Home Canning Meat, Poultry and Fish

by Lynn Paul, Ed.D., R.D., Food and Nutrition Specialist and

Bernice Mason, Yellowstone County Extension Agent

MT199610 HR      reprinted 3/2003

afety is the top priority for

the United States Department of Agriculture’s home canning guidelines, and the USDA guidelines included in this MontGuide are based

S

on extensive research on safe pro- cessing pressures and times. Among

the safety factors, the USDA's primary goal is the prevention of botulism,

a potentially deadly foodborne ill-

ness caused by a spore of the bacteria C. botulism, one of the most deadly poisons. C. botulism can grow and reproduce in improperly processed home canned foods.

The guidelines presented here will also help prevent foodborne illnesses caused by other bacteria, molds and yeast, and will help prevent food spoil- age in your home canned products.

A Question of Safety

Before beginning your home canning, ask yourself:

1. What is my elevation?

In order to decrease your risk of food- related illness and death, you must determine the correct home-canning processing times and pressures for

your level of elevation. While water boils at 2120 F at sea level, it boils at

a much lower temperature at higher elevations. Consequently, home canned foods must be processed for longer times or at a higher pressure at higher altitudes.

This MontGuide lists canning pressures for specific elevations

throughout Montana and recommended processing times for various meats. It includes a checklist for safe preparation and storage of home- canned foods, and instructions for canning meat, poultry and fish.

Elevations of County Seats in Montana and Pounds of Pressure To Use

County Seat

Elevation

Lbs. Pressure

Anaconda

5288

13

Baker

2945

12

Big Timber

4075

13

Billings

3117

12

Boulder

4904

13

Bozeman

4753

13

Broadus

3029

12

Butte

5767

13

Chester

3132

12

Chinook

2429

12

Choteau

3810

12

Circle

2449

12

Columbus

3584

12

Conrad

3511

12

Cut Bank

3751

12

Deer Lodge

4520

13

Dillon

5097

13

Ekalaka

3427

12

Forsyth

2521

12

Fort Benton

2749

12

Glasgow

2093

12

Glendive

2076

12

Great Falls

3330

12

Hamilton

3571

12

Hardin

2900

12

Harlowton

4162

13

Havre

2489

12

Helena

4009

13

County Seat

Elevation

Lbs. Pressure

Hysham

2653

12

Jordan

2595

12

Kalispell

2956

12

Lewistown

3912

12

Libby

2065

12

Livingston

4499

13

Malta

2258

12

Miles City

2371

12

Missoula

3208

12

Phillipsburg

5163

13

Plentywood

2044

12

Polson

2935

12

Red Lodge

5554

13

Roundup

3186

12

Ryegate

3638

12

Scobey

2475

12

Shelby

3283

12

Sidney

1931

11

Stanford

4259

13

Superior

2759

12

Terry

2246

12

Thompson Falls

2473

12

Townsend

3828

12

Virginia City

5822

13

W. Sulphur Sp.

5100

13

Wibaux

2661

12

Winnett

2958

12

Wolf Point

2009

12

D-11

Other Resources

This guide provides information on processing times and temperatures with ad- ditional tips on key safety points for home canning. It is not meant to provide all the safety information and directions needed for canning. The following resource

is available for more safety information and instructions for home canning:

Ball Blue Book, 1995. Home Canners Catalog, Alltrista Corp., P.O. Box 2005, Muncie, IN 47307. $4.95 + $1 S&H.

Preparation and storage checklist

Following are several critical checkpoints in the safe preparation and storage of home canned foods:

Packing

• Style of pack: Follow directions for packing either hot or raw pack.

• Jar size: Follow directions for packing in either 1/

2

pint, pint or quart jars.

(NOTE: Not all foods can be safely processed in quart jars. Therefore, not all foods will have quart directions.)

• Head space: Follow directions for specific foods.

Processing

Cooling

Sealing

Consuming

2

• NOTE: Do not usemicro-canners, steam canners, open kettle, oven canning or preserva- tives for processing.

• Use a pressure canner for meats, poultry and fish.

- Test your dial gauge at least once per year. Weighted gauges do not need testing.

- Canners must be vented for 10 minutes to exhaust air. Excess air will keep the canner pressure and temperature too low for safe processing.

- Start processing time when pressure reaches 10 pounds for weighted gauge;

11 pounds for dial gauge canners, or necessary pounds with altitude adjustment.

- Adjust pressure and times for altitude.

• Pressure canner: Remove canner from stove, cool at room temperature until pressure returns to zero, then promptly remove jars. Do not attempt to cool more quickly.

• Place jars on rack or cloth so air can circulate. Do not expose to draft or cover with towels.

• Cooled jars should have the center of the lid popped down and not moveable when pressed.

• Jars that have not sealed should be repacked and reprocessed within a 24-hour period for the original processing pressure and time. If not reprocessed, foods may also be refrig- erated or frozen.

• If you are uncertain about the safety of home-canned foods, follow the advice “When in doubt, throw it out.”

• Botulism and other deadly foodborne illness causes are undetectable in food by sight, smell and taste. Foods may show no sign of spoilage! If a canned food looks spoiled, foams or

even has an “off” odor, destroy it. To be sure foods are safe from botulism, boil them at the proper time for your elevation. At elevations above 1,000 feet, start with 10 minutes and

add one additional minute per 1,000 feet of elevation.

CHICKEN OR RABBIT

Procedure: Choose freshly killed and dressed, healthy animals. Dressed chicken should be chilled for

6 to 12 hours before canning. Dressed rabbits should be soaked 1 hour in water containing 1 tablespoon of salt

per quart, and then rinsed. Remove excess fat. Cut the chicken or rabbit into suitable sizes for canning. Can with or without bones.

Hot pack- Boil, steam, or bake meat until about two-thirds done. Add 1 teaspoon salt per quart to the

jar, if desired. Fill jars with pieces and hot broth, leav- ing 1-1/4 inch headspace.

Raw pack- Add 1 teaspoon salt per quart, if desired. Fill jars loosely with raw meat pieces, leaving 1-1/4

inch headspace. Do not add liquid. Adjust lids and process.

GROUND OR CHOPPED MEAT

Bear, beef, lamb, pork, sausage, veal, venison Procedure: Choose fresh, chilled meat. With ven- ison, 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 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jars, if desired. Adjust lids and process.

STRIPS, CUBES, OR CHUNKS OF MEAT

Bear, beef, lamb, pork, veal, venison

Procedure: Choose quality chilled meat. Remove excess fat. Soak strong-flavored wild meats for 1 hour in brine water containing 1 tablespoon of salt per quart.

Rinse. Remove large bones.

Hot pack- Precook meat until rare by roasting, stewing, or browning in a small amount of fat. Add

1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jar, if desired. Fill

jars with pieces and add boiling broth, meat drippings, water, or tomato juice (especially with wild game), leaving 1-inch headspace.

Raw pack- Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jar,

if desired. Fill jars with raw meat pieces, leaving 1-inch headspace. Do not add liquid. Adjust lids and process.

FISH

Blue, mackerel, salmon, steelhead, trout, and other fatty fish except tuna

Caution: Eviscerate fish within 2 hours after they are caught. Keep cleaned fish on ice until ready to can.

Note: Glass-like crystals of magnesium ammonium phosphate sometimes form in canned salmon. There is no way for the home canner to prevent these crystals from forming, but they usually dissolve when heated and are safe to eat.

Procedure: Remove head, tail, fins, and scales. Wash and remove all blood. Split fish lengthwise, if desired.

Cut cleaned fish into 3-1/2-inch lengths. Fill pint jars, skin side next to glass, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per pint, if desired. Do not add liquids. Adjust lids and process.

SMOKED FISH

Caution: Safe processing times for other smoked seafoods have not been determined, and they should be frozen. Smoking of fish should be done by tested meth- ods. Lightly smoked fish is recommended for canning. However, because it has not yet been cooked, do not

taste lightly smoked fish before canning.

Follow these recommended canning instructions carefully. Use a 16 to 22 quart pressure canner for this procedure; do not use smaller pressure saucepans. Safe processing times haven’t been determined. Do not use quart jars or tin cans. Half-pints could be safely pro- cessed for the same length of time as pints, but the qual- ity of the product may be less acceptable.

Procedure: If smoked fish has been frozen, thaw in the refrigerator until no ice crystals remain before can- ning. If not done prior to smoking, cut fish into pieces that will fit vertically into pint canning jars, leaving

1-inch headspace. Measure 4 quarts (16 cups) of cool

tap water and pour into the pressure canner. (Note: The water level probably will reach the screwbands of pint jars.) Do not decrease the amount of water or heat the water before processing begins. Pack smoked fish verti- cally into jars, leaving 1-inch headspace between the pieces and the top of the jar. The fish may be packed either loosely or tightly. Clean jar rims with a clean,

damp paper towel. Do not add liquid to the jars. Adjust lids and process.

3

Recommended process times for meats in a dial-gauge pressure canner

Style of

Pack

Jar*

Process

Time

0-2000 ft

2001-4000 ft

4001-6000 ft

6001-8000 ft

Chicken or Rabbit

(no bones)

Hot and

Raw

Pints

75 min.

11 lb

12 lb

13 lb

14 lb

Quarts

90 min.

11 lb

12 lb

13 lb

14 lb

with bones

Pints

65 min.

11 lb

12 lb

13 lb

14 lb

Quarts

75 min.

11 lb

12 lb

13 lb

14 lb

Ground or chopped meat

Hot

Pints

75 min.

11 lb

12 lb

13 lb

14 lb

Quarts

90 min.

11 lb

12 lb

13 lb

14 lb

Strips, cubes or chunks of meat

Hot and

Raw

Pints

75 min.

11 lb

12 lb

13 lb

14 lb

Quarts

90 min.

11 lb

12 lb

13 lb

14 lb

Fish

Raw

Pints

100 min.

11 lb

12 lb

13 lb

14 lb

Quarts**

NO**

Smoked fish

Pints

110 min.

11 lb

12 lb

13 lb

14 lb

Quarts**

NO**

*If processing with half pints, use same processing time as with pints.

** These foods cannot be processed safely in quart jars.

Recommended process times for meats in a weighted-gauge pressure canner

Style of Pack

Jar*

Process Time

0-1000 ft.

Above 1000 ft.

Chicken or Rabbit (no bones)

Hot and Raw

Pints

75 min.

10 lb

15 lb

Quarts

90 min.

10 lb

15 lb

With bones

Pints

65 min.

10 lb

15 lb

Quarts

75 min.

10 lb

15 lb

Ground or chopped meat

Hot

Pints

75 min.

10 lb

15 lb

Quarts

90 min.

10 lb

15 lb

Strips, cubes or chunks of meat

Hot and Raw

Pints

75 min.

10 lb

15 lb

Quarts

90 min.

10 lb

15 lb

Fish

Raw

Pints

100 min.

10 lb

15 lb

Quarts**

NO**

Smoked Fish

Pints

110 min.

11 lb

15 lb

Quarts**

NO**

*If processing with half pints, use same processing time as with pints.

** These foods cannot be processed safely in quart jars.

FREE

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Copyright © 2003 MSU Extension Service

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File under: Foods

D-11 (Food Preservation) Reprinted March 2003

218-250-0303-MG