I had about 45 lbs. of beef that was cut into one inch cubes, packed raw into pint jars and processed in my pressure canner for 75 minutes. I got 37 pints of beef cubes.
There was a certain amount of waste in trimming fat and gristle from the beef. I suppose I could have been more precise in trimming, but I wasn't, with the result was that there is a considerable amount of red meat in with the scrap fat. Not wanting to waste anything, I bagged up the scraps and froze them. I'm thinking maybe I can boil them up later with some onion and carrots, skim the fat, strain out everything else and wind up with some decent beef broth. Worth a try.
I had two packages of brats that together held a total of 36 brats. Common sense flew out the window and rather than test just one jar, I ran 7 jars through, each containing 3 brats, only to find when I did a taste test that I didn't care for the results. The brats held together during canning but the texture changed, becoming more like the meat had been very finely ground. Somebody else might not mind this change, but I didn't like it. That being said, I'm sure I can find a use for the canned brats, perhaps cutting them into small pieces for use in casseroles. I froze the remaining brats.
And then I ran out of jars.
I messaged my kids on Friday saying, "I am in desperate need of canning jars. I am begging here. Any takers?"
Almost immediately daughter Jeri messaged me back saying she could do the deed but not until Monday. She asked if that would work. I said I would make it work
I browned the burger over the weekend and canned some Monday evening and the rest this morning. 40 lbs. of hamburger got me 54 pints.
The plan was to use part of the hamburger to make and can chili, but plans often change. It is hot and humid outside. Not a good time to be cooking pots of chili, so that will wait for cooler days. The chickens will also stay in the freezer for a while.
All in all, I am pleased with the amounts of canned meat that are headed for the shelves - and for Duane's apartment, because I am pretty much out of storage space. Having a kid living next door comes in handy now and then. Lucky for me, he is always willing to help when needed, as are the rest of my kids. I would have a tough time doing what I do without their help.
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Obviously, you raised 'em right, Vicki!
ReplyDeleteGorges...Sometimes I think they turned out alright in spite of me.
DeleteSaving chili for when it is chilly?
ReplyDeleteCute, BW...very cute. And funny. :)
DeleteWhat Gorges wrote. Kudos to you and your kids.
ReplyDeleteJust brought in my first bag of puppy chow...the countdown continues. And a 'junior' size chew toy.
Cheers, SJ
Thanks, SJ...Woo Hoo!! Puppy stuff!! Soon......
DeleteVicki~ with your beef scraps you could grind them and mix them into ground turkey for cooking down or making the mix into meatballs or meat loaf. Red
ReplyDeleteGood idea, Red...Thanks for the suggestion. I think I will give that a try come fall.
DeleteMy mother would can juice only in the summer. After Christmas when it was cold out and not before the hectic holidays, she would make jelly. She said she could not make jelly in the heat anymore.
ReplyDeleteI can't fault her for that, Linda...I don't like making jelly in the summer, either. I don't particularly like canning at all in the summer, but sometimes when the opportunity presents itself, we do it anyway. :)
DeleteGlad things worked out for the most part. We do meal planning for at lest 2 or 3 weeks ahead. Chili came up, but maybe next month. Tator tot hot dish was another, It will wait. I didn't think about canning brats. that would be more use as a sausage?? then a canned food??
ReplyDeleteRob...I sometimes wish I were organized enough to plan meals ahead, but I am not. Cooking for one, I make whatever I feel like eating, planning maybe a day ahead. Maybe.
DeleteThe idea with the brats was to have them fully cooked in a jar, and then just brown them a little for a quick meal. But the canning process changed the texture of the meat to where I don't really care for it. I will use them up eventually by adding them to a hot dish or maybe spaghetti sauce. It was an experiment that didn't work well for me, as they sometimes don't. :)
Vicki, you can feel very good about your food storage..the more, the better. Things are getting more than crazy in this country and around the world.
ReplyDeleteI have finally found some veggies hiding in my garden. I am battling vine bores with my zucchini but have captured a few zukes before losing the plants one by one. I usually use them in one- skillet meals or shred to freeze for making zucchini bread in the fall. Beans have begun to produce but not enough to pressure can. And we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of a red ripened tomato...thinking BLT's. Our sweet corn was good but not nearly the volume we are use to getting. We ate it fresh, and I managed to freeze enough to last until next summer's crop. I also dehydrated some to use in soups and cornbread.
The weather has been quite pleasant, but we are in serious need of rain. Take care and be aware, CW
CW...Every little bit helps. I still have chickens to deal with, but they will wait while I get some other things done that need doing.
DeleteSorry to hear your garden isn't living up to expectations. From what I hear, that seems to be a common problem all over the country. You know it is a bad year for gardens when the zukes don't go wild. I wonder if commercial growers are having the same kinds of problems. If they are, that doesn't bode well at all for food shortages and higher prices. I think it might be prudent for me to order more frozen veggies to dehydrate. Prices have gone up on those just a little here, but they aren't unreasonably high yet.
You are spot on about things getting more crazy. It was bad enough that a couple of lunatics shot up El Paso and Dayton, but the political rhetoric and posturing of the lunatic left added insult to injury. Never in all my years have I seen such hatred on public display. Makes me want to cry for my country.
We have had no rain here either. But the temps have cooled down some and that helps. Keep on prepping, my friend. We may need it sooner than later.
Hi Vicki. When you dehydrate things, say mushrooms, and then can them. How do you go about doing it?
ReplyDeleteLindaG...I guess I wasn't clear on the processes. I either can foods OR dehydrate them, but I have never tried to can dehydrated foods. I suppose if a person wanted to do that, they would first re-hydrate the food and then can it as usual. That's an interesting idea though.
DeleteAh. No, not you. I am sure I just mis-remembered something I thought I read. :)
Delete