Investment Cooking - Canning Meat

 

As you know I am on a bit of a mission to do a yearlong freezer and pantry challenge and in the process keep my grocery spending very low.  As an empty nester no longer feeding ravenous teenagers I've got a far bit of food in this house and I definitely do not want it to go to waste.  Recently I went through the chest freezer out in my garage and made sure that I knew what was in there so I can use things before they succumb to freezer burn.  So far I've been successful, however I can only eat so much.

 

I cooked this in my slow cooker on high for twelve hours

Last month I pulled a large pork butt roast out, thawed it and stuck it in my slow cooker.  It was large enough that it took all day sitting in my kitchen sink to defrost and another day to cook in my slow cooker to the point I wanted it done at.  

I skimmed that layer of fat off the bowl of meat juices and gave it to the chickens
Nothing gets wasted around here

Once I'd achieved that I was able to remove the bone and fat, break it up and drain off those delicious juices.  I let the meat and the juices sit overnight in my refrigerator and in the morning I was able to remove more fat from the meat and skim off the layer that had congealed on top of those juices.

 

Heating it all back up so I can hot pack the jars

Everything went back into the slow cooker until it had all heated through along with a container of juices from another pork roast I had prepared earlier in the year.  Once heated through I filled up my clean pint jars and pressure canned seven pints and one half pint of meat to add to my long term food storage pantry.

 

Once I'd taken care of the roast I pulled a five pound package of Italian sausage out of the chest freezer and once it had thawed I cooked it up and canned it in half pint jars.  These are the perfect size for me to grab and make meals for one or two people so I like to have them on hand.

 

Half pint jars of sausage coming out of the pressure canner

I also like to can half pint and pint sized jars of ground turkey or beef, regular pork sausage, pot roast, stew meat and cubed chicken breast.  It makes for very convenient meal preparations and it is a nice option to have on the shelf.  I will often take these jars camping or traveling.

 

It is nice to home can some sides too

A jar of pork sausage is nice for an egg scramble, a quiche or to add to country gravy and pour over biscuits.  Pair a jar of pot roast with a jar of potatoes and a jar of veggies and you have Sunday dinner in a snap.  A jar of Italian sausage and a jar of pasta sauce and you have a quick spaghetti dinner.  There are endless possibilities.

 

A jar of seasoned pot roast and a jar of potatoes & carrots
Super easy meal to put together

Having home canned meats in my pantry allows me to easily put together a meal on a camp stove in the event of a long power outage, which we've had happen on occasion.  It also means that if I was to lose the contents of my freezer (God forbid) I have my pantry meats to back me up until I can replace my freezer food.  If I'm super busy, tired or not feeling well I have easy foods to choose to make a meal saving me the need to order out or skip a meal.  For me there is security in this.

 

Gorgeous! 😁

Love it!

Probably the best reason I can meat is because I really enjoy doing it.  I derive a lot of satisfaction in knowing exactly what is in that jar too.  No artificial additives or any of those preservatives I can't pronounce.  Plus nothing looks prettier than a row of home canned food sitting on a shelf.