water and 2 tablespoons vinegar in the canner, and start heating it on high.

Start 3 Lbs. ground beef cooking in a skillet.

Start heating 2 cups broth to boil.

Cook meat until lightly browned. Drain.

Pack hot meat loosely in hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Just cover meat with boiling broth.

Remove air bubbles with a nonmetallic spatula by running it around the edge.

Wipe sealing edges clean with a damp cloth. Center the flat lid on the jar rim.

Tighten the screw band just down, no tension.

Place jars in boiling canner on tray. Close canner lid.

Continue to heat the canner until steam comes from the vent pipe. Maintain a steady, moderate flow of steam for 10 minutes.

Place the pressure regulator on canner.

When pressure reaches 15Lbs., reduce heat to maintain slow rock of regulator.

Process 120 minutes after reaching 15Lbs.

Remove the canner from the burner. Let the pressure drop of its own accord.

When both pressure indicators drop, remove the regulator and let cool for 30 more minutes.

Open canner.

Remove jars. Tighten lids. Mark with date.

Set jars away from drafts to cool completely for 24 hours.

Check seals. Clean jars. Store in cool place.

You now have ground beef that will keep almost indefinitely on your shelf.

Ball & Kerr say 18 months, but as long as the vacuum holds, 10 years is not out of expectation.

As long as it is sealed, and looks and smells good, it is.

Tips For Canning Hamburger Meet

This canning method works well for various meats. This includes pork, beef, lamb, sausage, bear, elk, and venison.
Always be aware of the number of jars you can fit into the canner. This allows you to easily plan how much ground hamburger beef meat you can cook in a single session.
In a quart-sized Mason jar you can fit around 2 pounds of raw ground beef that was cooked. In a pint-sized jar, you can add around one pound and for the half-pint jar, plan for half a pound of raw ground beef.
For convenience purposes, think about how much your entire family will eat during a single meal. This lets you choose appropriately sized jars.
Before canning, make sure the cooked ground beef or preferred meat stays hot.
Remove extra fat from the meat after cooking, before you add the meat to the jars.

Frequently Asked Questions About Canned Ground Hamburger Meat

1. Is it a problem if fat is present at the top of the canning jar?

No. Before the canning process starts, you have to remove as much extra unnecessary fat as possible. It is close to impossible to remove all of it. Fat will rise during canning so you will see at the top of your jars.

2. Is it a problem if there’s ground beef present above canning liquid?

No. This is completely normal and safe. During meat canning, some liquid siphoning appears. Meat can end up staying above liquid while inside the jar. The only problem is that it will become discolored. It can safely be consumed.