Login or Register

How to Preserve Canned Meat & Potted Meat

Jul 8, 2011 | By Kristen Douglas

Home cooks have potted and canned meats since before refrigeration became available to preserve it. To preserve all the meat from an animal, you can pot or can meats and store them for long periods unrefrigerated. This can be especially helpful if you have a large amount of meat and no deep freeze to store it in, as well as when you're camping where no refrigeration is available. While canning meat often relies on meat fats to preserve it, you can take steps in preparation to lower the fat content.

Canning Process

Step 1

Cut chilled meat pieces into approximately 1-inch chunks or strips. Soak stronger meats such as venison or other game meats in a saltwater brine containing 1 tbsp. salt per qt. of water for several hours prior to preparation.

Step 2

Drain the brine from the meat.Place meat in an oil-sprayed roasting pan and turn the oven to about 350 F. Cover it with foil to retain moisture and cook it until the meat is browned but not fully cooked. Roasting the meat rather than cooking it in fat on the stove top retains the meat quality but significantly lowers the fat content of your finished product.

Step 3

Add 1 tsp. salt to each canning jar, along with the browned meat pieces. Add meat broth or seasoned water to the roasting pan pan to deglaze the pan of its flavor. Combine the broth with tomato juice if the meat you're canning might still be gamey tasting.

Step 4

Pour broth mixture evenly over each jar of meat, making sure that you cover the meat thoroughly. Leave about 1 inch of air space between the meat mixture and the jar's lid.

Step 5

Put the meat on the jars and process the jars in your pressure cooker. The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends that your canning time should be for 90 minutes at a pressure of 11 if you live at an elevation of 1,000 feet or below.

Potted Meat Process

Step 1

Heat oil in a pan for frying, and brown your meat, leaving the fat on your meat, as traditionally fat is what helps preserve potted meat. If there is not enough fat to completely cover the end product, you may want to add thick-cut bacon cut into chunks to the browning process. Pre-heat your oven to 350 F.

Step 2

Place browned meat and bacon fat in a large casserole dish, along with seasonings, broth and wine to your taste, and enough water to cover the meat. For a firmer end result, add other fatty meats to the casserole. For a healthier option, stay with wine and broth to cook the meat in.

Step 3

Cook the meat in the casserole dish for two to three hours, until all the meat is tender and falling from the bone. Remove the casserole dish from the oven and strain the liquid through a strainer, discarding the larger spice pieces. Add the liquid to a saucepan and boil to reduce by half.

Step 4

Pick the meat off any bones while the liquid is reducing. Finely chop the boned meat and add spices such as mustard or other items to your taste. Pack the meat loosely in a crock or tureen, and pour the reduced liquid, which should be a bit gelatinous, to cover the meat mixture. Cover, cool and keep the mixture in a cool place or refrigerate the mixture until you're ready to eat it.

Tips and Warnings

  • Use tomato juice for the canning process rather than traditional fatty oils. It not only reduces the fatty content of the meat, but will assist in reducing gamey flavors. If you have refrigeration, using more broths and less fats when potting meat is acceptable.
  • Potted meat is traditionally a higher fat option to canning, as the fats surrounding meat are what preserves it. When using traditional potting methods without refrigeration and with more fat, eat it in small amounts to avoid going over your daily caloric limits.

Things You'll Need

  • Dial-gauge pressure cooker
  • Salt
  • Stewing pot
  • Tomato juice
  • Nonstick roasting pan
  • 1 qt. canning jars
  • Crock or tureen

References

Article reviewed by Geoffrey Darling Last updated on: Jul 8, 2011

Must see: Photo Galleries

Member Comments