Pages

Saturday, March 23, 2024

  Canning Ground Meat

Bear, Beef, Lamb, Pork, Sausage, Veal, Venison

Procedure: Choose fresh, chilled meat. With venison, add one part high-quality pork fat to three or four parts venison before grinding. Use freshly made sausage, seasoned with salt and cayenne pepper (sage may cause a bitter off-flavor). Shape chopped meat into patties or balls or cut cased sausage into 3- to 4-inch links. Cook until lightly browned. 

Ground meat may be sauteed without shaping. Remove excess fat. Fill jars with pieces. Add boiling meat broth, tomato juice, or water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add 2 teaspoons of salt per quart to the jars, if desired.

Adjust lids and process following the recommendations in the tables below. 


Table 1. Recommended process time for Ground or Chopped Meat in a dial-gauge pressure canner.
 Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Style of PackJar SizeProcess Time0 - 2,000 ft2,001 - 4,000 ft4,001 - 6,000 ft6,001 - 8,000 ft
HotPints75 min11 lb12 lb13 lb14 lb
Quarts9011121314
Table 2. Recommended process time for Ground or Chopped Meat in a weighted-gauge pressure canner.
 Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Style of PackJar SizeProcess Time0 - 1,000 ftAbove 1,000 ft
HotPints75 min10 lb15 lb
Quarts901015

This document was adapted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning," Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA, revised 2015.